Students Cannelton

Newcomb Home

This was first called the Mason home...after the builder, Judge Charles Mason. It was begun Aug 1, 1867. It had been built on Third street next to St. Luke's Church. It was considered a mansion, and he lived there until Dwight Newcomb bought it in 1881. Dwight was the Cotton Mill manager at the time and was also in charge of coal mines to the east of Cannelton. John C. Shoemaker purchased it in June 1875 from Mason and the Sheriff; Newcomb purchased it from the Shoemaker family.   Newcomb lived there until his death on 4 July 1892, then his nephew, H. Victor Newcomb, became owner. According to the Perry County Convention and Visitors Bureau website, shortly after the will was probated on 18 August 1892, the latter sold it to Samuel L. Sulzer on 21 September 1892. Sulzer's daughter, Maude, signed an agreement to sell it to the Knights of Columbus in late April 1924 and soon completed the transaction. The K of C sold it to the Cannelton School System in late summer 1935. TOnce used as the School Superintendent's office, today it is owned and used by a local church.

Interview with Mr. Michael Rutherford, Perry County Historian:
"In the summer of 1934 the Knights of Columbus owned that building between the St. Luke's Church and the highschool. Dwight Newcomb (who ran most of the coal mines here in Cannelton during those years) owned that house in 1891 (It was built by Judge Mason in 1867-68). Newcomb died there in 1892. 
Then Joe and Sam Sultzer bought it. Joseph's wife became ill so they had to move to Arizona and so his brother was left running the store where Rosenblandt's used to be. He bought the Newcomb building and after he died his daughter sold it to the Knights of Columbus. My father was the caretaker there and we lived there then ...so I lived there for about a year when I was seven - eight years old.
Something strange about that house - up in the backend of it in the attic there is a big wooden barrel. It must have been at least eight feet tall and probably ten feet or more in diameter. They would pump water up there and there would be water pressure for running water in the rest of the house. So, that house had running water before the town did. They did not get running water in Cannelton until 1892-93, so that house was there about 20-30 years before they had running water in town.

That house also had a wooden bathtub. That bathroom later upstairs became the uniform storage room for the Cannelton Highschool band. Up until recently. (the band room is in the highschool itself now)
They lined that room with cedar so the moths would not get into those wool uniforms. 
Also, that basement, we didn't hardly ever go down there, because there are no lights down there... it looked like catacombs of Rome which are little tunnels underground. That is what it was like down there. That is an interesting house. I lived there in that house a year and got acquainted with most of it except the basement! "

Credits: Perry County Convention and Visitor's Bureau: http://www.perrycountyindiana.org 
Interview: Mr. Michael Rutherford, Perry County Historian
credits: last two photos: Mrs. Goble's class
first photo: courtesy of Perry County Convention and Visitors Bureau