Stone Head is an unincorporated community in Van Buren Township, Brown County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[1]

Stone Head, Indiana
The namesake stone head
The namesake stone head
Brown County's location in Indiana
Brown County's location in Indiana
Stone Head is located in Brown County, Indiana
Stone Head
Stone Head
Location in Brown County
Coordinates: 39°07′48″N 86°09′32″W / 39.13000°N 86.15889°W / 39.13000; -86.15889
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyBrown
TownshipVan Buren
Elevation584 ft (178 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
47201
Area code(s)812 & 930
FIPS code18-73448[2]
GNIS feature ID444206[1]

History

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Stone Head, Indiana

Stone Head was named after the historic 1851 mile marker sculpture in the shape of a head. It was carved by Henry Cross.[3] Stone Head contained a post office from 1890 until 1891.[4]

Sculpture

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In 1974 the entire piece, the base and the head, came up missing. Police found it four months later in an apartment in Indianapolis. Two teenagers were using it as a hat rack, according to a story published in the Brown County Democrat. The Thomas A. Hendricks House and Stone Head Road Marker was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[5]

In November 2016, the carving was beheaded. It has not been found and no arrests have been made.[6] A monument honoring Henry Cross and destroyed Stone Head was placed in October 2017 by Casey Winningham, an Indiana master stone carver.

Kissing the stone head was said to bring good luck.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Stone Head, Indiana
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ Wissing, Douglas (2001). Indiana. Globe Pequot Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-56044-906-5.
  4. ^ "Brown County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  5. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  6. ^ "Iconic Brown County statue beheaded".
  7. ^ Wolfsie, Dick (November 10, 2009). Indiana Curiosities, 3rd: Quirky characters, roadside oddities & other offbeat stuff. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-7627-6161-6.
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