Vincennes, Indiana

Vincennes, Indiana: City of firsts

At one time, U.S. 41 ran right through the heart of Vincennes. Today, the bypass around the northeast side of the community takes travelers away from a wealth of historical treasures tucked away in the downtown area of the city.

Founded in 1732 along the Wabash River as a French fur trading post, Vincennes was named for the Sieur de Vincennes, François-Marie Bissot. Fort Sackville sat on what is now downtown Vincennes during the Revolutionary War and was the site of a key battle during the conflict.

Along with being the first settlement in Indiana, Vincennes also was the site of the following:

* First Catholic church in Indiana.

* First newspaper in Indiana.

* First Presbyterian church in Indiana.

* First Masonic Lodge in Indiana.

* First bank in Indiana.

* First medical society in Indiana.

To get to downtown Vincennes, just continue south on U.S. 41, crossing underneath the U.S. 41 Bypass overpass. This becomes Sixth Street locally.

Presidential mansion

Just six blocks west off Old U.S. 41 at Scott Street is Grouseland, home of the ninth U.S. president, William Henry Harrison. The future president lived here from 1804 to 1812 while serving as the Indiana Territory governor. The two-story, red-brick mansion was named for the abundance of grouse found in the area.

Today, Grouseland is a presidential site and tours are available.

After visiting Grouseland, return to U.S. 41/Sixth Street and follow it to Vigo Street and turn west. This was U.S. 50, before it was re-routed to the north side of the city.

Clustered together within a few city blocks are several buildings and memorials dating back to the early 1800s.

Monument to a war hero

The centerpiece of all of this history in Vincennes is the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. The memorial was built on the site of Fort Sackville on the banks of the Wabash River and honors the war hero who recaptured the fort from the British in 1779. President Roosevelt dedicated the memorial in 1936.

A stone's throw from the Clark memorial is the Old Cathedral at 205 Church St.. The St. Francis Xavier parish of Vincennes is the oldest Catholic congregation in Indiana. Parish records date back to 1749. The foundation of the Old Cathedral was laid in 1826. Murals inside the cathedral date back to the 1870s.

The Old Cathedral is a Minor Basilica. Pope Paul VI bestowed the honor on the historic church in 1970.

Also near the George Rogers Clark memorial is the Old French House on First Street.

Built in 1806, this home ss remarkable because of the unusual construction method used. The home was built utilizing “posts-on-sill” construction. This method used 14-foot upright posts, rather than the usual horizontal logs seen in most cabins of the time.

You can bank on it

At 112 N. Second St. is the oldest bank building in Indiana. Old State Bank was built in 1838 in the Greek Revival style. Sturdy stone pillars grace the front of the building, which also served as a post office, among other things over the years.

So, as you can see, bypassing Vincennes will help you get to your destination more quickly, but by doing so, you'll miss out on a rich historical experience.

From here, you have two options:

Return to U.S. 41 and continue south ... coming soon!

Continue west on Illinois 33 (Old U.S. 50) ... coming soon!

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