photography

Doll House grave of Vivian May Allison 1884 – 1889

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Connersville is a small town in eastern Indiana with a long Hoosier history. Part of the interesting history includes a very unique grave in the City Cemetery. It is now known as the Doll House Grave.

The Allison Family Grave

 

Public information signage

Vivian’s beautiful doll house

Interior view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Headstone

Vivian May Allison was born in 1884. She was taken with a fatal spine disease, cerebro-spinal-fever, and tragically died in 1889 at age 5. The story goes that she wanted a doll house for playtime, but she died before her father could complete it.  Finished, it now is part of the family plot, there for Vivian’s use.

Indiana Candlelight House built in 1868 now home to ghosts

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Located in Johnson County, Indiana, east of the modern I-65 interstate highway is a stately two story brick home commonly referred to by the name Candlelight House. In olden days the  many windows facing the road were said to have been often lit with candles.

Photo we took from the road, work in progress on the new porch.

Working on the new portico/porch

The owners of the house are currently working on the restoration of the house. The day we drove by a new porch was being installed. This structure was surprisingly made of structural steel, not like the original wood portico that is long gone.

Unknown date, unidentified people. Photo from Franklin Daily Journal files

Since the house was built three generations of the same family have lived in the house. The only son of the third generation, named Otho Henry Pritchard, died in the house in 1995. According to many accounts Otho still walks the rooms of the house, even writing his name with his finger on windows. There have been paranormal investigations at the house.

The Artcraft Theatre, entertaining patrons since 1922

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November 1922 witnessed the opening of the Artcraft Theatre in Franklin, Indiana. It was first utilized for vaudeville shows. The theater was also the first in town to show silent movies, which it did from 1922 until 1929. The orchestra pit was perfect for the musician(s) accompanying the silent movies.

The Artcraft Theatre exterior

Restored ticket booth and theater entrance/exit doors

The Artcraft operated as a venue for first-run movie showings for 78 continuous years before closing in 2000 after the development of multi screen theater complexes drastically reduced patron business.

Through the front doors, looking towards the lobby

Concession stand and exit aisle

Over the years the theater saw many changes and improvements including a 1929 sound system for “talkies”. Franklin’s first ever air- conditioning “swamp box system” was installed in 1935. The first marquee was erected in the 1940’s.

We want to come back when it is open to see the whole theater.

A local historic preservation group, Franklin Heritage, Inc. bought the theater in 2001. Restoration work began immediately to save the building from condemnation. Currently the theater regularly offers showings of classic movies. The Historic Artcraft Theatre website has information about events and shows. (It lists the times for senior citizen free movies!)

Historic hotel now a favorite local restaurant

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Sunday was a great day for an unplanned day trip to Franklin, Indiana. There was perfect weather for seeing things in the area and we ended up at a local historic site and restaurant.

The popular local eatery

The entrance

The old hotel light visible

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Willard Hotel was once an active hotel and now The Willard is a very popular restaurant with both outside seating and indoor dining areas. We really enjoyed our very tasty meals. Our son had pretzel breadsticks, fries and a coke. Sher had a custom made veggie pizza and I had the fried fish platter. We both enjoyed Blue Moon on tap. Our waiter Steven took excellent care of us, making sure we had everything we needed for an enjoyable dining experience.

Two piece cod platter with fries, hush puppies and slaw

Custom made veggie pizza

Curved stairway leading to now closed second floor of the hotel

The brick house of the Willard was originally built in 1860 by the daughter of one of the town’s founders. Over the years the hotel saw quite a history and the legends of hauntings continue to this day.

Historic 1901 Indiana school suffers extensive damage in 2022 fire

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While on a recent day trip to Parke County, Indiana to enjoy the many covered bridges we came across a sad sight.  A large sign explained that we were viewing the Wabash Township Graded School that was open from 1901 until 1986 in the town of Mecca.

Front face with bell tower

Main Entrance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A devastating fire occurred in November, 2022. This fire completely destroyed the pitched roof of the 1901 main building and the flat roof of the gymnasium that was a 1923 addition.  Both roofs collapsed during the fire.

View of gym addition

Gym wall, roof gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The structure was listed on the  National Register of Historic Sites. Following is from the original application for this listing: The architectural style of the 190l-l9l0 main section of the building shows Richardsonian Romanesque influence, which is evident in the bell tower, rock-faced lintels and voussiot’s, arched doorways and belfry openings…

Sign placed well before the fire

Local references report that sometime after the school closed in 1986 the structure was used as a community center. The fire damage that is visible is quite extensive. Rebuilding would be very costly, if not cost prohibitive.

