Gene Stratton Porter Cabin (Geneva, Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gene Stratton Porter Cabin
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Limberlost State Historic Site, November 2011
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 Location in Adams County, Indiana
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 200 E. 6th St., Geneva, Indiana |
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| Area | 1.2 acres (0.49 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000027 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 1974 |
The Gene Stratton-Porter Cabin in Geneva, Indiana, is also known as the Limberlost Cabin. It was the home of a famous Indiana author named Gene Stratton-Porter. She lived here from 1895 to 1913. This large, two-story log cabin has fourteen rooms. It is located near the Limberlost Swamp in Geneva, Indiana. Gene Stratton-Porter designed her rustic home. It was built in the Queen Anne style. The cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Gene Stratton-Porter started writing in 1900. She used this cabin for her nature studies and photography. She also wrote many books here. Some of her famous works include The Song of the Cardinal (1903) and Moths of the Limberlost (1912). The Limberlost area was also the setting for her popular novels. These include Freckles (1904) and A Girl of the Limberlost (1909).
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A Home in the Limberlost
Gene Stratton-Porter, her husband Charles, and their daughter Jeannette moved to Geneva, Indiana, in 1887. Construction on their new home began in 1894. Gene Stratton-Porter helped design the house herself. It was finished in 1895. This was the same year she started writing and publishing her first magazine articles.
The Porters named their new home Limberlost Cabin. This name came from its location near the Limberlost Swamp. This swamp was in Adams and Jay Counties. Gene Stratton-Porter found much inspiration for her writing in this area. She lived in the cabin with her family for eighteen years. She often called their large, fourteen-room house "the cabin."
Moving from Limberlost
Between 1888 and 1910, the Limberlost Swamp wetlands were drained. This was done to use the land for farming and other businesses. By 1912, the draining was complete. The natural home for the wildlife that Stratton-Porter wrote about was destroyed. Because of this, she decided to move.
In 1914, Gene Stratton-Porter and her family moved from Limberlost Cabin. They went to a new cabin called Wildflower Woods. This new home was near Rome City, about 80 miles (129 km) from Geneva. Charles Porter, her husband, continued to live at Limberlost Cabin. He would travel to Sylvan Lake on weekends. The Porters sold the Geneva property in 1923.
Limberlost Cabin Today
The Limberlost Conservation Association of Geneva gave the Limberlost Cabin to the State of Indiana in 1947. Today, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites manages it. It is a historic house museum. You can see some of Gene Stratton-Porter's belongings inside. These include her moth collection, furniture, and other items.
The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The site is open to the public. It includes the Limberlost Cabin, a carriage house, and a visitor center. You can take guided tours of the cabin.
What the Cabin Looks Like
Gene Stratton-Porter worked with an architect to design this two-story, fourteen-room home. It was built in the late 1890s. The house was inspired by the Forestry Building at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Porters visited this fair in 1893.
The home is built in the Queen Anne style. Its outside walls are made of Wisconsin white cedar logs. The upper story has California redwood shingles. The front of the house has a porch that wraps around the front and east sides. This porch has log pillars.
Inside, the fourteen-room home has wood frames. The entrance hall, dining room, and library have red oak panels. The first floor also has a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a music room. There is a small conservatory and a full bathroom. Gene Stratton-Porter also used the bathroom as a darkroom for her photography. The second floor has four large rooms. The home also has seven fireplaces and large windows. The floors are made of white oak. A cedar-log barn, also used as a carriage house, was built behind the home. The yard had many fruit trees, vines, and bushes. There was also a large flower garden.
Why the Cabin is Important
The Limberlost Cabin was more than just the Porters' home. It was Gene Stratton-Porter's main place for her nature studies. She collected natural items, wrote her books, and took photographs here. While living in Geneva, she spent a lot of time exploring the Limberlost Swamp. She observed nature, sketched, and took pictures.
This cabin is also where she began her writing career at age thirty-six. Gene Stratton-Porter used her stories to teach readers about birds and nature. She also wove in romance and life lessons. Her books were so popular during World War I that copies were even found in the trenches.
Books Written at Limberlost
Gene Stratton-Porter's first published article appeared in Recreation magazine in 1900. She was living at Limberlost Cabin at that time. She also wrote her first novel, The Song of the Cardinal (1903), while living there. She used the nearby swamp for research for her nature book, Moths of the Limberlost (1912).
The Limberlost area was also the setting for three of her popular novels:
- Freckles (1904)
- A Girl of the Limberlost (1909)
- Laddie (1913)
While living in Geneva, Gene Stratton-Porter became known by special nicknames. Her friends and readers called her "The Bird Lady" and "The Lady of the Limberlost."
