Noble County farmers win rural preservation award
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Indiana Landmarks and the Indiana Farm Bureau will honor the Evers family of Wolcottville for their seven-generation owned farmstead with the 2023 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation.
The Evers family farm was established by three brothers in 1854, growing corn, oats, wheat and soybeans. The next generation of the family built a brick house and barn on the property using stones collected by one of the brother’s sons as the foundation.
The house was completed in 1923 and detailed with covered porches, sterling silver chandeliers, a staircase and a third-floor ballroom. It has oak, mahogany, birch, and birdseye maple hardwood incorporated throughout.
The family raised generations of children in the home, and seeks to preserve the original house by keeping the hardwood floors, plaster walls, leaded windows and bathroom fixtures.
The barn was used for dairy operations, and the family added a milking parlor, a second silo and more livestock pens over time.
Evelyn Evers operates Plainview Playtime as a family daycare and preschool on the land where children learn traditional subjects and farmhand chores.
“With a deep appreciation for their historic property and a commitment to preserving its heritage while operating it as a working farm, the Evers family exemplifies the tenets of the Arnold Award,” Tommy Kleckner, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Western Regional Office and Arnold Award coordinator, said in a news release.
The John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation was named in honor of the late Rush County farmer who sought to preserve the state’s rural heritage. The prize will be presented at the Indiana Department of Agriculture’s celebration Aug. 3 at the Indiana State Fair.