History of the Inn

History of the Inn at Aberdeen

A Little History of The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd.

The Kankakee River Basin of which The Inn and surrounding lands are a part has been a region respected for its bountiful harvests and rich trapping and hunting preserves for centuries. Flecks of flint stone found during the environmental assessment of the entire Village of Aberdeen point to the prior presence of Indians and trappers on these grounds. The most prevalent Indians in this region were the Potawatomi. The Indians and traders of yesteryear undoubtedly traversed the land and streams that we are on today enroute from the Kankakee River to our south towards the trading posts along the shores of Lake Michigan, Baillytown settled by Joseph Baille (Bailly) near present day Chesterton and, of course, Fort Dearborn established in 1803 and later to become the City of Chicago.

Valparaiso was established as a town in 1835 followed in 1836 by the establishment of Center Township in which The Inn resides. The exact dating of the buttressed walls of fieldstone, brick and concrete which form the foundation and support the living area in the historic portion of The Inn is not known. County records confirm the existence of the home at least as early as 1856. An original photograph of the home known recently as —Timberlake Farm hangs in the Inn’s old entry and depicts the seven members of the John Ritter family, owners of the property in the early 1900’s.

original occupants

John came to Porter County in 1845 at the age of seven with his twenty-five year old father, Christian. He and his mother, Barbara Dowdeli Ritter, planted 150 apple trees in the area with seeds that they had transported from Erie County in New York. John later left Porter County to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic after which he had a brief fascination with the Gold Rush out west.

He returned to the area with his wife, Sarah J. Hesser Ritter, and their five children. Two children and Sarah later passed away and John remarried to Lottie M. Bradley in 1886 and they had five children, Jay, Ruth, Lyman, Harry and Maurice. Descendants of Ruth Ann Rifler Wilson live in the Valparaiso area today.The original house as depicted in the photograph had a full porch with the main entry into what is now the Library. The north end of the home was a single story. The original back door was found as we went to cut a door for the storage room in the southwest corner of the St. Andrews Retreat Center. A hidden ladder beneath the old entry closet floor has led some to believe that the house served as a way station for the Underground Railroad during the Civil War linking a known site in Hebron with other sites to the north. The rustic stone wall in front of the home along Indiana Route 2 still stands today with a wrought iron railing now fixed atop.

Subsequent early remodeling in the 30’s and 40’s added a second story on the north end (today’s Dunnotar Suite), indoor plumbing (powder room and the Aberdeen Suite’s bath), and the addition to the west which currently houses the Grampian Room (kitchen), office and the Innkeeper’s apartment on the top floor.

Most recently, the property was known as Timberlake Farm recalling the heavily wooded land, variety of lakes and streams, and the rich hunting area. The stable behind The Inn housed horses and offered a party room after a long day of hunting or frolicking in the woods J.M. Foster Construction Company, responsible for much of the early industrial development in northwest Indiana, owned the land during most of the 1900’s until it was deeded to his daughter and her husband, Irene and Johnnie Lawson, in 1971.

The property was purchased by Benchmark, Ltd., in 1994 and subsequently by John and Linda Johnson, the Inn’s proprietors, in 1995.

The Building of The Inn at Aberdeen, Ltd.

Demolition work began in February of 1995. The goal was to maintain the overall integrity of the historic home and yet provide a safe, comfortable and functional facility for our guests. The ventilating, electrical and plumbing systems were replaced along with the windows. The creation of the Conference Center required the 18" thick bearing walls between the kitchen and dining room and the front porch to be removed and beams interposed to support the house above. The three dining room windows to the north became the double entrance way from the new entry into the Conference Room. Upstairs, two rooms wore adjoined with the creation of a French door to create the Aberdeen Suite. All other structures were preserved to include the masonry fireplaces which remain functional

As the weather improved, site work began to the north and the north face of the home was never to be seen again as it was integrated into the new construction. The brick was cleaned back to its original red where tell tale signs of different vintages belayed the history of changed windows and doors in the 150 year old structure. A return to white was definitely planned.The Bristol Solarium became a labor of love, although tedious, it took over a month to create. The entry stairs were built in Sandwich, IL disassembled and then reassembled in only three days to fit the walls created onsite to exacting specifications.

The Timberlake Suites literally rose out of the ground in the new addition north of the historic home. Each takes on a name from Scottish history which is highlighted in each room’s guest manual .On December 7th, 1995, a Chamber of Commerce Evening -After Hours was hosted at The Inn with almost 300 visitors in attendance. The entry and two guest rooms were completed. Although the remainder of The Inn did not fully look like Pearl Harbor 50+years ago, it was a far cry from how its looks today and the spirit of adventure caused many to wade through the construction debris for a look at things to come.

Guests stayed at The Inn over Christmas 1995 in the few rooms that were open and 31 enjoyed a New year’s Eve party in the St Andrews Center. All of The Inn opened finally in late January 1996 Finishing touches and the creation of the English gardens followed in the spring.

Decorating actually began with the demolition work. A color palate was carefully chosen and runs continuously throughout The Inn. See if you can determine the four predominate colors? (Hint: check out the custom patterned carpet in the Conference Center.) Queen Anne traditional furniture with a dark burgundy stain was chosen. The discriminating eye will find some exceptions to this rule if you look carefully. Harden and Lexington companies provided the majority of the furniture at The Inn.

Fabrics were chosen separately and sent to the furniture factories and also crafted into the many linens and window treatments that uniquely adorn each guest room. Created from 150+ years of antiquity and dedicated to the future comfort of our guests, we have tried to preserve much of the past and yet create an enjoyable retreat, a memorable and fulfilling experience be it only an evening or an extended stay with friends and associates.

	In the Spring of 1997 an eighteen hole, championship golf course designed by Michael Hurdzan Thanks to the comments made by our many guests, both lodging, and banquet, in 2000, the Conference Room was expanded to double its size to accommodate a larger number of guests for luncheons, dinners, Supper Club, mysteries and business meetings.

The Inn at Aberdeen is dedicated to making your respite with us, be it for pleasure or business, both a memorable and fulfilling experience. Our staff is here to meet your every need.