Levi Coffin House
Encyclopedia
The Levi Coffin House is a National Historic Landmark
located in present-day Fountain City, Indiana
. The two-story, eight room, brick house was constructed in 1839 in the Federal style and served as a station on the Underground Railroad
.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1965.
Levi Coffin
, and his wife Catharine, helped as many as 2,000 former slaves escape to freedom in the free states and Canada
during the 20 years that they lived in the house. In fact, Levi has been referred to as the President of the Underground Railroad. The Coffins were Quakers, a denomination that led in the fight against slavery. Underground Railroad conductors brought slaves up through Kentucky, and they primarily crossed the Ohio River
at three points: Madison, Indiana
; Jeffersonville, Indiana
; and Cincinnati, Ohio
. After their crossing, many of the slaves were brought to the Levi Coffin House until they could be transported further north. The slave girl, Eliza, whose story is told in Harriet Beecher's Stowe'sUncle Tom's Cabin
, was one of the slaves who stayed at this way station.
Authorities were never able to search the house and discover runaway slaves, because whenever a slavecatcher would come to the house, Coffin would demand to see a search warrant, which meant a 26 mile round trip to the county seat, Centerville, Indiana
, to acquire, by which time the fugitive slave would be long gone. If the house had ever been searched, secret doors within could hide as many as 14 fugitive slaves. The Coffins were careful not to keep records, as it was criminal behavior, but it is speculated that 2,000 fugitive slaves had been at the house from 1826 to 1847.
The Coffins moved to Cincinnati, Ohio
to open a warehouse that supplied free labor businesses, at the request of fellow abolitionists.
The state government of Indiana
acquired the house in 1967, and opened it to the public in 1970 after restoration. This was not difficult, as the owners since Coffin kept it in excellent shape. The restoration was done by Himelick Construction of Fountain City. The house is open to the public, and is operated by the Levi Coffin House Association at the behest of Indiana DNR. An additional house close to the Coffin House is being restored to act as an interpretive center for the Coffin Home.
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
located in present-day Fountain City, Indiana
Fountain City, Indiana
Fountain City, formerly Newport, is a town in Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 796 at the 2010 census. It was formerly known as Newport...
. The two-story, eight room, brick house was constructed in 1839 in the Federal style and served as a station on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1965.
Levi Coffin
Levi Coffin
Levi Coffin was an American Quaker, abolitionist, and businessman. Coffin was deeply involved in the Underground Railroad in Indiana and Ohio and his home is often called "Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad"...
, and his wife Catharine, helped as many as 2,000 former slaves escape to freedom in the free states and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the 20 years that they lived in the house. In fact, Levi has been referred to as the President of the Underground Railroad. The Coffins were Quakers, a denomination that led in the fight against slavery. Underground Railroad conductors brought slaves up through Kentucky, and they primarily crossed the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at three points: Madison, Indiana
Madison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
; Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...
; and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. After their crossing, many of the slaves were brought to the Levi Coffin House until they could be transported further north. The slave girl, Eliza, whose story is told in Harriet Beecher's Stowe'sUncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
, was one of the slaves who stayed at this way station.
Authorities were never able to search the house and discover runaway slaves, because whenever a slavecatcher would come to the house, Coffin would demand to see a search warrant, which meant a 26 mile round trip to the county seat, Centerville, Indiana
Centerville, Indiana
Centerville is a town in Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,552 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Centerville is located at , at an altitude of 1,014 feet . U.S...
, to acquire, by which time the fugitive slave would be long gone. If the house had ever been searched, secret doors within could hide as many as 14 fugitive slaves. The Coffins were careful not to keep records, as it was criminal behavior, but it is speculated that 2,000 fugitive slaves had been at the house from 1826 to 1847.
The Coffins moved to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
to open a warehouse that supplied free labor businesses, at the request of fellow abolitionists.
The state government of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
acquired the house in 1967, and opened it to the public in 1970 after restoration. This was not difficult, as the owners since Coffin kept it in excellent shape. The restoration was done by Himelick Construction of Fountain City. The house is open to the public, and is operated by the Levi Coffin House Association at the behest of Indiana DNR. An additional house close to the Coffin House is being restored to act as an interpretive center for the Coffin Home.