House Crazy Sarah knows there are people out there like her who dream about being able to leave the treadmill of 9-5 and buy a place like this, where time has stood still.
The historic town of Story, Indiana is up for sale – the whole thing – and it could be yours… if you have $3.8 million. Most of us don’t have that kind of cash, but we sure can dream.
Story Indiana is a 19th century rural village that has been preserved over the decades. It started out as a logging community in the 1850’s.
The tiny town had a general store, grist mill, saw mill, slaughterhouse, post office, school, and blacksmith shop.
Below, you can see a historic photo of Story followed by how the town looks today from that same corner.
It really hasn’t changed much at all!
And that’s the appeal.
The town was originally called “Storyville” but somewhere along the way the name was shortened to simply, “Story”. In 2019, the town was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Story Historic District.
Today the town is home to Indiana’s premiere county inn and restaurant – The Story Inn.
House Crazy Sarah LOVES how they maintained the rustic facade!
Inside, look at those original hardwood floors:
Story fell mostly dormant during the Great Depression and essentially became a ghost town.
In the early 1980’s a man bought all of the dilapidated buildings on 4.5 acres for $65,000. He fixed up the buildings one-by-one and started the Inn and restaurant.
The original wooden floors, globe lighting, and tin ceilings were saved and preserved.
Only six houses remain in Story. One of them, built in the Queen Anne style, is the Wheeler-Hedrick House. Another, built in 1858, is known as the Story-Griffitt House.
House Crazy Sarah is thrilled that all six houses are used by the Inn as guest cottages.
So you can spend the night in these vintage village homes!
The town’s current owner, Rick Hofstetter, bought the town in 1999. Hofstetter continued the restoration work in Story, and it has become a popular tourist destination during the 40 years he’s owned it.
Story is currently on the market for $3.8 million and the package consists of: 17.4 acres, the General Store (Restaurant & Tavern), an old grain mill, saw mill, several barns, six guest houses, gardens & orchards, fenced horse pastures, and various out buildings.
It’s just so darn idyllic, it could be a setting for a historic novel – one that you can literally walk right into.
But you’re not just buying a historic town, you are buying culture and community.
Story hosts a number of special events throughout the year, including the Indiana Wine Fair, Maple Syrup Festival, weddings, comedy shows, Indiana Trail Riders events, and more.
Imagine owning this place! But for those of us who are less-than-millionaires, there’s always the possibility of a dream vacation in one of the best examples of a preserved 19th-century village in Midwest America: sweet little Story Indiana.
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