T.C. Steele State Historic Site

Brown County Indiana

T.C. STEELE State Historic Site We felt and believed that here in this hill country were evidences of a character in the outdoors that would command of us our best and finest spirit. Selma N. Steele The House of the Singing Winds Theodore Clement Steele (1847-1926), noted Indiana artist and member of the Hoosier Group of American regional impressionist painters, was inspired by the picturesque scenes that he encountered in Brown County. In 1907, Steele and his second wife, Selma Neubacher Steele, purchased 211 acres in Brown County and began construction of their home, which they named The House of the Singing Winds. They built the Large Studio to accommodate Steele’s work and landscaped the surrounding hillsides to enhance the beauty of their property. Selma Steele created several acres of gardens around the home that are enjoyed by visitors today.

From 1907-1921 the Steeles wintered in Indianapolis. They established a home in Bloomington when Steele became artist in residence at Indiana University in 1922. Each spring they returned to their Brown County property. As Steele’s reputation grew, an increasing number of visitors were attracted to Brown County to meet the artist and to see his work and estate. Steele was at the forefront of the state’s art movement, and is still one of Indiana’s most honored artists. His appreciation of nature, combined with his intelligence and his capacity for concentrated study, raised his works to an extraordinary level.

The T.C. Steele State Historic Site, bequeathed to the state of Indiana by Selma Steele at her death in 1945, is a fitting tribute to this Indiana artist. Guided tours are offered through The House of the Singing Winds and the Large Studio where changing exhibits display paintings done throughout Steele's life. The site includes four hiking trails, the Dewar Log Cabin and the 90 acre Selma Steele Nature Preserve. Mrs. Steele's gardens display a festival of flowers from spring to autumn.

The Historic Site is located 1 1/2 miles south of Belmont, off of State Road 46, nine miles west of Nashville Indiana, and ten miles east of Bloomington Indiana. Phone: (812) 988-2785 Lodgings close to TC Steele: Hickory Shades Motel Romantic Abbey-Inn, Brown County Mountain Lodge Guest Rooms

Our site contains Yellowwood State Forest information but is not sponsered by the Park, or the State of Indiana. We do not take reservations for State Forest facilities.

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