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Four OS Heritage Awards presented
Sarah Brown - for preservation of Carnell Family Farm, gravesites, and the federal style "Mansion House." Mark and Jill Scharer - for restoration of the historic 1865 Warren Adams home at Adams Mill. Dr. Thomas and Cindy Anderson - for preservation of health and well-being of Old Brethren and other neighbors. Times Past Restorations LLC, Hank Ivey - for façade restoration and renovation of former Delphi Masonic Temple building. The following accounts were compiled from information provided by Billie Hedde, Old Settlers Association president; and Bonnie Maxwell, vice president: Sarah Brown Sarah Brown is descended from early Carroll County settlers John and Mary Huston Brown Carnell, who settled in Carroll County in 1831. One parcel they purchased was 160 acres in Carrollton Township. The land lies east of Camden along what is now known as State Road 218. The Carnells established a home on the edge of the hill at the back of those 160 acres. That home, which they called "The Mansion House," still stands today overlooking Deer Creek. Rich farmland lies between the house and the road. John Carnell died in 1860, and his wife died in 1871. Both are buried in a mausoleum type grave on the 160 acres in front of The Mansion House. Six generations later, Thomas Carnell Brown was heir of this original farmland passed on to him from his mother Eva. Tom and his wife, Helen Murphy Brown, raised their four children Mary Susan, Nancy Carnell, Edward Murphy and John Kelly on the ancestral farm originating from John and Mary. Tom and Helen built a new house along Hwy. 218 across the road from the homestead place. The Mansion House held its rightful place back the long lane on the hill overlooking Deer Creek. Eventually its condition fell to a state of disrepair. Upon his graduation from college in 1976, their son Ed, with the help of his mother, restored the little house and Ed moved in. Shortly thereafter, Helen died. When Ed met Lisa, she liked The Mansion House, and Tom continued to live across the road. When Tom died, in 1988, the children formed a family corporation that separated The Mansion House, which Ed and Lisa purchased, and established the 160 acres as part of that corporation. Ed became the president of the family farm corporation. Ed and Lisa established their home in The Mansion House in 1986, and Sarah Kae, their only child, was born in 1989. Sarah was raised alongside her dad, helping him do everything it took to keep their little farm in tip top shape. Ed blessed Sarah with a deep sense of pride and accomplishment in taking care of the farm. At the time of the 150th celebration of Old Settlers, a "First Families of Carroll County" record was established. Sarah relates that it was at that time, when her family began gathering ancestral information, that she began to really understand what her heritage was all about. The graves of her grandparents in the front field began to have a great deal of meaning to her. In 2006, Lisa and Sarah lost Ed at age 49. His sudden and unexpected passing left his family grief stricken and shocked. As a result of that loss, a decision was made that the family farm corporation would be adjusted. It would mean that the land Sarah had grown up to know and love would be part of that adjustment. Because it was Sarah's heritage, her mother left the decision of whether to buy those 160 acres solely up to her. The land was finally acquired recently. For 19-year-old Sarah, this decision has been a life-changing event, leaving her with debt and the responsibility of caring for the land. It is her goal and desire to some day pass this heritage along to her children. Sarah is the seventh generation of Carnell heritage to be the caregiver of this section of land in Carroll County. Mr. and Mrs. Mark Scharer Mark and Jill Scharer have resided at 4640 75E, Cutler, on the Adams Mill property for 15 years. Their story begins with the purchase of the Mill property itself which totals 14-plus acres in all. At the time of the purchase, the property was involved in a web of entanglements that after being sorted out left Jill and Mark ownership of the entire tract that included both Adams Mill and a dilapidated house suffering from a long state of disrepair. They spent the summer driving from Monticello to work on the property and finally decided that if they were going to ever get things done they needed to be there full time. This meant complete restoration of the house structure that came with the purchase. Looking at pictures recently Mark laughed saying "the house should have been torn down." Mark and Jill found that the house was built using the old post and beam construction method. They also found native wood flooring hidden underneath layers of filth, underlayment and old linoleum. Ultimately they found the makings for a beautiful home. Preparing the original 1800 sq. ft. story and half structure for refurbishing started in the basement. There a new floor was poured and the foundation of the house was entirely reconstructed. The interior was gutted and the mechanics of the house, including wiring, plumbing and new furnaces were installed. Mark and Jill carefully preserved the ambience of the house by maintaining the floor plan and layout of the original house. The original front door with New England sidelights leads into the front living room. The nine over nine small-paned windows filter in soft light onto the wide plank poplar floor boards. The focus of the dining room is the beautiful fireplace. The original walnut mantel and surround were refurbished, and Mark layered native field stone around the opening. The dining room and kitchen floors are constructed with red elm floor boards, bordered with