HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocument 12801 New Carlisle
To John Folks
Spring Internship
April 27 , 1983
The town of New Carlisle is situated on the central western
edge of Olive Township , Section 34 , Range 1 West , Township 38
North . Overlooking the Terre Coupee prairie , the town sits upon
a glacial shelf nineteen miles west of South Bend .
The establishment of New Carlisle was due in large part to
the opening of Michigan Road in 1827 , The first surveyed road
through the area , it ran north from the Ohio River through Logan-
sport to South Bend , where the route turned west toward Michigan
City avoiding the Kankakee Swamp , traversing the Terre Coupee
prairie . 1 The last segment of the road from South Bend to
Michigan City is presently called Lincolnway West ( U . S . 20 ) .
though within the New Carlisle town limits is considered Michigan
-S-t-. Bourissa Hill , as the area was then called , was so named
for Lazarus Bourissa (also Bourissau ) , a half-breed Indian who
2
owned the land and operated a trading post on the hill . It was
from his children that Richard Risely Carlisle
bought the land in 1836 . Carlisle platted the area , and named
the streets Race , Arch , Filbert , Cherry , Chestnut and Front , af-
ter his native city of Philadelphia . 3 The name of Carlisle Hill
was given to the area until , in 1866 , the town was incorporated
under its present name .4
The arrival in 1851 of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
Railroad spurred a period of rapid growth on Carlisle Hill that
extended into the 20th century . During those decades , ten addi -
tions were made to the town ' s original plat , indicating a steady
pattern of expansion into the 1920is . 5 While establishing the
hamlet as the commercial and trading center in the area , the
I
railroad by-passed the neighboring settlement of Hamilton ,
forcing it into obscurity . 6
By the spring of 1907 two electric lines were completed , and
a station was built on Zigler St . to accomodate passengers . Both
lines originated from South Bend . The Northern Indiana Interurban
ran through La Porte to Michigan City .- The Chicago South Shore, apjr�
ran to Chicago and is still -operating today , The Interurban was
forced out of business by 1932 . 7
Farming naturally became the area ' s leading industry because
of the fertile prairie surrounding the town . Corn , wheat and grain
were the staple crops , and a small flour mill was in operation by
8
1842 . Joseph Druliner , one of the first settlers in Olive Town-
ship , owned and operated the mill which could produce ten to twenty
barrels of flour a da 9
Y • Because milling was so profitable , a se-
cond mill was constructed by Morton and Brown on Michigan St . Its
capacity and productivity were three times that of the Druliner
mill . After being destroyed by fire , the site of the mill was
moved to Arch St . The only remnant of the milling industry in New
Carlisle is Carl Zahl ' s grain elevator and feed mill on Arch
St . built in 1949 10
There were extensive forests of Oak , Pine and Basswood cover-
1.,.art
ing the Terre Coupee prairie when the first settlers arrived and
lumbering -a-l-s-o_ .b-e-c-arse- a thriving industry . The first recorded
saw mill in New Carlisle was the Ewers Mill . It was bought in
1880 by Owen Tippy and Samuel Miller , who then added a broom
11 yR"I(
handle factory . The New Carlisle Lumber Co. / now stands on the
former mill site . Other enterprises spawned by arealumbering
2
included wagon and carriage manufacturing ; cabinet making ; the
manufacturing of excelsior , wood shavings used in matress stuf-
fing and merchandise packing ; and oaken pork barrels , for which
there was a great demand in Chicago . The industry died around
the turn of the century as the forests were depleted , 12
The Animal By-Products Corporation is the oldest industry
still operating in town . Founded in 1910 as a slaughterhouse , the
company has been under the direction of the Locquyt family since
1951 . Today the Animal By-Products Corporation , which supplies
animal fats in the form of proteins and tallow to the soap , chemi -
cal and animal feed industries , also provides hide to the leather
industry . 12a
By 1875 , New Carlisle was considered the commercial , indus -
trial , and cultural center of Olive Township . The town had be-
come a regular stop on the stage coach route between Chicago and
Detroit . Passengers could be accommodated at the hotel , which
also housed a casino , saloon , and monument works . 13 An Opera
House had been built , and the town ' s population of over 550 en-
joyed the benefits of two doctors , two drug stores , several try
goods shops , a grocery and a hardware store , and a harness and
upholstery shop as well as various clothiers and booteries . 14
By this time , too , several town newspapers had been published
since Charles Drapier ' s pioneer attempt in 1856 . Begun as a po-
litical enterprise by Drapier , New Carlisle ' s first newspaper was
soon replaced by the New Carlisle Recorder . In 1880 , a third paper ,
the New Carlisle Gazette , took its place and for twenty years
R4bl-i—s-Ke-r George Fountain k-& - he town informed . A number of
3
newspapers came and went during the following decades , and des-
pite the increased circulation of Chicago , South Bend and La
Porte papers , the town continues to publish a weekly newspaper
called the New Prairie Town Crier. 15
Permanent educational facilities were provided by 1861 ,
when , under the direction of Reverend John Leach , The Methodist
16
Collegiate Institute was constructed . Situated on a two acre
parcel of land donated by Joseph Ivans , the three story brick build-
ing stood at 300 Michigan St. 17 The town of New Carlisle even-
tually bought the building from the church and in 1903 , the
school property was deeded to Olive Township . Six years later ,
an additional school building consisting of an auditorium and
class rooms for the high school , was built east of the Collegiate
building . 18 By 1922 , the heavy cast iron bell in the attic of the
older structure had weakened the walls , and it was torn down .
