Kelton House Museum and Garden, Columbus

The Kelton House Museum and Garden is a Greek Revival and Italianate mansion in the Discovery District of downtown Columbus. The museum was established by the Junior League of Columbus to promote an understanding of daily life, customs, and decorative arts in 19th century Columbus and to educate visitors about the Underground Railroad.

Fernando Cortez Kelton, a merchant from Vermont and a drygoods wholesaler, built the Kelton House on Town Street in 1852. The Keltons were fervent abolitionists who used their home as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Fernando Kelton was so respected for his abolitionist work that he was selected to be a pallbearer at the funeral procession of Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln's remains were brought to Columbus on their way to Illinois for burial. The Keltons' eldest son Oscar joined the 95th Ohio Infantry, Company A in 1862 to fight against slavery. He rose to the rank of First Lieutenant before getting killed in the Battle of Brice's Crossroads on June 10, 1864. The house passed on to the Kelton's son, Frank Kelton. Frank later traded houses with his brother Edwin to better accommodate the various sizes of their families.