replacement old maple boards. The kitchen features a field stone chimney, hickory cabinets with paneled and small-paned glass doors, and old poplar woodwork. Restoration techniques were also applied to the original poplar wood siding on the house. Instead of covering over the original siding with some other material, the Scharer's removed all of the original paint from the siding and then applied a sealing coat. Two coats of primer and then two coats of paint followed. Punctuating the front of the house is the original front door painted a deep rich dark red. The door is flanked on both sides by long, narrow New England style sidelight windows. Six years ago, the Scharers added a 2,200 sq. ft. addition to the house, which reflects the style of the original structure. This area espouses a wide, open stairway, built from salvaged woods. It leads to a spacious, family-type room built over the new garage area. A master bedroom is located downstairs. Fifteen years after starting the house restoration, Mark says, "It's not finished yet." Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Anderson For Cindy Been Anderson, life has always been rooted in Carroll County. Those roots extend back to 1840, when her great-grandfather, Benjamin Been, homesteaded in Liberty Township. Her parents still own 88 acres of that original land purchase. Much of the furniture that sits in Cindy's living room today was built by her father using timber that grew on that land. In 1980 Cindy graduated from the University of Iowa. It was in Chicago that she met Thomas Anderson who was working his way through undergraduate school at Northwestern University. Tom had grown up in a rural setting in Jacksonville, Ill. These two were drawn together by a bond of values and commonalities unlike those of the big city. After five years they left Chicago. They decided they wanted to raise their family in a rural setting and so 1985 found them purchasing, from Cindy's parents, the home that she had grown up in. The two-story old brick is on 20 acres in Rock Creek Township. Cindy has home-schooled their four children and runs a mini-farm there. All but 13-year-old Lily have graduated. Martha, Ben and Sam have all worked in their dad's medical practice in Camden. Ben will be joining his father's practice in the next few years. Carroll County has a community of believers that some call "horse and buggy folks." These Carroll County families are a branch of the Old German Brethren faith. They live very peaceful, simple, family-oriented lives with strong values. They earn their way using their God-given talents, many operating small family farms. Their beliefs do not include modern conveniences such as automobiles. Many of them live around Camden. Dr. Anderson readily assimilated them into his practice even though none have health insurance. They return his care by bringing him firewood and other things. When it comes to compassion, Dr. and Mrs. Anderson have gone the extra mile. This was demonstrated when one of the members of the "horse and buggy" community was hurt in an accident involving a horse and a load of wood. He was taken to the hospital and dismissed because he did not have insurance. Dr. and Mrs. Anderson allowed him to be brought to their home where he convalesced in a hospital bed in the middle of the family's living room. It was shortly thereafter that the sect sought the Andersons out with their concerns about other folks who could find themselves in this same type of predicament. Dr. and Mrs. Anderson chose to open up their hearts and home. Thus, with the aid of approximately 45 Old Brethren volunteers coming once a week, some from as far away as Goshen, a large addition was added to the Andersons' home. The poplar flooring and woodwork were a labor of love milled and created by Cindy's dad, Herbert Been. The wood came from those original acres settled by their ancestral family in 1840. This addition has allowed folks from the "horse and buggy" community access to longer term care if needed. The accommodations allow a family member to stay and to aid in their loved one's care if need be. That addition has blessed many. Nine babies have been brought into the world, and several elder members found comfort there in their final days. The Andersons host a dinner for senior citizens once a month throughout the fall, winter and spring. Tom and Cindy both enjoy cooking. They will serve as many as 30 at a time. The Andersons feel that many older people don't eat as they should, and this gives an opportunity for a good meal and great fellowship. The Andersons' work as a husband and wife team has allowed many families a sense of security and peace in times of need. Times Past Restorations LLC, Hank Ivey and Kevin Kologinsky, owners Times Past Restorations LLC, Hank Ivey and Kevin Kologinsky, owners, are being recognized for a stunning restoration and facelift of the building that local residents remember as the Masonic Temple. Times Past Antiques presently occupies the building at 215 South Washington Street, adjacent to the Odd Fellows Building. The outstanding new paint scheme has attracted considerable attention. The Masonic Temple building began as a brick two-story Italianate structure, constructed sometime between 1868 and 1875. The owner for many years was John Henry Swegman. He had emigrated from Germany to Cincinnati at age 18 and later to Lafayette where he was married in 1851 to Margaret Fanning. In 1860, they moved to Delphi, had eight children, and attended St. Joseph Catholic Church. In 1878, this building was acquired by Swegman in two transactions for a total of $4,600. Around that time, the building was called the Occidental Hotel Swegman and his family ran the Occidental Hotel, which included a saloon, for several years. In 1888, he