Ruthmere Museum offering free tours today

ELKHART, Ind. –The Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart is holding its family Sunday free tour and is opening Havilah Beardsley House on Nov. 7 starting at 1 p.m.

The Havilah Beardsley house was built in 1848 and was the first and oldest brick home in Elkhart. On Sunday, the Ruthmere Museum is opening the iconic home to the public for free.

The house in Elkhart was built near the St. Joseph River, overlooking the city of Elkhart. The Beardsley house represents a symbol of success and prosperity to the city.

Officials at Ruthmere Museum said Havilah Beardsley, the founder of Elkhart bought land from the Native Americans, he then built the first flour, paper, saw, and carding mills and also, brought the Michigan Southern Railway to Elkhart in the 1850s. In doing so, he brought a lot of trade, commerce, and business to the area.

The free tours are from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Havilah Beardsley house on west Elkhart Ave. The tour of the house takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. It’s a self-guided tour, and there will be people in each room to talk about the house.

The home has been renovated into an Italian style of the 18-70s.