The Collegiate Institute was replaced with a new , ten classroom
faci 1 i ty and gymnasi um. The only vestige of i:4vat--e4i44--ce is a
u 19
plaque marking �-s site which has been preserved as a park .
The founding of the Collegiate Institute was in response to
the growing population of the town , however, formal education in
New Carlisle had already been established. Two lots west of the
Institute site stands a small cottage that once housed the first
school in the town . Built in -952 , the school also was used as a
church , a Sunday School , and ,, for political meetings . 20 It was
originally located on the southwest corner of Cherry and Front
Streets , but was later moved to its pres;,nt site , 406 W . Michigan
St . , and converted into a residence . This house is one of
several historically and/ or architecturally significant buildings
4
located within a proposed historic district for New Carlisle . If
realized , this district would include both commercial and residen-
tial buildings as well as a diverse collection of American archi -
tectural _ , styles . One style particularly well repre-
sented in the town , is the Italianate , popular in American in the
third quarter of the 19th century .
The Ransom Hubbard house , located at 202 W . Front St . , is a
very good example of the Italianate style . The impressive two
story brick home was constructed in 1881 . The wealth and position
of the Hubbard family , among the earliest settlers in Olive Town-
ship , is evident by the elaborate exterior decoration , especially
the applied wood porch details , and the sawn and cut Chalet style
bracketing under steep gables, 4 probably an interpretation of
architectural modes employed at the time on his native East Coast . 21
The polygonal bay windows under the north and south gables are
also noteworthy . Typical of the style are the tall , segmental ,
hooded windows , and the belts-vedere situated on the northeast cor-
ner of the house . Hubbard , whose family later established the
Haven Hubbard Home ( now Hamilton Grove ) north of New Carlisle ,
was a very successful farmer in the area , and was elected three
times to the office of County Commissioner . 22 The present owner ,
since 1951 , who also owns and operates the
Watson Plate Shop , located at 135 E . Michigan St. in the town ' s
commercial area .
Originally owned by Francis B . Warner , the plate shop was
constructed by Warner and Thomas Garoutte in 1874 . The two -story
brick building was divided into two large rooms , the west room
acting as Garoutte ' s dry goods store , and the east room as
5
Warner ' s drug store . 24 The Watsons ��purchased the entire building
in 1951 from the Kellogg Drug Co . -A- l-rye-- examp-le of the• Italianate
commercial style , the building has been well maintained and much
of the original character of both the interior and the exterior has
been preserved . The facade is marked by a projecting cornice deco-
rated by alternating large and paired small brackets . The cast iron
hood moldings are the only examples extant in the town ' s commer-
cial area .
To -the wes-r olo
the plate shop to -tk-a—w-es-t at 123 E . Michigan St .
is a unique example of a Queen Anne commercial building . The two
story structure is characterized by a highly decorated cast iron
oriel window , projecting from the second floor. Except for the
triangular pediment which has been removed from above the oriel
window , it remains unchanged and is especially interesting for the
decorative frames and panels above and around the windows . The
building was constructed by E . H . Harris in 1882 as a drug store .
A third noteworthy commercial building constructed in 1880 as
a dormitory house is located at 115 E . Michigan St . 25 Over the re-
cessed doorway , and typifying the Italianate style are three
round arched windows , trimmed with plain concrete keystones . Each
of the bays are separated by cast iron fluted pilasters .