retired, but retained ownership and turned over the operation of the hotel to A. B. Sabin. It became known as the Sabin House. Later still, the building became the Clifton Hotel, run by G. G. Allison. In 1892, George W. Stengel of Rossville, formerly of Delphi, rented the space from the Swegman family to convert it to a sanitarium and public bath house. At that time, there had been drilling in the area for natural gas wells, and while those wells weren't very successful, water with "medicinal qualities" was found. The City of Delphi piped the water from abandoned Well No. 3 to the courthouse square, but some residents complained of the artesian water smell, so the water was re-routed into Deer Creek. Stengel purchased the well from the city and also piped in water from Snyder's Spring, three miles east of Delphi and from the spring in South Delphi. There was enough gas from the well to heat the water for the 12 baths that were installed. It was at this time that French Lick and mineral baths in southern Indiana were becoming popular, and great things were hoped for this new enterprise in Delphi. The waters were believed to treat "neuralgia, rheumatism, indigestion, and blood diseases." In late 1894, the Delphi House and Sanitarium were closed briefly by the sheriff. Before 1900 the baths were gone and the building housed the Iona Hotel, run by John Mc- Donald. Mrs. Charles Laronge then leased the building and renamed it the New Iona Hotel. In 1904, the New Iona closed because of ill health of the proprietor, and Henry T. Swegman of Fort Wayne, who was the son of the owners, returned to open the Iona Hotel after extensive repairs. In 1913, The Masonic Building Association purchased the hotel building from the Swegman family for $6,500 and converted it to their lodge. Mt. Olive Lodge No. 48 of the Freemasons had begun in Delphi in 1843. Several men who were already members of the Tipton Lodge in Logansport, including General Samuel Milroy, Daniel Vandeventer, and Alexander M. Berry, met at the Sheriff's office and decided to apply to the Tipton Lodge for a charter, which they were granted May 24, 1843. They were successful in attracting members, and in 1857, a second lodge (Advance Lodge No. 220) was formed. Attendance lagged during the Civil War, and that lodge disbanded in 1875, only to be replaced by a new lodge—No. 516—later that year. In January 1906, Lodges 48 and 516 decided to merge. The Masons removed the hotel rooms on the second floor so that the large ceremonial hall with stage on the east side could be constructed. The second floor ceiling was raised, and the stained glass skylight was installed. The parapet on the façade above the roof has changed at least twice since its original construction. It was straight across the top, but later was enhanced by arches. The brick surface was parged with a cement mixture. The arches were subsequently eliminated, and the current parapet installed. The lodge prospered for many decades, having meetings on the second floor. The Rose Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, also met in this structure, and for a time, Rainbow for Girls held meetings there. Occupants in the lower level after it became the Masonic Temple included dentist Dr. Charles Erbaugh, Ed Stuntz (former owner of the local limestone quarry), law offices for Judge Diamond and for Ralph Hanna, a radio station, the American Legion, and the Delphi Lions Club. In 1912, there had been a moving picture theatre on the south side of the ground floor. A few years ago, the Delphi Masonic Lodge merged with the Camden Lodge and the building was sold. The stained glass Masonic Temple sign above the doors and the medallion from the entryway floor were removed, according to Masonic regulations. Hank Ivey and Kevin Kologinsky of Times Past Restorations LLC are the second owners since the Masons sold the building. They have partnered in the last two years to purchase historic buildings in downtown Delphi in order to restore and maintain them as rental properties. Their first purchase was this building. Within the past few weeks, the eyecatching facelift has been achieved by a colorful paint job that has been applied to the façade of the building. The stained glass over the front doors has also recently been restored. All but the parapet above the roofline in the front of the building has been restored, and the current owners have finally found craftsmen who will be able to repair and restore the top courses so that this remaining area can be repainted next year to match the rest of the building. More restoration is planned for the interior of the building as well, including repainting the ornate plaster detail around the stage opening and the skylight. Hank Ivey and his family relocated to an historic home on Front Street in Delphi from Crown Point a few years ago. His business there was painting - specializing in historic renovations - and he has continued that in the Delphi area. A beautiful example of his work is the Atkinson home next to Wallmann's on Franklin Street. He and his partner, Kevin Kologinsky, an attorney in the Philadelphia area, have also purchased a building on Main Street which they will renovate next year. Times Past Restorations LLC's beautification and preservation of this building is in keeping with the numerous restorations recently completed and ongoing in the downtown area. Delphi Main Street and the City of Delphi have facilitated this process and are encouraging these restorations through façade improvement grants. An application was recently submitted to the National Register of Historic Places for Historic District status for the courthouse square commercial area to recognize outstanding downtown architecture. |
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