704 W. Shore Dr. - Arlington Annex  

Alfrey Cottage

Arlington Hotel Annex

In the Arlington Hotel history this cottage is spoke of as: Mr. Knapp, finding the hotel too small, began building additions. Finally he rented the Alfrey Cottage, one of the largest on on the lake, for a number of years.

It was connected with the hotel by a porch thirty feet wide, and combined porches of hotel and cottage were over three hundred feet lake front, and the grounds well shaded with grand old oaks.

Originally the annex to the Arlington Hotel, and across the road at 670 W. Shore Dr. was where the Arlington Depot or flag stop station stood; it was there to service the Arlington Hotel.

Virginia Barnes Kniesley recounted the Barnes history of the cottage:

My grandfather, John E. Barnes, purchsased our cottage at Lake Maxinkuckee on August 16, 1897. He deeded it to his son George, on April 10, 1915. Uncle George was sickly and loved to fish but, after a few years, he dedided the fishing was better in Michigan, so my father, James I. Barnes, bought the property from him in 1919.

My mother, Emily C, Englebretcht Barnes, was not keen on the idea of the lake but grew to love it and my parents and their seven daughters started to spend their summers in Culver. Incidentally, my uncle wanted the cottage back but my mother said, "NO".

The house, before my family became invovled, had been used as an annex for the overflow of guests from the Arlington Hotel located to the south. Many people would ride the train to Long Point station where some would catch a boat to go to other hotels on Lake Maxinkuckee. The railroad ran behind our cottage and several generations of children would stop whatever they were doing on hearing the whistle to stand on the fence and wave to the trainmen.

I remember a kerosene cooking stove, an outhouse, and a hand pump on the back porch where drinking cold well-water from a tin cup was next to Heaven on a hot summer's day.

My mother made strawberry sun preserves on a table in the yard, the fruit-spread platters being covered with mosquito netting. One summer we had a cow and butter was churned and cottage cheese made.

Everyone helped on washing day. The lines were stretched all over the yard with the clothes blowing in the wind. My sister Betty and I, the youngest, washed our doll clothes so a low line was streched especially for them. Once in a while dry cleaning was done in the yard with the cleaning agent being naptha.

Electricity was brought in around 1923 and I'm sure my mother appreciiated it, for it was "chicken every Sunday" when my older sisters and their families came to enjoy the day and the meal. We called it the "Lake appetite".

Since speed boats, skiing and television were yet to come, our entertainment was catching turtles and, after painting our intials on their shells, letting them go. We often invited neighborhood kids to hel turn the crank for homemade ice cream, or rolled back the rugs to dance in the living roon. We hunted "snipes" in Allen's woods with our visiting cousins holding the bag, listened to ghost stories on the back porch after dark and rode our pony, Kenno. One time Kenno bit a neighbor boy, Dick Elliott, in the stomach. I can still remember those teeth marks.

"Maxinkuckee fever", must be catching for all of my sisters have their own homes here at time or another. At the present time three still live there year around. The home place is owned jointly by myself and my children: Kathleen Vesh and John, Thomas and Timothy Kniesley. I hope little Andrew and Matthew Veash and John and Elizabeth Kniesley of the fifth generation will have fond memories of Culver as I do. - Virginia B. Kniesly.

History of Marshall County Indiana Sesquicentenial 1836 - 1986 {Taylor Publishing Co., 1986, Publication # 357 of 1422) Marshall County Historical Society pg. 53

Beth (Pearce) Muelhasen writes:

My husband, Fritz Muehlhausen, was raised in the James I. Barnes cottage on the West side - which used to be the Arlington Hotel. It burned partially and was remodeled by Fritz's great-grandfather (James I.'s father) - I think his name was John E.

...the Arlington Hotel burned down completely. That is not accurate according to family history. The addition on the south side of the lawn burned, and the main portion was remodeled to create the cottage that stands today and still belongs to my husband's Aunt, Virginia Barnes Kniesly

Barnes Cottage

1897, 16 Aug. - John E. & Elizabeth (Bates) Barnes Barnes Family

The Barnes connection to Culver began with James I Barnes' father, John E. Barnes, who purchased an annex building to the old Arlington Hotel on Long Point circa 1895 as housing while he worked on construction of the first brick building on the Culver Academy campus, Main Barracks, in 1895.

1915, 10 Apr. - deeded to son George Barnes

1919 - 1953 - James I and Emily C. (Englebrect) Barnes

1922 - Jul 26 - Some notable stone work is being done in building the foundation ' and pillars for a 30 foot porch on the James I Barnes cotage on Long Point. boulders that are 3 foot in diameter as well as smaller stones, very skillful work is required

1956- 1961 - Barnes Trust Cottage

1958 Lake Directory - Barnes Cottage Trust - Gordon Muehlhausen, 210 Barnes Bldg., Logansport, Ind.

Betty Meuhlhausen, Lucille, Drommp , (Mrs. Frederick), Doris Hillis, Emily Studebaker, arjorie Sparling (Mrs. Floyd), Clara Medland, Virginia Kniesley (Mrs. Forest)

Kniesley-Vesh Cottage

1979 - Kniesley-Muehlhausen

Jan 1994 Virginia B. Kniesley (Mrs. Forest , Kniesley Family)

Jan 1994- Sep 2003 Virginia B. Kniesley

'

Sep 2003-2005 - Thomas B. Kneisley, John B. Kniesley, Kathleen A. Vesh, Virginia B. Kneisley Life Est.

LOT S OF LONG POINT LOT 22
LOT S OF LONG POINT LOT 23
LOT 24 S LONG POINT SUB N45' N50' 265