story by GLENDA WINDERS
A stay at Goldsmith House in Terre Haute’s Farrington’s Grove Historic District is not like any other bed-and-breakfast where you’ve ever bunked before. The house is historic, the furnishings eclectic with clean, modern lines juxtaposed with classic antiques. The breakfasts are beyond delicious with baked goods prepared by one of the city’s most beloved pastry chefs, and a downstairs public room is given over to being an art gallery.
Even more noteworthy is the feeling of calm and serenity guests begin to experience as soon as they walk across the broad front porch and come through the door, which might have something to do with the inn’s unlikely host. John Gedrick is an Episcopal priest who wanted to continue his life of service when he retired from the ministry.
After years spent as a teacher and chaplain at Trinity-Pawling School, a boys’ preparatory boarding school in upstate New York, he finished his career in Vincennes as vicar of St. James Church. When he returned home to Terre Haute, he wasn’t sure what the next step would be.
Once the small property business he owns with his father and sister was able to acquire the Goldsmith property, however, the way forward for him became clear.
“We realized the house was holding up well, and we wanted to keep it as a single family dwelling,” Gedrick said. “One way to keep it intact was to run it as an inn. Given my background in ministry and pastoral care, the hospitality aspect of it drove me to give it a try.”
But while the house was structurally sound, it needed work. It was built in 1876 by ice merchant Luther Hager, then sold to insurance broker and politician Charles White. It served for a while as a boarding house for students at what would become Indiana State University before being sold
again to grocer Frederick Goldsmith, who made extensive renovations in 1907. In the 1950s Frank and Mary Ryan converted the house for use as a mortuary as did their children, Pat and Joann, and Joe and Linda Mattox later on.
When Gedrick took over, he restored the house’s footprint to Goldsmith’s specifications, which included separating parts of the building that had been combined. The tranquil interior was his idea, too. He reclaimed the hardwood floors and partially covered them with quality rugs. Then he furnished the rooms, one with a fireplace, with antique furniture, contemporary art and modern amenities. He reorganized some rooms, creating a small but bright and efficient subway-tiled kitchen. The en suite bathrooms are clean white with walk-in showers.
“I wanted to restore the integrity of the house,” he said. “That was the primary design factor. A secondary design factor was to make the house comfortable to 21st-century standards.”
His attention to every detail also contributes to meeting that goal and creating the house’s calming ambience.
Tiny artistic soaps from a local boutique rest in antique bowls instead of typical soap dishes. The table service at breakfast looks as if royalty is about to arrive, and Susan Royce’s pastries are just one part of the nourishing meal. A library in the largest bedroom contains books guests might actually want to read.
Gedrick even gave a lot of thought to what he would call the house’s four guest rooms.
“I didn’t want to number the rooms, but I was thinking about how to identify them,” he said. “One of the things I really like about staying in monasteries is that they name the rooms after saints. I thought that was a good idea.”
Since the roots of the Episcopal Church are English, he decided to name them after Celtic saints, particularly those known for hospitality — St. Brigid, St. Hilda, St. Julian and the Magdalen, who has shrines throughout the British Isles.
He named the Hager White Gallery on the first floor after the house’s first two owners. He holds shows for individual artists there, and a selection of works from the various exhibits is always hanging.
“I can offer a little bit of quiet if you so choose,” Gedrick said. “I try to strike a balance between the corporate experience of a hotel and the anonymous experience of an Airbnb. I hope the hospitality offered at Goldsmith House is attentive but not too attentive — gracious, in a word.”
Learn more at: www.goldsmithhouse.com
Goldmith House
A Bed & Breakfast
602 S 7th Street
Terre Haute, IN 47807
