Visit Hartsville Bartholomew Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the charming town of Hartsville in Indiana! Experience the old city centre with historic buildings and visit the Lincoln State Park for nature experiences.
Honestly, when you ask for Hartsville sights, I have to serve you the story before we can talk about anything at all: Founded in 1832 by a few brave pioneers who thought a piece of Indiana was the perfect place for their cowherds, the town has hardly changed since – and that's kind of its charm. I don't understand the hype around the big metropolises, but here, in the middle of Haw Creek Township, you can feel the real Indiana feeling you only know from film sets.
I came by train to Indianapolis, then jumped to Highway 31 and after half an hour drive through endless corn fields I was there – no buckling, just a sign whispering “Welcome to Hartsville”. The first thing I noticed was the old town hall, which looks like it had built a carpenter from the 1800s with too much attention to detail. Right next to this is the cemetery district where the tombs of the founders still glisten in the sun – a bit morbid, but somehow poetic. And then, by the way, there's this little diner where the coffee is stronger than most of the relationships I've ever had. So if you're looking for a place that calms you at the same time and challenges you a bit, grab your suitcases and experience the Hartsville sights, as I see them: honest, undisturbed and with a shot of dry humor.
I have to admit right at the beginning that what I call “Top Landmark” here is not exactly a glittering lighthouse, but the Hartsville Community Park. At first glance, he looks like every other small park in the middle of the Middle West – a few benches, a playground and a few baseball diamonds – but when you sit there in the summer and hear the quiet sum of the grill sausages, you notice that the heart of the place is hitting. Parking is usually a Klacks, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the whole village comes together to grill.
A short walk on, just if you feel that you have enough of lawn and children's noise, the old venerable Hartsville Historical Society Museum. The building used to be the primary school, and now there are some enthusiastic historians sitting between old school benches and dusty photo albums. I have a yellowed edition of the Hartsville Gazette found in 1912 – no joke that is part of my collection of “things I never want to see again”. The museum does not have a large parking lot, so best place your car at the end of Main Street and run a few blocks. There is no entry, but you should bring your patience, because the staff is more of a bunch of volunteers who juggle between coffee breaks and phone calls.
If you have enough of history, look at the Hartsville Water Tower on. Yeah, that's really a water tank, but it's the landmark everyone knows here and that every tourist wants to photograph with his phone. I stood there for the first time when a tractor came by and almost ruined the picture – a real Indiana model. The tower stands on a small hill, so this is a short ascent, and from there you have a look over the whole Haw Creek Township, which is almost poetic especially at sunset, although I would never admit it.
A bit further south, almost hidden between a few field paths, lies the Hartsville Bridge, an old railway-to-road construct built in 1900 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. I stopped there once with my bike because I thought it was a perfect place for an Instagram photo. The sound of the flowing East Fork White River beneath it is surprisingly soothing, and the railing is stable enough to not insure you – a little comfort when you ask yourself why you drove here at all.
Another highlight I can't leave is that Hartsville Farmers Market. It takes place every Saturday from May to October in the community center parking lot. Here are fresh strawberries, homemade jams and one or other piece of cheese that you would probably never taste if you weren't by chance close. I once met an old farmer who told me that he had grown the same tomato varieties since 1952 – no joke, he literally planted the word “traditional” in the DNA of his plants. The market is a bit messy, but this is just what makes it authentic.
And because I'm just on the subject of authenticity, I'm not allowed to Hartsville Public Library forget. It is not a huge library, rather a cozy room with a few shelves, a computer and a window that gives the view of Main Street. I once borrowed a book about the history of the railroad in Indiana, just to see that it contains more photos of rusted rails than text. Nevertheless, if you need a quiet place to browse your guides, this is your place. Parking is right in front of the building, but be warned: The librarian looks at you like you want to steal the last piece of cake if you whisper too loud.
