By FRED SWIFT
The County Line
Hamilton County has its share of historically significant buildings. I find that many of our own people are not aware of some of them. So, I thought a listing, in no particular order, of the most obvious ones might be interesting to some folks.
It would be hard not to place the William Conner House at the top of the list. Built in 1823, it is possibly the oldest, and its owner was one of the county’s most famous historical figures. For those interested in history, it is a ‘must see’ structure, and the centerpiece of the Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement.
Much more modest is the Boxley Cabin at Sheridan. The one-room log cabin was the home of George Boxley, a 19th century abolitionist who found refuge in the county after being pursued by authorities through several states for his active opposition to slavery. The cabin is located on Pioneer Hill, a park at the north end of Main Street.
The Hamilton County Courthouse ranks high on the list of most significant local structures. Built in 1877, the building, with its unique French Second Empire architecture, was the scene of the nationally publicized 1925 murder trial of Ku Klux Klan leader D.C. Stephenson. With his conviction came the downfall of the Klan in Indiana. The courthouse was restored in 1994 and now houses county administrative offices.
The Carnegie Library, actually one of five in the county, is located in Atlanta. It is the only one of the five that remains an active library although the other four are still standing and used for other purposes. Noblesville City Hall’s north wing was the city’s Carnegie Library built in 1912.
The Ambassador House in Fishers’ Heritage Park is a fully restored 170-year-old residential structure moved to its present location from 96th Street and Allisonville Road when it was in danger of demolition. It is the former home of Addison Harris, who was appointed U.S. ambassador to Austria-Hungary in 1899.
Potters Bridge is the only remaining covered bridge in the county still in its original location. Built in 1870, it carried vehicular traffic for a century before being closed to motor vehicles. It is now the centerpiece of the county’s Potters Bridge Park. The bridge, a unique two-lane structure, spans White River north of Noblesville just off Allisonville Road.
The Jacob Pfaff house on North Union Street in Westfield was a “station” on the Underground Railroad in pre-Civil War times. A private residence, it likely served hundreds of runaway slaves making their way to Canada. Several other homes in western Hamilton County were believed involved in the secretive Underground organization.
The Lagoon Lodge on White River at Clare was a speakeasy and dance hall in the Roaring Twenties. Unsavory characters from around the Midwest were said to frequent the lodge to drink, gamble and enjoy female company. Ironically, the Lodge and surrounding grounds later housed a religious camp. It is now the office of the River Bend Campground.
The Chinese House, built about 1908 on the banks of White River at the south end of Conner Prairie, became the summer retreat of Eli Lilly. In the house, Lilly maintained an outstanding collection of Chinese art, pottery and other items. Recently the house underwent renovation. It is open by reservation through the Conner Prairie office.
The Carmel Monon Depot and the Arcadia railroad museum are the county’s two remaining 19th century railroad depots. Typical of small-town rail stations, they were extremely important in a time when most transportation was by rail. They also served as telegraph offices when the telegraph was the only means of electronic communication. The depots served passengers, freight and mail delivery.
The Rex Stout House in the 1100 block of Cherry Street, Noblesville, is a private residence. In 1875 mystery writer Stout was born in the house. His father was editor of the Noblesville Ledger. Among many works, Stout wrote the Nero Wolfe mystery series which became a TV series in the 1970s.