Two additional and more contemporary buildings that merit
attention in the town ' s commercial area are the Farmers State Sank
building at 136 E . Michigan St . , and the New Carlisle and Olive
Township Public Library at 126 E . Michigan St . The former bank
building is unique for its simple classical and prairie style details
of t h e brick a n d concrete facade , S-h-i-n�g I e d_...a ten_i-n g s- a b o v-e- t-h e w-i-n-d o w-s -
0
w �JJed-'1rr 1980 Before its construction in 1919 by a group of
farmers disenchanted with the local banks , the New Carlisle Hotel
stood on the site, uit- it was destroyed by fire in 1913 . 26
The library stands out as being the only Tudor Revival build-
ing in the commercial area . The sub basement and bottom half of
the main floor are built of brick ; the top half of the building
is stucco and half timbering . Founded in 1902 by the Carlisle
Clover Club , a literary and social organization in town , the li -
brary 4-ihally- receivtn-T a grant of $9 ,000 from the Carnegie; ,
Foundation for the construction of the present building ,Ywas com-
27
pleted in 1921 .
West along Michigan St . are two fine residential examples of
the Queen Anne style , 129 and 214 W . Micigan St . The latter of
the two homes is pros -c1 y- the most significant home of this
particular style in New Carlisle . Built in 1893 by Andell Warner ,
the house is characterized by a hipped cross gable roof and ° front
door hood , which is supported by large wood brackets . Featured are
both a second story oriel window under the front gable , and a bay
window topped by a leaded glass transom . The narrow mortar and
horizontal running work on the facade subtly imply a lateral
movement to the facade . This horizontal feeling is reinforced by
the stone string course between the first and second stories .
On the northeast corner of Michigan and Cherry Streets , sits
t-die-rr� noteworthy Queen Anne residence . The stone rustication
�L
i-erg- the front facade of this home also trims the two small
leaded windows which flank the s-to-ve chimney attached to the Gwest
.4-_ Z 3 .,q,L a C LE lu."�[ 6-�o, Quu4t�ttiYU �Qe i�t.0,t-Ae la c
si de of the structure . "� B-vth the �o��th- a rk f t ff"se
a-r-&---t o p p e d. w i t_h o ra 1 1 g a b.l_ems--a-n-d-s-ma 1 i-e r- dormer windows- or p e rr i n g
7
! /p/ •�
n� f_�ant v f1arPd wnod_s innl4-"--gab The e1aborat-a-4-e.-
e4 —Q--the_ front porch is notable ; paired ionic- pill-ars set on.
_the roof, There is a carriage house in the
rear.
Across Cherry St . , at 201 W . Michigan St . , stands the Christian
Community Church , one of two churches deserving special attention .
The Romanesque Revival Church in a latin cross plan is particularly
interesting for its open vestibule facing Michigan St . , characterized
by three arched bays with a corbelled frieze above . Palladian
windows light the east end of the structure contrasted with arched ,
stained glass windows marking the other ends . The three -story,
bell tower sits atop the gable roof on the northeast side . Arched
openings wra'p_ araun d three sides of the third floor of the
tower* separated by cut stone Tuscan columns . This building was
completed in 1927 under the direction of Reverend Raymond Zerby .
It was originally established as a nondenominational church and
occupies the former site of the Christian Church building .
28
Another significant church in New Carlisle is the Methodist church ,
now Emmanuel Temple . Designed in the Gothic Revival style , it was
constructed in 1858 for $ 1 ,500 . T 1d-ing-way --raised--one
ha�-tory above ground 1 eve1 i n 1956 , provi-d1Trg--ro-M-fo"r a base—
L
me nt . 27 The church building Xocated at 127 W . Front St . , is noted
for its stained leaded glass windows , and gold and red lancet
windows in front . The projecting eaves are supported by paired
brackets and the structure is topped by a square tower and a mas-
sive stone chimney .
Situated at 120 S . Filbert St . is a two-story, Prai ri e Style
home , significant because it is the only example of this style
8
in New Carlisle . Though the architect is . unknown , the house , built
in 1912 , resembles those designed by Ernest Young and Austin '--
Shambleau in South Bend. 30 The hip roof and wide overhanging
eaves are typical of the style , as is the grey stucco facade . Pink
wood trim , particularly above the foundation , accents the horizon-
tal i ty oft4e st-y4-e-, as do the roof line and the occasional banding
of windows .
