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Visiting
Kelton House
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Underground Railroad
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The
Kelton House Museum
oday, Kelton House Museum stands as a snapshot of 19th century life.
It is a treasure trove of Victoriana, containing everything from lavishly
embellished Victorian silverware to unusual items such as a woven-hair
brooch worn by Kelton family members.
scrapbook kept by Anna Kelton from 1860 to 1870
gives a glimpse of what one young woman thought worth saving: pressed
flowers from summer vacations, society page articles, news clippings and
letters describing Civil War military engagements, and a telegram relating
her brother Oscar’s death at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads,
Guntown, Mississippi.
The
massive drapery cornices in the front parlor look suspiciously like a
Victorian bed; in fact, Sophia Kelton had Thomas Lawrence, a family employee,
dismantle a walnut bedstead and install the pieces above the windows.
Beneath these same windows, Lawrence married Martha Hartway, one of the
runaway slaves who took shelter in the home while it was a station on
the Underground Railroad.
When Grace Kelton died in 1975, her will entrusted the Kelton property
to the Columbus Foundation with the stipulation that her family home be
preserved and used for educational purposes. In 1976 the Junior League
of Columbus took on the task of renovating and restoring the house and
garden to create a museum of 19th century life. Today the Kelton House
offers an ongoing program of house tours, special events, and educational
opportunities. An active volunteer program provides a training ground
for individuals interested in historic preservation, the decorative arts,
American history, and museum management.
“The Kelton House is the only ‘house museum’ in the city
of Columbus,” said Georgeanne Reuter, Kelton House Director. “It
is the only place in the city where Columbus history can be seen and felt.
We have the same furnishings, plates, silverware, clothing, and books
that were used by the actual occupants of the house. This gives the Kelton
House a realistic feeling that can not be re-created, as most house museums
are.” Reuter says that the house museum concept is very effective
in the education of children. Docents (tour guides), dressed in period
costume, help make history come alive as they walk through the house and
tell stories of the Underground Railroad, and life from 1850 to 1900.
Not only has the Kelton House contributed to the education of numerous
adults and children but it has also played an instrumental role in the
growth and revitalization of Town Street. With the help of the Junior
League of Columbus, the East Town Street Historic District was created
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Junior
League of Columbus led the preservation by funding the publication of
neighborhood architectural guidelines and held meetings to encourage home/building
owners to use these guidelines to restore their own homes and structures.
The Town-Franklin Neighborhood Association was formed to further develop
the area including the Deaf School Park.
In 1977, the Junior League of Columbus was honored for its commitment
to historic preservation by the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau
with its City Beautiful Award.
Important Kelton House Collection Features
Grandfather clock built by Daniel Burnap, student of Thomas Harland, c.
1790
Lyre card table, attributed to Duncan Phyfe
Brass Gaseliers, manufactured by the Cornelius and Baker Company, 1851-1861
Paper-maché with inlaid mother-of-pearl chess table, c. 1825-1860
Belter-style chair, Rococo Revival style, c. 1850
Staffordshire china cottages, c. 1800-1850
Anna Kelton’s scrapbook, providing documentary evidence of Kelton
family history
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