The house was built in 1889 on a parcel purchased by Clement Studebaker in 1868. Studebaker lived in the previous house on the lot until 1886, when it was moved to South Scott Street to make way for construction of the present house. The house remained in his family for many years. His son George lived there until 1933 when he lost the structure due to bankruptcy. For several years, the building stood vacant but, in 1941, E. M. Morris purchased it and gave it to the city as a school for handicapped children. During World War II, however, it served as Red Cross headquarters. In 1970, possession passed to Southhold Restorations, Inc., a local historic preservation group.[4]
As of 2020[update], the house is the location of Studebaker Grill & Brewing Co., formerly the Tippecanoe Place Restaurant.[6][7]
The house is one of the only surviving elements of the Studebaker family's manufacturing success. None of their original carriage manufacturing facilities survives in unaltered form, and none of the houses of Clement's brothers (also involved in the business) survive.[4]
Architecture
The house is a four-story masonry structure, which presents three stories to the south and west due to the sloping terrain of the lot. The foundation and walls consists of glacial boulders set in concrete, with trim of Indiana Bedford limestone. The building is a somewhat rambling irregularly massed structure, covered by tiled roofs that are either hipped or gabled, and punctuated by a number of chimneys. Prominent features include a large porte-cochere on the west side, the main entrance with its heavy double doors, and the conical tower at its northeast corner.[4]
The house was designed by Chicago architect Henry Ives Cobb, who Studebaker selected after viewing high-style houses of the period in the Chicago area. Construction took three years.[4]
