Maurice Thompson Birthplace
The birthplace of Hoosier author Maurice Thompson is a lesson in domestic simplicity. This one-room dwelling stood in Fairfield, Indiana, near Cincinnati, Ohio, when Thompson was born in 1840. Thompson’s father was the minister for the Fairfield Primitive Baptist Church and this was the home provided for the minister. It stood behind the church.
Thompson was the author of the best-selling romance novel of 1900, “Alice of Old Vincennes.” Set in Vincennes at the time of the American Revolution, the novel tells the story of Alice, a spunky French orphan girl who falls in love with one of George Rogers Clark’s men. The novel created a sensation when it was published. There was also a hit Broadway play which toured the nation.
The Nickname for Vincennes became “Alicetown.” At one time, there were two different places claiming to be the site of her home, even though she was a fictional character. There was an Alice Hotel, an Alice Park, an Alice movie theater, an Alice Restaurant and an Alice Soda Shop. Finally, the Vincennes Lincoln High School named their sports teams the Vincennes Alices, a name that they still proudly bear.
Today the Thompson House serves as the gift shop for the Territorial Capitol State Historic Site.