The Culbertson Mansion is celebrating its 140th anniversary.

The Victorian-style mansion has stood at 914 E. Main St. since 1869 and was once the home to William Culbertson who was once considered to be the wealthiest man in Indiana.

The mansion has been partly restored. The first and second floors have been restored to what the staff at the mansion believes to be a close replica of the house at the time it was inhabited by the Culbertsons.

The third floor of the mansion is still as it was during the 1800s.

“The first floor is a replica of how the Culbertsons lived, it was documented and we recreated what we could,” Jacklyn Moreno, volunteer coordinator, said. “It is true to Victorian style.”

Culbertson was born in Pennsylvania and moved to New Albany at the age of 21. He eventually became a prosperous businessman, and when he passed away at 78-years-old, he had achieved an estimated worth of $3.5 million.

Construction began on the mansion in 1867 and it was finished in 1869. The mansion cost $120,000 to build.

At that time Culbertson and his second wife, Cornelia, along with Culbertson’s six children from his first marriage, moved into the house. William and Cornelia Culbertson also had a child from their marriage.

Culbertson’s first marriage ended when his first wife, Eliza, passed away from typhoid pneumonia.

Cornelia eventually passed away from cholera, and Culbertson married his third wife, Rebecca, to whom he was married until he passed away in 1892.

The mansion was eventually auctioned off to John McDonald, a New Albany resident.

McDonald originally wanted to turn the mansion into a hospital, but the plans fell through. McDonald lived in the mansion with his wife and two children until he passed away. After he died, his daughter sold the mansion to the American Legion.

Eventually, the American Legion was going to sell the mansion to a gas company that planned on knocking down the mansion and turning the site into a gas station.

The people of New Albany did not want this to happen.

Eventually, the mansion was bought by Historic New Albany Inc., and restoration on the mansion began.

The mansion’s restoration is funded by private donations, various events throughout the year and tours of the mansion.

The most well-known fundraiser for the mansion is the annual haunted house, which takes place on Friday and Saturday nights from the first weekend of October through Halloween.

This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the haunted house. The haunted house began when people were charged a small fee to come to the mansion for readings of stories written by Edgar Allen Poe.

The turnout was so good for the story readings the staff decided to start a haunted house.

Planning for the haunted house starts in March, when some of the staff attends a convention. Then the staff starts putting the haunted house, which is in the Carriage House behind the mansion, together in June.

Moreno said the haunted house has been a consistent source of fundraising for the mansion.

“It’s been a good year,” Moreno said. “It is a good sign when you can have consistently good numbers.”

People looking for a scare do not have to visit the make believe haunted house. There are many who believe the mansion itself is haunted.

Eleen Metcalf, president of the Friends of Culbertson and former employee, said she believes the mansion is haunted.

Metcalf has been giving ghost tours in the mansion for nine years.

“On just about every tour someone has some kind of personal experience,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf said the most common thing experienced by the guests is the aroma of cigar and pipe smoke, as well as the aroma of flowers.

Metcalf has also had her share of personal experiences with paranormal activity in the mansion.

Metcalf said she has heard whistling when she was the only person on a floor and saw a female figure drift past the door while she was cleaning the private parlor in the mansion.

Metcalf also said during one of the tours a guest, who was supposed to be in touch with the other side, told her Mr. Culbertson did not enjoy having all these people in his house, that he preferred it when it was quiet.

Later that night, Metcalf, along with a volunteer, were cleaning up and getting ready to close down for the night. Metcalf said the volunteer went down the hall to empty a water pitcher and returned in a very frightened state. The volunteer said she felt as if someone was looking over her shoulder, and when she turned around she saw the figure of a man staring at her.

Later the same night, Metcalf said she heard a man’s voice say what sounded to be, “shhh,” which was interesting because earlier in the night the guest had mentioned Mr. Culbertson liking it better when the house was quiet.

Metcalf spoke of another instance in which the New Albany Police Department responded to the alarm going off in the mansion.

She met the officer at the mansion, and they found nothing out of the ordinary. As they were going to leave, the officer asked her if she was going to get the other lady out of the house before she locked up.

Metcalf and the officer were the only people in the house, but the officer saw a lady in a gray dress on the back veranda as he walked up to the mansion.

Metcalf also said there have been reports of people seeing a girl in a white dress in the past five years.

Despite the sitings of apparitions, Metcalf said she has never felt threatened at any time by the paranormal activity.

“There is nothing malevolent,” Metcalf said. “People did die in the house, but of natural causes.”

Metcalf said you never know what to expect inside of the Culbertson Mansion.

“It’s a very interesting and beautiful place,” Metcalf said. “If I lived there I would not want to leave either. I can see why there are ghosts there.”

By ERIC MCGUFFIN
Editor
demcguff@ius.edu