Shadowwood

Shadowwood is a two-and-a-half-story brick building in Palmyra Township, Knox County, Indiana, that features a side-gabled tile roof and a prominent two-story columned portico on its south-facing facade. A second-story sleeping porch extends across the southern wall, creating an additional outdoor living space.

The house was built in 1917 for Colonel Eugene C. Wharf on property that was once part of the Rose Hill Farmstead, originally acquired from Robert B. Patterson. This land transfer marked the creation of the estate on ground with earlier agricultural use.

The property was known locally as Rebel Hill due to gatherings held there by the Knights of the Golden Circle in earlier decades, a name that reflected the forested landscape where the house would later be built. This historical connection to the land remains part of the local understanding of the place.

The property includes outbuildings from different periods, with a pump house and carriage house dating to 1917 alongside a chicken house built around 1945. Visitors can explore these additional structures as part of the overall grounds experience.

From 1963 to 2003, the property served as the international headquarters of Sigma Pi Fraternity after Vincennes University transferred the building to the organization. This decades-long use as a fraternity headquarters represented a significant chapter in its 20th-century life.

Location: Indiana

GPS coordinates: 38.69972,-87.41833

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:41