Last but not least, if you feel that you want to see a bit more of the “Hartsville Sights”, take a look at the small but fine ones Hartsville Community Center. There are regular art exhibitions, local theatre performances and sometimes even a karaoke evening, where the residents of Hartsville give their “tales” to the best. I saw a 70-year-old singing “Sweet Caroline” in a voice that was somewhere between Opera and Kneipenkaraoke – a sight I don’t forget so quickly.
So, next time you think about whether you want to make a detour to Hartsville, remember, there's more to see than you would suspect at first sight. And if you're wondering why I'm writing this all here – because I think a bit of cynicism and a touch of enthusiasm are the best companions for every trip.
The first place I could not miss was that Hoosier National Forest east of Hartsville – a forest that sounds more like “unguided wilderness” than it is, because the locals like to pick up some picnic tables and use the noise of the trees as background music for their barbecue evenings. I parked at the main exit point where parking is almost always a children's game, except for the rare weekends when a local hunter's club stops a meeting and suddenly every place is occupied by a red pickup. As I strolled along the trail “Haw Creek Loop”, I heard a squirrel that apparently had a better feel for my steps than my GPS – a little hint that nature has a little more to say here.
A short detour to the south brought me to Lincoln State Parkwhere I wondered why this place does not appear more often in guidebooks, although it is historically so important. The park is located at the place where Abraham Lincoln worked as a young man as a coach – a fact I only learned when reading a small table at the visitor center, because I cannot know everything before I stand there. The swimming pool was surprisingly clean, and the small café at the entrance served the best homemade apple cake I haven't eaten since my childhood. Practical: The bathroom is well signposted, and parking is a bit full on the weekend, but a free place is almost always in sight when you continue a few minutes.
A bit further east, almost like a small time jump, this is Columbus Indiana Art Center. Here I meet the modern architecture for which Columbus is famous – a mix of concrete, glass and a portion “I invented the design myself”. I remember seeing the Miller House designed by Eero Saarinen; the house looks like a futuristic spaceship hidden in a rural landscape. The tour was free because the city sold the whole as a “culture for all” and parking right in front of the building is a bit tight, but you always find a place when you are ready to walk a few meters. A friend of mine, an architect, only said: “No joke, that is a must.” And I have to admit, he was right.
Just a few miles further north Muscatuck National Wildlife Refuge, a place that I would call a “vogelouche for city people” – here there are more ducks than people, and that is exactly what I am looking for in a sunny afternoon. I spent a few hours watching birds with a binoculars I only knew from documentation. The visitor centre has a small café, which offers surprisingly good sandwiches, and parking is practically directly at the entrance, so you don't have a long walk behind. Once I lost my mind on a remote path, just to find out that I was in a field full of wild flowers – a perfect moment for an Instagram photo that later hardly got likes because my followers prefer selfies.
Back towards Hartsville, but not in the place itself, the path leads to Bartholomew County Covered Bridge. This old wooden bridge, which leads over the river Flat Rock, is a relic from a time when engineers still worked with crafts and not with CAD. I stood there on a windy afternoon when a tractor passed and brought the bridge easy to swing – a light trembling that reminded me that history consists not only of dusty books, but of sticky bars and the smell of old wood. Parking is a small, unsealed parking lot behind the visitor center, and although it is small, it is enough for a few cars as long as you do not come to the high season.
A last stop that sounds almost too good to be true is the Columbus Riverwalk. This walk along the river Flat Rock is lined with art installations that give more questions than answers – for example a huge metal ring that shimmers in the water and creates a quiet crawl at every step. I spent an afternoon there while a local jazz musician played on a small stage; that was the first time I heard in Indiana Live Jazz, and I must admit that the whole thing was pretty cool. Parking is at the end of the Riverwalk, where a small parking lot is available for visitors, and this is usually sufficient as long as you do not come with a whole class of school children.
If you are looking for something more than just a short look at Hartsville, you will find a collection of nature, history and modern art in the surrounding area, which will satisfy every traveller – even the slightly cynical one. The Hartsville Attractions may seem small, but the environment offers enough variety to justify a long stay, and all with an eye-catcher that the locals understand as well as the visitors.
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