A nice example of Stick Style can be found at 130 Chestnut St .
With the exception of the cuppola ( added in 1974) there have been
few changes made on the large , three story structure since it was
constructed in 1887 . The asymmetrical composition is highlighted
by the seemingly functional stick m-e-r-k- or spindle work , especially
along the front veranda and the third floor projecting balconies
on the east and north sides . The surface variations , marked by
thin horizontal clapboard siding and scalloped shingles , are ty-
pical characteristics of the Queen Anne Style . ftte46 --t4i-e
gives itir Lh a (est ve a Near-aTR�:
I%Z
In contrast to the ornate Queen Anne stands the o„ —one
story , simple ,vernacular house located at 230 W . Michigan St .
Though architecturally dwarfed by most of the homes in the proposed
historic district , the George W . Matthews home is historically quite
significant to New Carlisle . Constructed in 1835 , the building -rs'
_ba-sed are q ar®--plan The front- porch +-a-s- spindle columns sup-
porting a plain frieze , enhanced by small paired brackets_'4- -T-he
front doorVis decorated in simple classical detail , with a co -
vered transom and sidelights . Built by William Pelham to house
his dry goods store and4home , it was the first commercial building
in New Carlisle . 31 The following year , he sold the business and
9
the house to George Matthews , who kept it as a General Store , and
residence . Within a year of his arrival , Matthews was elected
Justice of the Peace and appointed the first Post Master of New
Carlisle . Sharing quarters with the Post Office , he , his wife and
his stepson , Schuyler Colfax lived here until the family moved to
South Bend in 1841 where Matthews became County Auditor. 32
There is some discrepancy as to whether Schuyler Colfax , later to
become Vice-President of the United States under U . S . Grant ,
actually lived in this house or in another house in town , since
demolished . The--Mat-t-h-ews- home -continued - its dual role as residence
and -bus-i-nes-s-,including a restaurant in 1924 . In 1959 the structure
was re-established as the town ' s Post Office . 33 More recently ,
since the -present owners bought the house , it has been kept solely
. as a residence----
Another influential family in New Carlisle was the Service
family . Jeremiah Service was born in New York State and moved to
Indiana in 1834 at the age of 22 . 34 He operated a dry goods store
in town , Service and Sons bank , which was a privately owned insti -
tution , and for one term represented the County in the State
Legislature . His home , built in 1870 atop a, small hill on the
a-v
eastern edge of town , is wte-- gw i-car I t a 1 i a n a t e
in New Carlisle . The two - story , brick residence is particularly
noted for its cuppola , topped by a Moorish dome . &G4 -t4i+sr
cuppola are the large , double brackets wade-r tie wide overhanging
eaves the flat roof. The double wood columns and spindle
p �4.
r_ai_Li-n-ij are striking features of the richly decorated porch.---fit'
stretches across the entire front of the house and is topped by
a second story balcony .
10
Five years later , son George Service commissioned an Italianate
style brick home to be ,constructd at 130 W . Michigan St . U-n-de-r
Overhanging eaves , alternating large and small paired brackets ,
s u p p-o r--t t h e---f--Ta t roof. T" ... ; +^ b r a-E -s--a-rre--s et__...a`p i n s t a 0-a i_n'
b-lack frieze and the contrast enlivens the roof line considerably .
Cast iron hoods top both the doors and the windows . The first
story entrance portico is supported by large Tuscan columns and is
topped with wood A-sit+-1 porch
ci dg^n_ ho-s.e,i-nte rest i-ng for the--el ab-or-ate wood --t-rimTn1-ng"
be-rc&th ,,.t�phe F 1ina
A-4 -Italianate style residence , --.&�� --ems -is
the Theodore Borden home at 702 W . Mftigan St . 1-hough it li-es out-
side the proposed historic di stri ct , the4 house t-y---a-very -n-i-ce---
p �Iz, --,f I a „ a t r_B�s.e�._�an_a�-_L s h a p e d.-�p-1 ate;- -h t l �; - l o rp,
4azo L- was constructed in 1868 . The brick walls ^o4 the-heuse are
enhanced by brick pilasters which frame each bay-4- T-Fre round-
arched wi ndows.r-& - el aborateir- hood. The front
door is a double leaf wood panel door featuring a leaded glass
transom in floral pattersn .. Though the front porch was removed ,
a side porch with spindle columns remains . Typefying the style
are the projecting cornice line and paired brackets .
