House of the Singing Winds – A visit to the TC Steele State Historical Site in Indiana

by Mike Knotts · Published January 11, 2025 · Updated January 19, 2025

Tucked in the hills and forests of Brown County, Indiana, about halfway between the relatively bright-lights of Bloomington and the small town of Nashville, is a an unlikely place to find one of the finest and most impressive collections of art in the state. But that is where painter and artist Theodore Clement (TC) Steele and his wife Selma Neubacher Steele moved in 1907.

TC Steele State Historical Site in Brown County, Indiana

Naming their home “The House of the Singing Winds” after the regular breeze that came with living on the top of a hill, and which soothed the hot and humid summers in southern Indiana, TC and Selma opened their home to visitors and fellow artists.

The TC Steele State Historical Site offers incredible and well-maintained grounds and paths for hiking and walks, and is one of the real gems of Indiana’s state museum system, with over 90 acres of the grounds dedicated to maintaining Selma Steele’s tradition of gardening on the site.

Some of the parks and paths at the TC Steele State Historical Site

"Selma In The Garden" by TC Steele (circa 1915-1920) — “Selma In The Garden” by TC Steele (circa 1915-1920)

TC Steele’s “Little Studio” building has also been restored and is used as a working studio for the artist-in-residence on the site. Steele had a horse-drawn wagon/studio, so he could travel the area to paint en plein air, which has been throughly recreated. House of the Singing Winds has been painstakingly restored and is an amazing time capsule from the turn of the 20th century.

The EZ-est Way stove — The water pump for the kitchen sink

The real treat of the park is TC Steele’s completely restored and updated “Large Studio”, a barn-like structure that houses a rotation of Steele’s fantastic impressionist paintings of the U.S. midwest, especially Indiana, as well as from his time in Europe and the U.S. west coast. According to the docent, paintings displayed here go into pitch-black storage for ten years after their rotation is up, so visiting should be like a new experience every time.

Stairs to the front porch at House of the Singing Winds, by TC Steele

Floral painting by TC Steele (from Selma's garden?) — Stairs to the front porch at House of the Singing Winds, by TC Steele

This gallery is just a small selection of the paintings that were in display during my visit. As someone who grew up in Indiana, I find Steele rendering to be a wonderful and moving representation of the area. If you happen to be in the southern Indiana, I highly recommend setting aside time to visit the TC Steele State Historical Site!

Be sure to see the Friends of TC Steele website, to learn more about TC Steele and explore a deeper portfolio of his artwork.