Winona Lake

History

Winona Lake is best known for the lake after which it is named and built on, although the lake was originally known as Eagle Lake. Located along the eastern shore of the lake, the Winona Lake Historic District includes various historic homes and other buildings that attest to the area's history as a Chautauqua and Bible conference hotspot. It is also the home of Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary, and was the home of famed preacher and professional baseball player Billy Sunday, who died in 1935. The Billy Sunday Home has been preserved as a museum. Christian musician and preacher Homer Rodeheaver also made Winona Lake his home from 1912 until his death in 1955. The Winona School of Professional Photography was started there in 1912 (as the Indiana School of Photography) and was operated by the Professional Photographers of America until its move to Chicago (Mount Prospect) in 1988. Famous photographers from around the world taught there during summer-only classes. The now defunct Winona College was founded here, and the Winona Lake School of Theology was located here from 1920 to 1970. Winona Lake was also home to the headquarters of The Free Methodist Church until it moved its offices to Indianapolis in 1990. Winona Lake also contained Hephzibah House, a behavioral modification school, often criticized for their physical, sexual, and mental abuse of underage girls. Despite numerous complaints filed, local law enforcement never went after the school and it was shut down in March 2020 after an episode of Dr. Phil exposed the school. The Winona Lake Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Warsaw Community High School
  High · Warsaw · 2,104 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Edgewood Middle School
  Middle · Warsaw · 537 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Leesburg Elementary School
  Elementary · Leesburg · 522 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Washington Elementary School
  Elementary · Warsaw · 504 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• Eisenhower Elementary School
  Elementary · Warsaw · 478 students · 17.7:1 ratio
• Madison Elementary School
  Elementary · Warsaw · 477 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Lakeview Middle School
  Middle · Warsaw · 477 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Lincoln Elementary School
  Elementary · Warsaw · 457 students · 14.7:1 ratio