Our History
The History of Prairie Guest House
The guest house was built in 1853 on property owned by a prominent judge named Fabius Maximus Finch. Mr. Finch emigrated from New York in 1814 as part of the New Purchase, along with a colony of 12 other families. They were among the first settlers. The 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, was an honorary pallbearer at Finch’s funeral in 1900.
Mr. Finch was brother-in-law to William Conner, who married his sister, Elizabeth Chapman. William Conner’s home, nearly 200 years old now, can be seen across the street at Conner Prairie. Conner was a fur trader turned Indiana statesman. He founded Hamilton County and its county seat, Noblesville.
The Main House was originally built on Conner Prairie Property in 1907, then moved to its current location in the 1990s. This is the house’s third address – it resided somewhere in Fishers between Conner Prairie and its current location.
Prior to serving as an inn, this property’s last agricultural use was as a horse farm. It was dubbed the Frederick Talbott Inn and converted to a bed and breakfast in the 1990s. John and Karen took ownership of the property in 2012, changing the name to Prairie Guest House. They are the third Owners to operate the property as an Inn.