Ruthmere Mansion
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Albert R. Beardsley House
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Front of the Beardsley House
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| Location | 302 E. Beardsley Ave., Elkhart, Indiana |
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| Coordinates | 41°41′36″N 85°58′24″W / 41.69333°N 85.97333°WCoordinates: 41°41′36″N 85°58′24″W / 41.69333°N 85.97333°W |
| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | Turnock, Enock Hill |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Part of | Beardsley Avenue Historic District (#03000979) |
| NRHP Reference # | 78000030 |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1978 |
Ruthmere (formerly the Albert and Elizabeth Beardsley Residence) is a three-story Beaux Arts mansion that is the most prominent historic residence in Elkhart, Indiana, United States. Built in 1910, the Ruthmere Mansion is now open to the public as a museum, along with the neighboring Dr. Havilah Beardsley House.
Ruthmere is located along the St. Joseph River in Elkhart. The architect was Enoch Hill Turnock, commissioned by Albert and Elizabeth Beardsley in 1908. The Beardsleys named the mansion in memory of their only child, Ruth, who died at seven months. ("Mere" reflects the Latin root maris and refers to the home's proximity to water.) The mansion was a place of business, family, political and social gatherings until the deaths of the Beardsleys in 1924. Robert Beardsley of The Beardsley Foundation purchased the mansion in 1967 with the main goal of restoring it to its original beauty in order to create a museum for the community. Restoration took place between 1969 and 1973 when the mansion was made available to the public. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and the Beardsley Avenue Historic District was established several years later.
Ruthmere is a three-story house with a basement. The first floor consists of the library, drawing room, dining room and kitchen area. The second floor is private bed and bathrooms and the service quarters. The third floor is primarily for storage. The basement has a game room and working area of house (boiler, wash room). There is also a tunnel that connects the game room to the greenhouse.
Cuban mahogany is the primary wood on the first floor. Pomegranates, a symbol of wealth and prosperity, are found throughout the house carved in plaster and wood as well as stenciling on ceilings. Silk wall coverings are used in a majority of the rooms instead of wallpaper. Beautiful hand painted stencils adorn many ceilings. Hand-painted murals of scenes of Italy also adorn walls and windows.
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