u- n i e---r e-d--b r i-•c-k--,a-r.c -t h e -w-i n d.o-w._ s i 11 s-a_n d_,..w a t e r_ .
a-re-trf--cut--sto-ne . Borden , who bui 1 t i t as a reti re-
ment home , ran a hardware and tinware store in town . 35
Also located outside the proposed historic district , b-ut
worthy of mention , is the New Carlisle Cemetery. Organized in
1863 , the Cemetery Association purchased two acres of land west
of town on Mic1gan St . from Jeemiah Service . It was soon decided
11
amongst the trustees of the association that the cemetery be placed
under the control and management of the Town of New Carlisle , and
on August 13 , 1870 the deed officially changed hands . 36 There
are presently 5 . 37 acres of cemetery plots , the area farthest south ,
closest to U . S . 20 marking the older graves . The first person
buried in the cemetery is Mrs . Ida Treaswell who died in the fall
of 1863 . A monument was erected soon afterward by the Women ' s
Relief Corps commemorating those who participated in the Civil War .
A second monument stands near the front gate honoring the unknown
soldiers of World War I . There are several mausoleums in the
cemetery as well , and a caretaker ' s shack . Some of the more
prominent citizens of the town buried here are T . L . Borden , William
Cassady , Jeremiah and George Service , Ransom Hubbard , the Brummitt
family , ! vans family and Druliner Family .
12
FOOTNOTES
1 . History of St . Joseph County , p . 339 , Warner , Frank
2 . Watt , Margueritte McCord , Wade , Kathryn V . New Carlisle
Service Printing Co . La Porte , Ind . ( c ) 1956 .
The Story of Our Town . P . 20
3 . Ibid , p . 22 .
4 . South Bend Tribune , Jan . 22 , 1978
5 . County Records - Plots etc.
6 . Watt and Wade , p . 17 .
7 . Ibid . , p . 29 .
8 . Ibid , p . 56
9 . Ibid , p . 56
10 . Ibid . , p . 58 .
11 . Ibid . , p . 59 .
12 . Lucy Miller "My Town New Carlisle " New Prairie Town Crier
July 24 , 1981 .
12a . South Bend Tribune Jan . 22 , 1978 .
13 . Watt and Wade , p . 44 .
14 . 1875 St . Joseph County Atlas
15 . Watt and Wade , p . 140 .
16 . Ibid . , p . 92 .
17 . Ibid . , p . 94.
18. 5bid . , p . 97 .
19 . Ibid . , p . 98
20 . Ibid . , p . 91
21 . Michiana Memories
22 . Miller , '' My Town , New Carlisle " p . 23 .
23 . Wart and Wade , p . 148 .
24 . Miller , p . 24 .
25 . Survey Card
26 . Miller , p . 430
27 . Watt and Wade , p . 87 .
28 . Ibid . , p . 830
29 . Ibid. , p . 85 .
30 . Survey cards
31 . Miller, p . 17 .
32 . Ibid . , p . 29 .
33 . South Bend Tribune - Jan . 22 , 1978
34 . Miller
35 . Watt and Wade
36 . Ibid . , p . 121 , 122 .
37 . Ibid . , p . 123.
"New Carlisle " South Bend Tribune , January 22 , 1978
Mi chi ana Memories
Miller, Lucy , "My Town New Carlisle" New Prairie Town Crier
July 24 , 1981 .
Warner, Frank , History of St . Joseph County
Watt , Margueritte McCord ; Wade , Kathryn V . New Carlisle , The Story
of Our Town . Service Printing Co . , LaPorte , Indiana ( c ) 1956 .
A Reflection
John Folks
Spring Internship
May 1983
As students , we take classes and participate in activities
that obviously contribute to achieving a set career goal . The
curriculum of an engineer or a business major is almost com-
pletely directed toward landing a particular job. Then there is
Liberal Arts education . Those of us who chose Liberal Arts did
so either because we lacked a clear picture of where we were
headed , or because we desired more to be educated than to be
trained , I chose Liberal Arts for both these reasons . Though
much of my academic work has yielded seemingly useless tools , I
have no doubt that much of it I will need to recall in the future .
I come to this conclusion because most of my work has been in
areas that interest me very much , and these interests I will take
with me wherever I go . There is also the possibility that these
interests will lead me to a future career .
