Culbertson Mansion | |
 The Mansion | |
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| Location | 914 E. Main St., New Albany, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°17′11.28″N 85°48′46.52″W / 38.2864667°N 85.8129222°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000019[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 28, 1974 |
Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site is located in New Albany, Indiana by the Ohio River. It was the home of William Culbertson, who was once the richest man in Indiana. Built in 1867 at a cost of $120,000, this Second Empire-style mansion has 25-rooms within 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2), and was completed in November 1869. It was designed by James T. Banes, a local architect. Features within the three-story edifice include hand-painted ceilings and walls, frescoed ceilings, carved rosewood-grained staircase, hand painted floors, wall-to-wall carpeting, marble fireplaces, wallpaper of fabric-quality, and crystal chandeliers. The original tin roof was imported from Scotland. The displays within the mansion feature the Culbertson family and the restoration of the building. The rooms on the tour are the formal parlors, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, and laundry room.[2]
In its heyday, a railroad ran behind the house (Culbertson had sold land to the railroad), and a streetcar ran from his house towards downtown New Albany.
YouTube Encyclopedic
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Bale Grist Mill Grain Cleaning and Sifting System - 2012 Governor's Historic Preservation Awards
Transcription
The 2012 California Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards were presented on November 29th at Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park in Sacramento. There were a total of 11 projects or individuals that received awards. What follows is the presentation made at the awards ceremony about one of the 2012 award winners. Restoration of Bale Grist Mill’s Historic Grain Cleaning and Sifting System This award recognizes the Napa Valley State Parks Association, which in 2006 undertook the six-year process of completing the final stage of restoring the Bale Grist Mill—restoring its historic grain cleaning and sifting system. Bale Grist Mill, with its original set of French Buhr stones and 36-foot redwood waterwheel, is the only water-powered grist mill still standing in California. The mill building, waterwheel and basic mill operation were restored by State Parks in the 1980s, but funds were exhausted before they could tackle restoration of the hand-built grain-cleaning and sifting system, which was left stacked in pieces. After evaluation by a millwright, the Association undertook the process of completing the final stage of the mill restoration. Funds from the Napa Valley Community Foundation, California State Parks Foundation, Proposition 84 Volunteer Enhancement Funds, a generous mill supporter, and numerous community members contributed to fund the restoration, a feat that is both note- and award-worthy. Without that dedication, Californians would lack access to the now fully-restored Bale Grist Mill and the story it tells of rural life in the Napa Valley in the 1850s and 1860s. Another way the Association has pursued its mission “to preserve, interpret, and enhance public awareness of our Napa Valley State Parks” was put into motion in 2011, when it was announced that Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park and its neighboring Bothe-Napa Valley State Park were on the closure list. The Association now partners with the Napa County Regional Parks and Open Space District to jointly operate Ball Grist Mill and Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 California Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards. Please view the additional videos available on this site for information about the other 2012 awards. For more information about this awards program, visit www.ohp.parks.ca.gov/governorsawards.
History
After Culbertson's death, he willed the home to his third wife, who auctioned off the house and contents in 1899 to John McDonald, also a resident of New Albany, for $7,100.[3] Upon his death, the American Legion obtained it from McDonald's daughter, Mrs. Helen Croxall. The Legion would make extensive changes to the mansion, making it more suitable for a meeting place.
After several different owners, the mansion was in danger of being torn down in the 1960s to put a gas station in its place. Instead, a local historic group called Historic New Albany purchased the mansion in 1964 from the American Legion for $24,000.00. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and became a part of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites in 1976.[1]
In 1980, the state began restoration on the exterior of the home, following by work on the interior by the Friends of the Culbertson Mansion. [4]
In 1985 the tradition of having a haunted house started, and for the first two years the Mansion itself was used, using 10 people to acquire $500 as part of a Spook Run. Starting in 1987, the Carriage House of the Mansion has served as the haunted house. Today, the Haunted House requires 100 volunteers.[5]
The Culbertson Mansion performs historic restoration rather than renovation to protect the historical integrity of the home. The eventual goal is to return the mansion to its 1869 appearance, barring necessary newer items such as electricity and bathrooms.
It is open for daily tours, Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Funds for restoration are raised by a non-profit group called The Friends of Culbertson Mansion, Inc., as well as the staff of the mansion itself. The Friends not only operate the Haunted House, but hold an herb sale annually in May.[6]
Gallery
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Carriage barn -
Back entrance to the Mansion -
Culbertson Mansion
See also
- List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
- Mansion Row Historic District
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Floyd County, Indiana
References
Sources
- My Indiana:101 Places to See, by Earl L. Conn (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2006). pg.208-9
- Kobrowski, Nicole Encyclopedia of Haunted Indiana 2008 ISBN 978-0-9774130-2-7
Citations
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2015-10-01. Note: This includes Richard K. Stem (June 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Culbertson Mansion" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-10-01. and Accompanying photographs.
- ^ Kleber, John E. (2001). The Encyclopedia of Louisville. University Press of Kentucky. p. 234. ISBN 0-8131-2890-0.
- ^ "Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site". Indiana State Museum. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ "Haunted Culbertson Mansion". www.hauntedculbertson.org.
- ^ "Culbertson Mansion".
External links
This page was last edited on 22 April 2024, at 03:32