Linden House: A Late Philanthropist's Palatial Estate in Indiana
Custom-built in 2007, the residence has a strong Palladian influence, heavily inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia and the Villa da Rotonda in Italy. Linden House boasts a picturesque setting on its own 35-acre private lake, once the grounds of a Benedictine Monastery outside Indianapolis.
Palladio’s Four Books of Architecture became Jefferson’s architectural bible and would come to define the Jeffersonian style, often referred to as an American form of Neo-Classicism and Neo-Palladianism. Read more on the blog!
The 150+ acre estate feels like a sanctuary, with its high walls and gated entry to the ultra-private property.
The residence is surrounded by formal gardens with fountains and sculptures, and a beautiful lakefront patio featuring an incredible stone staircase you’d usually find in the Renaissance gardens of some great Italian villa.
The property has a fabulous loggia along the front of the house, leading to a 2-storey guest house at the end of each wing of the Palladian property.
The grounds include a tennis court, a swimming pool and pool house, as well as indoor pool and sauna.
Inside, the living spaces are grand —the incredible entrance hall can seat 100 for dinner—and feature high ceilings, multiple fireplaces, and a spiral staircase.
Linden House spans over 41,000 square feet and 61 rooms, several kitchens, 7 bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms as well as seven half-baths, and a full, finished basement.
The palatial estate was the former home of the late philanthropist and businesswoman Christel DeHaan (1942-2020), who co-founded one of the largest timeshare exchange companies in the world, Resort Condominiums International.
Considered one of the richest women in America, she went on to create and run the not-for-profit Christel House International, which operates K-12 public charter schools in high-poverty areas in the US, Mexico, South Africa, and India.
Its unique holistic model provides not only access to education, but also health care, social services, food, and formal support throughout college up to their first year in the workforce.
Proceeds from the sale of her estate will be used to fund an endowment for her education nonprofit to positively impact more children’s lives.
All photos belong to the listing agency.
