Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Culbertson Mansion
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The Mansion
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 914 E. Main St., New Albany, Indiana |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000019 |
| Added to NRHP | June 28, 1974 |
The Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site is a really cool old house in New Albany, Indiana. It's right by the Ohio River. This amazing mansion was once the home of William Culbertson. He was known as one of the wealthiest people in Indiana a long time ago!
The mansion was built in 1867 and cost a lot of money back then – about $120,000! It's designed in a fancy style called Second Empire. This huge house has 25 rooms and is about 20,000 square feet big. It was finished in November 1869. A local architect named James T. Banes designed it. Inside, you can see incredible things like hand-painted ceilings and walls. There are also beautiful frescoes, a staircase that looks like carved rosewood, and sparkling crystal chandeliers. Even the original tin roof came all the way from Scotland! When you visit, you can learn about the Culbertson family and how the mansion is being carefully brought back to its original look. You can tour rooms like the fancy living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, and even the laundry room.
Back when the Culbertson family lived here, a railroad ran right behind the house. Mr. Culbertson had actually sold the land for the railroad! There was also a streetcar that went from his house straight to downtown New Albany.
The Mansion's Journey Through Time
After William Culbertson passed away, he left the house to his third wife. In 1899, she sold the house and everything inside it at an auction. Another New Albany resident, John McDonald, bought it for $7,100. Later, after Mr. McDonald passed away, the American Legion took ownership of the mansion from his daughter, Mrs. Helen Croxall. The American Legion made some changes to the house to make it a good place for their meetings.
Over the years, the mansion had several different owners. In the 1960s, it was almost torn down to make way for a gas station! Luckily, a local group focused on history, called Historic New Albany, stepped in. They bought the mansion from the American Legion in 1964 for $24,000.00. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Then, in 1976, it became part of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites.
In 1980, the state started working on restoring the outside of the house. After that, a group called the Friends of the Culbertson Mansion began working on the inside.
In 1985, a fun tradition began at the mansion: a haunted house! For the first two years, the mansion itself was used for the haunted house. About 10 people helped out and raised $500 as part of a "Spook Run." Starting in 1987, the Mansion's Carriage House became the home of the haunted house. Today, it takes about 100 volunteers to make the haunted house happen!
The Culbertson Mansion is being restored very carefully. This means they are trying to make it look exactly like it did in 1869. They want to protect its history. Of course, they do add important modern things like electricity and bathrooms.
You can visit the mansion for tours from Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Money to help with the restoration comes from a non-profit group called The Friends of Culbertson Mansion, Inc. The mansion staff also helps raise funds. Besides running the Haunted House, the Friends group also holds an annual herb sale every May.
Gallery
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Carriage barn
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Back entrance to the Mansion
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Culbertson Mansion
See also