Recreated 1874 one room schoolhouse in Parke County Indiana

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Recently Sher, our son and I were enjoying a road trip in Parke County, Indiana to visit some of the 31 covered bridges that dot the landscape. As we approached the last bridge on the Red Route (one of five self driving road sightseeing tours) we saw a small red building.

The one room schoolhouse from 1874

Over the door

The Mecca Bridge reflected in a window

 

 

 

 

 

 

This single story frame structure was identified as a school in Wabash Township #3 with a date of 1874. It was about 30 yards from the Mecca Bridge built in 1873.

Blackboard, teacher’s desk. rocking chair and wood stove

Where the children sat and learned their three “R’s”

The school was locked, but I was able to peer through the windows and get decent photos. You can imagine the kids attending the school, with one teacher covering all of the grades.  No lights, no AC, and the only heat from a wood stove at the front of the room.

 

Parke County, Indiana, Covered Bridge Capital of the World

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Park County Indiana is home to two Indiana State Parks and the 2,110 acre Raccoon Lake State Recreation Area. In addition Parke County is home to 31 covered bridges, more than any other county in the nation. Rockville is the county seat and also is the starting point for 5 different well marked self driving road tours to see most of the 31 bridges.

The 245′ Bridgeton Bridge and associated mill, The bridge was burned by arson in 2005, rebuilt in 2006.

These historic bridges are fairly evenly scattered over the 444 square miles of the county. Every October over two million visitors converge on Parke County for the world famed 10 day Covered Bridge Festival. People come to see the bridges and shop any of the thousands of vendors who occupy building’s or temporary tents that sprout up allover the county.

Crooks Bridge, 132′ long, built in 1856 by Henry Wolfe

Neet Bridge, 125′ long, was built in 1904 by JJ Daniels

Note the Red Arrow. This shows the easy self driving tour routes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took the 34 mile long Red Route starting at the Rail Road Depot in Rockville. This drive brought us up close and personal to eight old covered bridges. Some we could drive across, some were closed to traffic with a new roadway running next to the bridge.

Harry Evans Bridge, 65 ‘ long, built by JA Britton in 1908

Showing the Burr-Arch support design of the Evans bridge. This design is found in 30 of the Park County bridges including one double Burr-Arch.

Our road trip to Parke County was, in our opinion, most successful. Along with our drive along the Red Route of covered bridges, we also had some other stops that we’ll share in other articles here. Just know this: a road trip to Parke County Indiana offers country roads and viewing historic bridges, enjoyable dining and shopping opportunities. Click here for the Park County Visitor’s Center website.

Indiana’s Wilbur Wright Birthplace Museum

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The address is Hagerstown, Indiana, but the Wilbur Wright Birthplace Museum is out in the middle of Hoosier farmland. This fascinating museum has two different focuses: Wilbur’s birthplace and living conditions of the mid 1860’s and the success of Wilbur and Orville’s history making powered human flight at Kitty Hawk North Carolina in 1903.

Yes, that is the Wright Flyer in the background

The flight museum and other Wright Brothers artifacts are housed in a separate building next to the family home and the visitor center. The exciting focus of this is the full life size and historically accurate reproduction of the original “Wright Flyer”.

Floor level view of the Wright Flyer

Wright Flyer Specification Drawing

This construction of  the Wright Flyer was completed after referencing the original specifications drawings from the Smithsonian.  The plane and other displays are in a lower level providing a striking view as you stand on the landing at the top of a short flight of stairs.

Kitty Hawk Camp work shop and living quarters (note the cots pulled up in the rafters)

Kitchen in the shop/living quarters

In addition to the plane itself, this lower level display also includes a representation of the Brother’s Kitty Hawk Camp. Here is their work and living quarters while at the site of the flight tests. The building had work shop areas, kitchen facilities and sleeping cots that are pulled up during the day.

Also included is a display of 1900s storefronts, including the Brothers bicycle shop. We have been to the Kitty Hawk Park and Memorial, where there is a metal reproduction of the Flyer, Orville and Wilbur and other support folks. Seeing the repro plane at this museum was a thrill, as it is of the original materials.

It is remarkable that a mere 66 years after Wilbur and Orville’s first flight man was walking on the moon. Take a trip to the Wilbur Wright  Birthplace Museum. You’ll be amazed at the quality and quantity of the displays.