Vevay, Indiana, United States

🇺🇸 Vevay is a town located in Jefferson Township and the county seat of Switzerland County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River.

History The first settlers who arrived in 1802 were Swiss immigrants intending on cultivating grapes and producing wine. It was named after the Swiss town of Vevey. The town was platted in 1813. When Switzerland County was formed in 1814, Vevay was made the county seat.

The Vevay post office has been in operation since 1816. The community was incorporated as a town in 1836. Vevay collected a reputation of being home to the first commercial winery in the United States; However, the first certified commercial winery was established in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1799 by Swiss immigrant John Dufour. The Edward and George Cary Eggleston House, Old Hoosier Theatre, Benjamin Schenck Mansion, and Switzerland County Courthouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography Vevay is located along the Ohio River and Indiana State Road 56/156.

According to the 2010 census, Vevay has a total area of 1.547 square miles (4.01 k m²), of which 1.45 square miles (3.76 k m²) (or 93.73%) is land and 0.097 square miles (0.25 k m²) (or 6.27%) is water.

Demographics The population density was 1,160.7 inhabitants per square mile (448.1/k m²). There were 826 housing units at an average density of 569.7 per square mile (220.0/k m²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 725 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.8% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the town was 40.8 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

Education Elementary schools • Jeff-Craig Elementary School; Middle schools • Switzerland Middle School; High schools • Switzerland County Senior High School;

Others The town has a lending library, the Switzerland County Public Library.

The Swiss Wine Festival Vevay holds an annual celebration called the Swiss Wine Festival. It is usually held on the last weekend in August, as well as the preceding Thursday and Friday. The festival has many fun activities such as ferry rides on the Ohio River, amusement rides, pageants, car shows, musical performances, cheerleading competitions, the famed grape stomps, and both Beer and Wine Gardens. Many people also set up booths for shopping. On Saturday night, most gather on the docks and close to the river to watch a fireworks show. People from all over the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio tristate come to enjoy the festive celebration. This festival was first celebrated in the 1970s and soon became the most adored tradition of the locals.

Origin Since 1797, approximately every 22 years, la Fête des Vignerons (The Winegrowers' Festival) is celebrated in the Swiss city of Vevey.

Points of interest • "Life on the Ohio" River History Museum reflects Vevay's and Switzerland County's heritage on the Ohio River. Open year-round (excluding major holidays) Sunday - Saturday from 10 - 5. • Switzerland County Historical Museum is located in an old Presbyterian church, built in 1860. Open year-round (excluding major holidays) Saturday - Sunday from 10 - 5. • The first Switzerland County Courthouse was built in 1822 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was replaced by the one that stands today in 1865, built by contractor John Haley. • The Benjamin Franklin Schenck Mansion is a 35-room mansion, built in 1874 by Benjamin Franklin Schenck • The U.P. Schenck House was built in 1846 for Ulysses P. Schenck, a Swiss riverboat captain who owned a fleet of flat bottom river boats. • The Armstrong Tavern is a two-story log house built in 1816 by Thomas Armstrong. • The Hoosier Theatre was built in 1837 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.