Meet new owners of Civil War era home built by Indiana University grad in 1874

A young family and their two dogs have moved into Spencer’s historic Beem House, which was built in 1874 by an Indiana University graduate and Civil War veteran.

The couple, Stefan Welsh and Quinn Harmon, moved into the home in May and welcomed a son, Mylo, in July. The family has two Great Danes, Ferdinand and Fiona.

Welsh said this week the family moved to Spencer in 2017 because Harmon got accepted into a physician assistant school. Before that, the couple worked as teachers at the high school he attended in Colorado.

He said the couple had visited Spencer a bunch of times and enjoyed the small town feel while still having access to lots of sights and restaurants.

“Spencer really seems like a community on the rise to us,” he said.

Harmon now works as a physician assistant for an occupational health care provider in Martinsville, and Welsh works for the state of Indiana.

Welsh said as a history buff, he became interested in the house because of its past, prominence, location and appearance, especially with the expansive grounds and fantastic views.

The Beem House, built in 1874 by Spencer native David Enoch Beem, measures nearly 3,500 square feet and sits on a multi-acre estate that overlooks the town from a hill on West Hillside Avenue.

Welsh said he has lived in older homes, including one built in Colorado in 1908, and has gained some familiarity with what issues may crop up and how to fix them.

Spencer's historic Beem House gets major kitchen upgrade

The only major upgrade the family has undertaken is in the kitchen, which, he said, dated to the 1960s or 1970s. The family hired a local designer, David Miller, and has installed floor-to-ceiling cabinets, quartz countertops that look like soap stone, a big island, new pantry, overhead lights, a large refrigerator, microwave and double oven. The contractor also installed flooring and reinforced the floor to handle the extra weight from the modern appliances.

Welsh said the family also had to fix some leaks and reinforce some bouncy floors in some of the main areas. And, he said, he expects the family will have to re-stain some of the wood, replace some carpet and update some window panes, but he does not expect to do any more significant interior upgrades.

“We already like the inside a lot,” he said.

The Beem House has a limestone foundation, features original trim and hardwoods and has 14-foot ceilings, according to Indiana Landmarks, a nonprofit that restores and repurposes historic structures to “revitalize communities and reconnect people to heritage.”

Tommy Kleckner, director of the nonprofit’s western regional office, previously said the house has remained “remarkably intact” and the estate is unique in part because it includes other historic structures, such as a carriage house.

Welsh said the two-bedroom carriage house is being rented long-term, and the couple is renting the one-bedroom, one-bathroom summer kitchen behind the house for short-term stays via Airbnb.

The Italianate architecture style was inspired by picturesque Italian villas and farmhouses and also evokes “the formal symmetrical buildings modeled on the principles of urban Italian Renaissance design,” according to Indiana Landmarks.

Kleckner has said records indicate that Beem really made the home a showplace, which it remains today, thanks in part to the size of the property, which has helped buffer it from encroachment.

Built by Spencer native, IU grad, Civil War officer

Beem, the original owner, was born in Spencer on June 24, 1837, the sixth of 12 children, according to the Indiana Historical Society. Beem’s father, Levi, had come from Kentucky and settled in Owen County in 1817.

Beem worked on the family farm until age 19 and graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington with a law degree in 1860. He opened an office in Spencer in fall 1860, but the Civil War interrupted his career.

Beem enlisted as a first sergeant in Company H, 14th Indiana Volunteer Regiment, on April 19, 1861. He was promoted to first lieutenant in August 1861 and to captain in May 1862. He married Mahala Joslin on April 10, 1862. According to the archives, Beem fought in Rich Mountain, Cheat Mountain, Winchester, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

Beem left the military in June 1864 and returned to his law practice. He also organized the First National Bank in Spencer and served as cashier and manager. Beem lost much of his money in a failed pork packing business in Spencer in the 1870s. He continued to work in law and banking.

He and his wife had one daughter and two sons. Beem died in Spencer after a long illness on Oct. 23, 1923.

Indiana Landmarks had listed the home for $889,000. The home was donated to the organization last year by the former board chair, Sara Edgerton, who oversaw restoration of the house, tower, carriage house and summer kitchen. Proceeds from the sale will go toward the nonprofit’s preservation programs.

Protective covenants will assure the home retains its historical value. For example, the new owners cannot demolish the property’s structures or significantly alter them, or subdivide the land, without approval from Indiana Landmarks.

Spencer family plans celebration for Beem house's 150th Anniversary

Welsh said the home’s exterior already looked great when the family bought it and he doesn’t think it requires any change.

He credited a prior owner, Dr. William Dugan, and the caretaker for keeping the house in good structural shape.

Welsh said the best ways for people to enjoy the home’s Christmas decorations are to follow the family on social media and to walk or drive by slowly on Hillside Avenue. He asked that people not walk or drive up the driveway, though he said the family is considering ways for people to enjoy the lights up close next year.

Next fall, Welsh said, the family is planning a gathering on the property to celebrate the home’s 150th anniversary.

“We moved to the area because of the house, but we’re staying because of the … people in the area,” he said. “We may live there but we know that it’s a community landmark and we look forward to sharing it as much as possible.”

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Who now lives in Spencer’s Civil War era Beem House built by IU grad?