From The Archives

Veraestau

When Jesse Holman combined the Latin words for spring, summer and fall to name his property Veraestau in 1810, he hoped winter would never touch his home. In a way, it never has. Set high above the Ohio River in Aurora, Indiana, the landmark home captures a long sweep of Indiana's architectural history and exemplifies the historic preservation practiced by generations of two families: the Holman/Hamilton clan and the O'Brien/Gibson family. In 1810, Holman built a two-story log house with a brick addition and gave it the name of a grand estate. After the log home burned in 1837, Holman's son-in-law Allen Hamilton bought Veraestau, salvaged the remaining brick portion, and in 1838 added a one-story Greek Revival structure. The style was at its height; architectural trendsetters employed Greek Revival to reinforce similarities between the democratic ideals of ancient Greece and the new United States of America. In 1913, Allen's daughter Margaret Vance Hamilton added a two-story Greek Revival structure that included four bedrooms, a bathroom, a dining room, a kitchen, a breakfast room and two sleeping porches.

www.indianalandmarks.org