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14309 ADAMS ROAD HISTORICAL CONTEXT This property is located on the North side of Adams Road between Elm Road and Clover Road in St. Joseph County, Indiana. It is described as being Lot 1 of Kelly's Addition, Section 11 Township 38 Range 3E in St. Joseph County, Indiana. This Greek Revival Style house was constructed in 1847 by Alexander Metzger's father - in -law, who was also a Metzger. Mr. Metzger was a clock maker and a native German, who was one of the first settlers of Harris Township. The elder Mr. Metzger married and raised a family in this house, including a daughter who married Alexander Metzger and had two children. Alexander farmed the family land on Adams Road for a while, eventually venturing into the cattle business with his father, operating a cattle ranch in Texas. Mrs. Metzger died when her son John Texas Metzger was only two years of age. Their aunt, Adelaide, who eventually married Theodore Metzger of Berrien County, Michigan, reared him and his sister. John Metzger began working on the family farm when he was sixteen years of age, and divided his time between the farm and the ranch in Texas, which he inherited upon his father's death. John became a permanent resident of 14309 Adams Road in 1912 and from thereon confined his labors to the family's 80 -acre farm. John Metzger married Kathryn Cooney of Indianapolis in February of 1912. The Metzger family farm was a prominent and important feature of Harris Township. Father Sorin and Father Granger used the Metzger house to celebrate mass for Harris Township Catholics until a chapel was constructed in the St. Joseph County Farm. The stagecoach line of the "Old Chicago Trail" also used Adams Road in the early 1800's and the Metzger home was a stopping point for them. Kathryn Cooney Metzger, John T.'s wife, continued to own the family estate until her death in 1959 at age 80 when the house was inherited by her sister, Mary France Cooney. Ms. Cooney sold the farm six months later to Theodore and Mary Derksen. Mr. Derksen was an agriculturalist; he married Mary Beckelandt in 1936 and sired four daughters. The Dersken's farmed this property while their daughter, Everdina and her husband Thomas Kelley resided in the house with their family. Ted Derksen continued to own the property until 1994 when he sold it to E. Russell who turned around and sold the property one month later to the current owner, Ronald Snyder. Mr. Snyder has expended a large amount of time, energy and money to lovingly restore this 1847 Greek Revival Style house. 3