Kelton House Museum & Garden

We went to tour the Kelton House Museum and Garden due to its connection to the underground railroad, though in the end that part of the story was a quick “might have happened, not sure, thanks for coming.”

The 10,000 square foot Greek Revival and Italianate mansion in Columbus, Ohio was built in 1852 by the Keltons. Mr. Kelton was a successful merchant, as well as an abolitionist. He was such a respected member of the community that he was selected to be a pallbearer for Abraham Lincoln when his memorial was held Columbus (one of twelve held for him as his body made its way to Illinois for burial).

The more formal Front Parlor in the foreground, with the more casual Back Parlor beyond; pocket doors allow the two rooms to be separated.

The Keltons took in Martha Hartway, who was a young runaway enslaved person. She was found in the bushes very ill, and the Keltons nursed her back to health. She stayed on in the household as domestic help, getting married in the house to the Kelton’s carpenter.

It was she who indicated many years after-the-fact that the home had served as a stop on the underground railroad, though there are otherwise no records documenting the fact. Therefore, there’s not much to see or hear relating to this on the tour.

The house remained in the Kelton family until 1975, when Grace Bird Kelton passed away. Grace was one of the first people in the country to make a living an interior designer. She founded the metal craft and jewelry departments at the Columbus College of Art and Design, and was a founding member of the Association of Interior Decorators (AID). Through AID she consulted on Jacqueline Kennedy’s redecoration of the White House!

After Grace’s death, the Columbus Foundation obtained ownership. It was then leased to the Junior League, who restored it and operate the museum. Thanks to the home remaining in the family, about 80% of the furnishings on display belonged to the Kelton family. Artifacts date from 1760 to 1975.

This table is made of paper mache! You totally cannot tell until it’s been pointed out and you give it a close look.

Bedroom of the original Mrs. Kelton, Sophia.

This was the bedroom of the original Mr. Kelton, Fernando. He passed away in this room in 1866 after suffering a tragic fall.

Lithograph of Lincoln’s funeral procession arriving at the Ohio State House. The ribbon on the bottom left and square on the bottom right were worn by Fernando when he served as Lincoln’s pallbearer.

Edward Penfield (1866-1925) was a distant relative of Grace Kelton. He was an illustrator, and considered the father of the American poster. His work has been featured in almost every major book on American Illustration or on the history of posters. He worked for Harper’s Weekly from 1890 to 1901 as an illustrator, art editor, and art director. The museum had a number of Penfield’s Harper’s posters on display.