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All the United States Indiana Metamora Monroe Allison House
AO Edited

Monroe Allison House

Locals dubbed this abandoned abode the "gingerbread house" because of its odd architecture.

Metamora, Indiana

Added By
sirchipdip
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Monroe Allison House.   sirchipdip / Atlas Obscura User
Monroe Allison House.   sirchipdip / Atlas Obscura User
Monroe Allison House.   sirchipdip / Atlas Obscura User
This picture still hangs on the wall inside.   sirchipdip / Atlas Obscura User
Inside.   sirchipdip / Atlas Obscura User
Fall 2022 - in renovation process  
Monroe Allison House.   sirchipdip / Atlas Obscura User
10/9/21 - The building is being renovated and entrance is not permitted without permission from the owners. A friend of mine took this photo. As you can see, renovation is coming along quite nicely!   fiddlingal / Atlas Obscura User
  rosssusan / Atlas Obscura User
Monroe Allison House.   sirchipdip / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Update April 2024: This house has been restored and is a private residence.

Update July 2019: This house is being renovated and is not open for exploration without the approval of the owners.

Even if it weren’t dilapidated and choked by unruly greenery, this house would still be an odd sight to stumble upon. Locals frequently refer to it as the "gingerbread house" because of its unusual handicraft architecture.

The nine-room building is unique within Metamora, Indiana. A carpenter named Monroe Allison built the pink house in the 1870s.

Supposedly, Allison would float any surplus building materials from his jobs down the canal and use them to build additions to the house. The frame is made of hand-hewn logs held together with wooden pins, and the house’s many rooms are spread across an impressive six floors.

The cupola and “widow’s walk” atop the roof were the last part of the house Allison built. According to local lore, he built them so he could sit in the sun, as he believed it would help soothe his arthritis pain.

The house has been somewhat preserved, so it’s possible for curious explorers to look around inside (but be careful, as parts of the wood are now rotten and weak). Old furniture still fills the space, and paintings and colorful wallpaper cover the walls.

Related Tags

Houses Abandoned Architectural Oddities Architecture Homes

Know Before You Go

Please view from a safe distance and do not enter the structure. 

Community Contributors

Added By

sirchipdip

Edited By

meredithdavis, fiddlingal, rosssusan, squirrelsgonewild

  • meredithdavis
  • fiddlingal
  • rosssusan
  • squirrelsgonewild

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Sources
  • https://franklincountyin.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Metamora-2017-Travel-Guide.pdf
  • http://whitewatervalleyparanormal.blogspot.com/p/stories.html
Monroe Allison House
19072 Clayborn St
Metamora, Indiana
United States
39.447542, -85.136531
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Grannie's Cookie Jars & Ice Cream Parlor

Metamora, Indiana

miles away

Courthouse Tree

Greensburg, Indiana

miles away

Bilby Tower

Osgood, Indiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Metamora

Metamora

Indiana

Places 2

Nearby Places

Grannie's Cookie Jars & Ice Cream Parlor

Metamora, Indiana

miles away

Courthouse Tree

Greensburg, Indiana

miles away

Bilby Tower

Osgood, Indiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Metamora

Metamora

Indiana

Places 2

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