It was initially built in 1890-1891 as a private residence for John William Schmidt, president of the Indianapolis Brewing Company, and his family.

The Indianapolis Propylaeum association, formed in 1888 as a joint stock company of women, continues to manage the site as a gathering place and rental facility for cultural activities and private events.

The women also planned to make earn money for their group by renting the building to the city's other cultural and social organizations.

[4] The Indianapolis Propylaeum association, named after the Greek word "propýlaion," meaning "gateway to higher culture," incorporated in June 1888, with Sewall elected as its president.

"[9] From its inception the association intended to offer "educational opportunities"[9] to men and women and establish its clubhouse as a cultural center for the city.

Instead of constructing a new clubhouse, the association purchased property at Fourteenth and Delaware Streets that included an existing residence, carriage house, and stable.

[9][11] The Propylaeum building, also known as the Schmidt-Schaf House, is located at 1410 North Delaware Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.

[12][13] Schaf, who was president of the American Brewing Company of Indianapolis, remodeled the home and lived in it with his wife, Josephine, and their two children.

[13] The three-story, red-brick building with limestone trim sits on a full basement and has a hipped roof of slate and decorative terracotta panels on its gables.

Main features of its exterior include a wraparound verandah with limestone columns, a square tower on its north facade, and a porte-cochère on its south side.