From the Hobart Herald of September 30, 1954

THE RIFENBURG HOUSE

By Mrs. P. T. Stafford

The home of the Hon. W.F. Rifenburg has been known in the years since 1939 as the SothmanApartments, a yellow brick 4-apartment building on the corner of 2nd and Center streets, butmemories and memoirs show that it once was a red brick home of square and stately proportions,with carved cornice supports, iron grilled railings and white stone lentils.

With molded plaster leaves and grapes a foot deep around the parlor ceiling, it was truly astructure befitting the stern, dignified and eminent Mr. Rifenburg.

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The young William Rifenburg came west from Schoharie County, New York, in 1853, reachingHobart in 1857, after discarding a few other locations on the way. In 1861 he joined the Northerncause to preserve the Union, returning to Hobart bemedalled for bravery and wounded from thebattle of Shiloh in April, 1861 [sic].

Still a bachelor, he shared living quarters on Main street with the newly arrived Dr. Pliny Gordonand with young John Earle, the son of Hobart's founder. Mr. Rifenburg was well embarked onhis career as a contractor and lumberman when the first part of his house was constructed in1869.

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During the era of the nondenominational Sunday school, when boys and girls in Hobart spent allday Sunday going from one Sunday school to another, Mr. Rifenburg, the founder of the first one(in 1863) was thought to be a stern task master, but was nevertheless popular for he spared nodetail in stimulating the cultural attitudes of Hobart's youth. He allowed no self-expressionduring Sunday School hours, but he shepherded his young flock all the way to Chicago again andagain to visit museums and art galleries.

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A Universalist when he came to Hobart, Mr. Rifenburg was the greatest single force behind theestablishment of the Unitarian church in Hobart, which built, in 1876, the first Unitarian buildingin Indiana (and the most expensive church in Hobart at the time, having cost $1,500 dollars!)

While presiding to a large degree over the literary tastes and standards of the community, Mr.Rifenburg was from 1865 to 68, a justice of the peace; from 64-65, also Township trustee; in1896, the State Representative, and in the meantime, laid out the highway system in this and

 

THE RIFENBURG HOUSE Page 2From the Hobart Herald of September 30, 1954

neighboring townships, built the first three gravel roads in the area, and conducted a prosperousplaning mill and lumber business, as well as the Rifenburg Real Estate and Contracting Co.

William Scharbach purchased the lumber mill interests in 1893.

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Mr. Rifenburg's name appears on the first rolls of the Earle Lodge, I.O.O.F. which was organizedin 1869. It is hard to see where he had time to do all the reading for which he was most famous.The large north wing of the house was built on to contain his library, which was described in the80's as the largest private library in Lake County. The library contained a stained glass, sunburstwindow and a fire place of unusual glazed tile.

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With such a variety of interests and talents, it is natural that Mr. Rifenburg drew to his houseevery important personage who came this way; and many did when the Pennsylvania ran trainsto and from Chicago every hour. Hobart was a center of business and culture in the '80s and theRifenburg house was the center of business and culture in Hobart.

Rebecca Sterns was the first Mrs. Rifenburg, the mother of Mary R. Wood, who was muchbeloved in Hobart as Mrs. John Wood, a tireless church worker and leader in the Red Crossduring world war I. Mrs. Harry Parker is the daughter of Mary and John Wood. Mr. Rifenburg'ssecond wife died a year after their marriage, but his third wife, Sabrina Sawyer outlived him,after selling the house to Dr. Mackey, and living with their daughter, Grace R. Conroy, whosedeath Hobart mourned only four weeks ago.

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The two story tile barn which housed Mr. Rifenburg's horses may have been one of the reasonsDr. R.C. Mackey bought the property, for the doctor, in his second term as coroner of the county,and as one of the leading physicians, cared a proper amount for fine horses, then so essential to amedical practice.

A dashing and handsome man, Dr. Mackey liked speed so much, he was one of the first ownersof an automobile in Hobart. Dr. Mackey purchased the property in 1903. After his death and thatof his wife, it passed to their daughter, Helen who was, by then Mrs. George Rhodes. TheRhodes's daughters, Frances and Jane, grew up in the house, moving out after their mother'sdeath, in 1941. Francis is now Mrs. Owen Crissman. Jane is Mrs. Lionel St. Germain.

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Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sothman purchased the house in 1939, but did not move in until 1941. Whiledividing it into 4 apartments, the Sothmans installed new plumbing and heating units. Theyremoved the stained glass and the cornices and fire places, the plaster moldings and the second

 

THE RIFENBURG HOUSE Page 3From the Hobart Herald of September 30, 1954

story on the barn. They also painted the exterior yellow, so that while the home no longerresembles the mansion of the 80's its substantial brick walls are more likely to give another 80some years of service, than they would have, without the repairs.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry McCool, Mr. and Mrs. William Ross and Miss Esther Nail now share thefront paneled hall and wide front stairs with the present owners. The large yard is still acompliment to the corner of 2nd and Center streets, and the near neighbors, Mrs. Kramer, Mrs.Ballantyne and Mrs. Quinlan are the same neighbors who lived nearby when Mr. Rifenburg andhis house were among the foremost "boasts" of Hobart.