Our Buildings

“Christian Waterman was born in Germany on August 13, 1825. In 1845, he came to America, settling in Indiana. In 1849, he went to California to seek his fortune during the Gold Rush. After three years of panning for gold, he accumulated about $2500 and returned to Indiana.

“In 1854, Christian married Christina Ostermeier. Christina was born in Germany of August 16, 1836. She came to America with her parents at the age of seen and settled on a farm in Warren Township. After their marriage, Christian built a two-story colonial style house using bricks made from his nearby kiln. His new home had seven rooms, two stairways, and an oven in the summer kitchen to provide a bakery for the Watermans’ large family. At the rear stairway were eleven square pegs to hang the coats of each of the Waterman children.

“In 1861, six years after the house was built, the Civil War began. Confederate forces invaded Indiana only once during the Civil Ear. From July 8-13, 1963, General John Hunt Morgan led an invasion of Morgan’s Raiders through the Hoosier state. While they were prevented from reaching Indianapolis, stragglers from the main body of the raiders drifted to different parts of the state. A few of those men happened by the Waterman house, forced their entry, and stayed until the early hours of the next morning. They forced Mrs. Waterman to make breakfast with a gun to her back. She followed their orders and no one in the family was hurt.

“Henry Waterman, Christian and Christina’s third son, owned the home after his parents. A blacksmith by trade, Henry built a blacksmith sop ant the corner of Troy and Southeastern in 1888. This building is still owned by the Waterman family today.

“Edward and Mary Sudbrock brought the house from Henry in 1920. They added an apartment to the house for their daughter in 1940. In 1901, Mrs. Sudbrock sold the residence to Dr. Tom Bohnert and his wife, Joyce.

“Soon to graduate from dental school, Dr. Bohnert was looking for a place to establish a dental practice and raise his family. He bought the house despite the misgivings of relatives and friends who thought it was a mistake to buy an old house in the “middle of nowhere.” The Bohnerts converted the apartment tin to a dental office. In addition, they updated the house by adding a porch with four columns and converting the attic into a bedroom for their three sons, Mark, Gary, and Jon. Dr. Bohnert also had a pool in the shape of a tooth built in his backyard!

“By 1976, Dr. Bohnert had outgrown his small home dental office and built a solar heated building next to the house. This unique building was the first solar air heated building in the Midwest. Dr. Bohnert won several awards for this unique and modern building. And yes, the solar panels are still functioning to this day.

“In 1978, Dr. Tom Bohnert sold the house to Dick and Anna Hartman. Twenty-five years later, when the house again came up for sale, Dr. Mark Bohnert and his wife, Sue, decided to purchase Mark’s childhood home. After a year of extensive renovation, this 150-year old home has returned to dentistry and boasts three high-tech dental operatories, a meeting room, an office, and a full country kitchen.

“As you enjoy your tour of this beautiful and historic home, look for the eleven square pegs placed in memory of the Waterman family.”

Source: New Palestine Historical Society and Warren Township Historical Society