Whether those academic pursuits ever come to fruition in a
formal way through a job or a hobby is probably not as important
as the more general benefits that I have gained from a Liberal
Arts background . As I mentioned previously , I took Liberal Arts
for two reasons , the latter and more important of which was to be
educated . More likely than not the particular details that I ' ve
learned in American Studies classes won ' t be useful in what I ' m
doing careerwise , though the larger more general principles and
skills of a Liberal Arts education will always complement any-
thing I do . Two basic skills in particular I have learned and
that will assist me in whatever I do are interpretation and
communication .
Interpretation of both written documents , including every -
thing from novels to city records , and physical artifacts , encom-
passing everything on the landscape . Embodied in this first skill
is a refined eye for detail and for patterns , leading to con -
clusions of social , cultural or personal value . These skills will
enhance my understanding of Americans and their cultural variations ,
as well as an understanding of Parisians , Turks and Orientals , and
each of their cultural similarities and differences . The better
I understand people , the easier I can relate to them.
My relationship with other people also depends on a second
tool I have developed through a Liberal Arts education : a certain
proficiency in written and oral communication . These are , with-
out much doubt , two very powerful yet very basic modes of inter-
personal communication . The exchange of ideas , information , and
even plain old gossip is gratifying , fulfilling and sometimes just
fun . Including someone else in on what I have discovered heightens
my own entusiasm , especially if it served to enliven their in-
terest in the subject as well . Communication in more ordinary
circumstances is extremely important at home , with family ; on
the job with colleagues ; or socially with peers . The need for
better communication , on a larger scale , between peoples around
the world is becoming increasingly acute . Admittedly most of us
are more concerned with everyday relationships , but as Daniel
Burnham said in defense of his 1909 urban plan for Chicago , "Make
no little plans , " and for better of for worse , I am doomed to
thinking in these larger terms .
My work in New Carlisle , though not quite globally oriented ,
involved applying both of these skills of interpretation and
communication and , most importantly , in a practical situation ,
2
outside of a classroom environment . I was exposed in greater
concentration to a third skill I had learned while doing detailed
papers and projects , that of research . I have written many pa-
pers and dug up information for class presentations and essays ,
but nothing I had researched previous to taking on this intern -
ship compared with the digging I did for New Carlisle ' s architec-
tural history . During the course of my work with the St . Joseph
County Historic Preservation Commission , I have learned new ways
of finding out information , and new places to look for it .
Government records are one particularly useful tool .
An indication of how quickly , how large and in what direction
a town is growing can be found in plat addition records . By
examining the dates of additions with respect to where they were
platted and how large the parcels were , I could infer certain
general facts about economic and agricultural activity , the age
of buildings constructed on the plats , as well as deduce land-
scape features and the environment conditions in and around the town .
Street names can also indicate certain things about a town . The
names of New Carlisle ' s original street , Race , Arch , Filbert ,
Cherry , Chestnut and Front were taken from Philaaelphia . As it
turns out , Richard Carlisle , founder of the town , was from
Philadephiia ai,d the familiar names prohably served to orient
him in the strange Indiana wilderness , a far cry from his refined
eastern city home .
The second very useful research tool was to survey cards .
On these sheets was a wealth of information running the gamut
fromdate and mode of construction , to architectural style and
3
particular characteristics , to a small historical capsule about
the owner and his home . Through these cards , I was to deter-
mine why a given house was a valuable artifact , Many were
significant for aesthetic or architectural beauty and purity ,
others were more important for the historical part they played
in the town ' s history . All of them were important because they
reflected something about the culture , about the ideas in the
minds of people at that time .
Art is a very interesting mode of cultural interpretation ,
and architecture is certainly a form of c_rt ; and because it is
more practically designed than a painting or a piece of sculpture ,
a building can tell us more directly about the people living
at the time . The house is , after all , the center of activity
for the family , the basic social unit . As one part of the
whole , the family and their environment could be considered a
microcosm of the midwest or even of the United States .
New Carlisle has a very interesting history , and some very
beautiful homes . The thrust of my research was aimed toward
communicating to the people of New Carlisle as well as to various
government agencies and historians alike , that there is in this
mid-western town something very valuable and worth preserving .
Nineteen significant buildings are still standing and are in
good condition . A proposed historic district has been presented
to the town and hopefully m research will contribute to the
a op y y
realization of this district , which would protect these cultural
artifacts . I realize that I have emphasized the historical rea-
sons preserving these buildings . We are often times reminded of
4
the necessity of looking forward into the future , but what better
way to predict the future than by the past .
J
5