Horatio Chapin House


The Horatio Chapin House, or simply, the Chapin House, is a historic home located at South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana. It was built between 1855 and 1857 by Horatio Chapin, one of the early settlers of South Bend and the first president of the board of town trustees. The house consists of a 2 1/2-story, cross-plan, Gothic Revival style frame dwelling, a rare example of its kind in the region. It is sheathed in board and batten siding and features lancet windows and a steeply pitched cross-gable roof with an elaborately carved bargeboard. The Chapin House is widely recognized as one of the most significant homes in the state of Indiana, and in 1980 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At the time of construction, the Chapin House was located just outside the city on land that became known as Chapin's Park or Chapin's Grove. The estate extended from present-day Navarre street to the St Joseph River. Following his death, the property was divided between two children along the estate's old carriage road, which became Park Avenue. Chapin's children further divided their respective properties, contributing to the development of a neighborhood along Park Avenue. In 1888, the Chapin House was purchased by a local businessman and building contractor, Christopher Fassnacht, who contributed further to transforming the Chapin estate into a neighborhood by building several homes near the Chapin House. Today, this neighborhood comprises the core of the Chapin Park Historic District. Several homes in the district are connected to the Chapin House, including three homes built by relatives of Horatio Chapin, as well as two homes built for children of Christopher Fassnacht, all of which are still standing.