This very imposing structure is the manor home of South Bend, Indiana,
industrialist J.D. Oliver, the president of the Oliver Chilled Plow
Works. His father, James, who invented and patented the chilled-plow
process of making stronger, more flexible plow blades than the steel
blades used until then, had founded the company.
Built in 1895, the 38-room Romanesque Queen Anne-style house
contains stained-glass windows, parquet floors, nine baths, 14
fireplaces and the original furnishings. The 21Ú2 acres surrounding the
home feature a formal Italianate garden, a rose garden, a tea house, a
pergola and a carriage house. The house and gardens are listed in the
National Register of Historic Places. Also on the grounds is the
Workers’ Home Museum, a cottage reflecting life in the 1930s.
Copshaholm is located at 808 W. Washington; it is open daily except
Mondays and major holidays. Admission fees range from $3 to $8, and a
senior discount is offered.
For directions and details, call (219) 235-9664, or visit www.centerforhistory.org.
