National Register of Historic Places

Cornell, William, Homestead

Auburn, De Kalb County, Indiana
Listed
August 13, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73000015

About this property

William Cornell Homestead is a historic home located in Butler Township, DeKalb County, Indiana. The house was built about 1863, and is a two-story, L-shaped brick dwelling topped by an octagonal cupola. It features arched and porthole windows and sits on a cut fieldstone foundation. The property is named for its original owner, William Cornell, a farmer born to an abolitionist family in Carroll County, Maryland. Cornell arrived in DeKalb County in 1813. His sons served in the Union Army during the Civil War. According to family tradition, the house built on the property is based on a home one of the sons encountered in the South during the war. Another story passed down by the Cornell family states the home was used as a station on the Underground Railroad. While this claim has not been verified by historians, the home's proximity to other Underground Railroad stations in Indiana combined with the abolitionist leanings of the Cornell family make this a plausible tale. William Cornell's son, Winfield Scott Cornell, inherited the property, then sold it in 1906 to another farmer, Ebben Carnahan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Location

Auburn, De Kalb County, Indiana
41.27892, -85.09120

Categories

ARCHITECTUREAGRICULTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Dutch Ridge Historic District
Listed
1.9 mi
Shull, Henry, Farmhouse Inn
Industrial
3.3 mi
West, Fisher, Farm
Industrial
3.7 mi
Haag, J.H., House
Industrial
4.2 mi
Wilderson, John, House
Industrial
4.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Fort Wayne (1812)
1812Early Republic
10.4 mi
Attack on Fort Wayne 1812
1812Early Republic
10.5 mi
Battle of Harmar's Retreat
1790Early Republic
12.5 mi
Defeat of Harmar's Second Column 1790
1790Early Republic
12.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cornell, William, Homestead listed on the National Register?

Cornell, William, Homestead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Cornell, William, Homestead?

Cornell, William, Homestead is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cornell, William, Homestead?

The period of significance for Cornell, William, Homestead is recorded as the industrial era.

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