Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue
History & Genealogy

Culver, Marshall, Indiana

Osborn Hotel

It sat on the corner of Ohio and Jefferson Streets and now represented only by the empty lot remaining behind.

The History of this lot:

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.

Fred Karst on the History of Culver's Schools

The first Culver school was built between 1898 and 1902. Many think it was the grade school before it became the hotel. It was probably only two stories when it was the grade school. Known to recent Culverites as the Osborn Hotel, the three-story frame building that stands as a landmark at the northwest corner of Ohio and Jefferson was called the New Culver Hotel in its heyday.

David Burns, now 81, recalls attending the first grade in the building in 1915 at a time when it was used as a school. The building at that time was only two stories high, Burns said.

The elementary school building, located about where the two-room addition is being built at Culver Elementary School, had grown crowded, and the school board had spent most of the available funds on construction of a high school. Consequently, Burns said, the first grade met in the former hotel building, and the second grade also used temporary quarters nearby.

Burns said that the building was constructed by a member of the prominent Osborn family -- the same man who built the Osborn Block in downtown Culver.

Burns believes it was built in 1902, although a Civil War veteran he knew claimed that it dated from 1898. The hotel was remodeled by John Osborn, and during one period of reconstruction the third floor was added. High hopes for the building remained until fairly recent times. In February 1975, it was dedicated as the Osborn Center in honor of William 0. Osborn. It was planned as a center for senior citizens.

At the time when Burns was a student there, the first grade had a great many students, but enrollment declined in the higher grades, he recalled. Most students, he said, left school to enter the work force after 8th grade. Burns didn't leave school until after his sophomore year of high school, when he left to lay brick with his father. He continued in that occupation.
Some have said that it was later moved to the corner of Main & Jefferson on the southwest corner (now Heritage Park). Is was said to have been a residence for several years; later a hotel and eating house and last was converted and used as a grocery store. It was finally torn down about 1926 to may way for the Hand Filling Station.

It is said that John Osborn [father of William O. Osborn] first bought the Exchange Bank as an investment, to start a hotel for flourishing Culver Military Academy business, Mr. Osborn then sold the bank to M. C. McCormick. The New Culver Hotel was situated on the corner of Jefferson and Madison [Ohio - unless location had changed over the years].

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".

Culver Citizen. - A. L. Warner has commenced work on his contract for excavating for the Osborn hotel. It will take about twenty days. - Rochester Sentinel, Friday, March 22, 1907

Culver Citizen. - The siding of Culver's big new hotel, the Osborn House, has reached the roof. The building is three stories in height. - Rochester Sentinel, Friday, July 12, 1907

Opened in 1908; opening dinner night was 31 May 1908.

It was a three story structure 88 by 34 feet. It had 36 bedrooms; a veranda 10' wide and 100 feet long on the side of the building. The 1^st floor contained the office [22 by 28]; a waiting room; dinning room 30 by 28 feet and accommodated 75; kitchen; dish room; and cold storage. The 2^nd floor had 16 rooms; lavatories and toilets and the 3^rd floor had 17 rooms; lavatories and toilets.

1909 - January 21 – The explosion of a lamp in Miss Pearl Osborn’s room on the second floor of the Osborn hotel at 6:30 Tuesday evening gave the occupants of the house a scare and about twenty minutes of hard work to save the building from destruction…

1909 - May 13 -John Osborn last week added to the livery facilities of the Osborn hotel a new two-cylinder 22-horse power Reo automobile. It is a handsome car...

V. Poling assisted in the office. W. O. Osborn ran the hotel dray service picking up guests and luggage at the Vandalia depot and registered guests at the hotel

It again was used for a school later. Later a grocery store.

1910 - John & Jennie Osborn - Landlord

1920 - Harry L. and Mary C. Contzer listed as manager.

Sold in September 1923 by L. D. Hackett to W. I. Eikenberry of Kokomo. By the 1924 and 1937 Sanborn Fire Maps this is the Osborn Hotel and sits on the very same lot!

On the 1924 Sanborn Fire Map it is labeled as the 'Hackett Hotel'.

1927 - March 16^th issue announces that J. J. Burns [Barns] is new proprietor of the Culver Hotel.

In 1927 it was re-named "New Culver Hotel"; J. J. Burns [Barns], manager. The formal opening under the new name was 14 April 1927.

In 1930 George W. & Luella Hollenbeck was listed as manager. Lavinia (Saine) Wasson could of been the bookkeeper - as she was listed in the census as being that and at a hotel.

Below is a 1931 ad for dining at the hotel - and managership had passed to F. E. Newman.

Below is an ad from the Culver Military Messenger of 1932-3:

managers had changed to Mrs. H. W. Eastman and Mrs. Lowell McKesson

At some point it is said it was operated by the Anthony family for several Years.

Many a famous people it would be assumed passed through its door - It is said that Will Rogers stayed there while doing a broadcast for WCMA [June 1925- 30 Nov. 1932].

It is said the decorated peaks that graced the top of the hotel were taken off somewhere about 1942 to 1947.

The 1937 Sanborn Fire map - also still lists it as the 'Hackett Hotel.

Miss Goss - used the Grand Piano and taught piano lessons from the lobby of the hotel in the late 1960's - how long before that and possibly into the 1970's.

In February 1975 it was dedicated as the Osborn Center, honoring the town's number one citizen William O. Osborn. T he center was planned for use by the senior citizens.

In the early seventies its name was changed to The Osborn House.

Was last owned by James D. Dickey 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.

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