202 W Jefferson

Section 16 History

1868 - Pioneer School House

This parcel of land was the mandatory school lot by state law. The Old school house that stood there on was built in 1868; it has been said.

1906 Culver Publice School Lot, Ohio at the time dead ended onto Jefferson Street, a portion of it you see in lower left hand corner.

Some accounts say that the property was bought about 17 January 1907 by John Osborn for conversion into a hotel; using the school structure for the rear of the hotel and another says the 1^st was the old school and was moved onto the lot; this was only one of the "school lots". An accounting of the sale of the school property was found as follows:

1907 - Jan 17 - Sale of The Old Culver School House

The school property was sold to Henry Zechiel last Saturday for $1,325. There was but one other bidder - J. O. Ferrier.

The bidding started on Ferrier's offer of $1,300, raised by Zechiel to $1,310, by Ferrier to $1,320, and then by Zechiel to $1,324, at which point Ferrier said "let him have it.

Prior to the sale a successful canvass for $500 in subscriptions to buy two of the lots for a street had been made with the understanding that the money was to reimburse the purchaser for dontating the lots to the town.

The school board had appraised the property at $1,250 - $250 for each of the four lots and $250 for the building.

D. H. Smith takes one of the two remianing lots, John Osborn taking the other from Mr. Zechiel.

The town and adjancent property owners will get the benefit of a desirable improement in having the street opened, Mr. Smith will get a lot which he can cultivate as a garden where his boys will find healthful employement, Mr. Osborn gets a piece of valuable land and a building which will be converted into a large hotel and the school board gets the money. The deal is a good one all around.

Jan. 17, 1907— In purchasing from Henry Zechiel the old school building and the southwest lot of the school property John Osborn is preparing to construct a large modern hotel construction of a large modern hotel.

Mr. Osborn authorizes the Citizen to say that the building will be moved as soon as the weather will permit, arrangements having already been made to that end. It will face the south and will be vaneered with stone, brick or cement blocks. It will have a large porch on the south and on the east. It will contain 21 rooms and will be heated throughout with hot air or hot water. City water will also be introduced, and in every respect the house will be up-to-date.

Tho improvement will be a notable one and will augment the splendid record which Culver is making in the way of eventually takinga front place among the pretty and enterprising towns of Indiana - - (Culver l Citizen June 6, 1907)

1907 - Osborn Hotel / Hotel Osborn It sat on the corner of Ohio and Jefferson Streets and now represented only by the empty lot remaining behind.

John Osborn

H. W. Eastman,

George W. & Luella Hollenbeck

1923 - Sep 19 Hotel Hackett

1961-Jan 1967 - The New Culver Hotel

Micheal & Sophia Anthony

1968-1975 - Culver House

Osborn Center

On February 1, 1975 it was dedicated as the Osborn Center, honoring the town's number one citizen William O. Osborn. The center was planned for use by the senior citizens. Later in the evening hundred of persons joined to celebrate "Osborn Day", convocation and dinner marking his 90^th birthday.

Sirus Property

JED AIR who had it razed in 1990 for safety reasons.



Thus far the lot remains vacant but for a small ornamental gazebo on the back northwest corner.

W. Bailey Davis - ? 1997
Diana S. Davis - 1997 - 2013

In the 2000's it has been used as the as the spot for the Farmer's Market which was first held on the empty lot at the northeast corner of Main & Jefferson St.

SE COR LOT 20 GW GARN ADD N E ALG ELN