T.C. Steele State Historic Site

The T.C. Steele State Historic Site is the former home of painter Theodore Clement Steele and his wife, Selma, located in the scenic hills of Brown County, Indiana. The house and its grounds greatly influenced Steele’s impressionist paintings.

T.C. Steele was an American Impressionist painter renowned for his landscapes of Indiana. He gained prominence as a key member of Indiana’s Hoosier Group. He also dedicated much of his time to writing, giving public lectures, and participating in art juries that selected works for national and international exhibitions. Later, he became Indiana University’s first artist in residence.

Before settling in Brown County, Steele traveled around Indiana in a horse-drawn wagon, using it as his mobile studio. He later brought this wagon to his new home, although it was destroyed in a barn fire in 1913.

In 1907, T.C. and Selma Neubacher Steele purchased a ridgetop property and began building their home, which they named the House of the Singing Winds. They expanded the house with a west wing in 1908. Unlike the typical log homes of the area, their residence boasted high ceilings and screened porches and was furnished with an eclectic mix of items. Their friend, artist Gustave Baumann, engraved the phrase “Every morning I take off my hat to the beauty of the world” below the living room fireplace.

Over the years, Steele’s studio space evolved. The first studio was in what became the living room, followed by the west wing. In 1915, he built what was known as the “Little Studio.”

By 1916, they added the “Large Studio,” designed to enhance T.C.’s work with north-facing windows that provided ample natural light. This space served as a place to paint, exhibit, sell artwork, and host guests. Selma landscaped several acres of gardens around the home and enhanced the beauty of the surrounding hillsides.