Dr. James Ford Historic Home
Dr. James Ford and his wife, America Holton Ford, purchased three lots at the corner of Hill and Cass Streets in 1838, at a time when this newly platted hilltop was a near wilderness. They and their infant daughter moved to this land in 1841 and built a one-room brick house - among the first brick structures in Wabash.
During the next thirty-five years they added to their home as their family grew and their fortunes improved. Dr. Ford was a talented amateur architect - as well as medical doctor, pharmacist, writer, agronomist, inventor, and Civil War surgeon - and the house achieved a graceful appearance.
After the death of a great-granddaughter, the ownership of the home went out of the family in the latter part of the twentieth century and was purchased by the Charley Creek Foundation in 2002. Richard Edwin Ford, Chairman of the Charley Creek Foundation, is a great-grandson of Dr. Ford.
Today’s restoration recreates the Ford home as it might have appeared circa 1875. Period furnishings complement interactive exhibits, a display of Civil War-era medical equipment, and a Victorian garden.
Dr. James Ford Historic Home Contact Information
177 W. Hill Street
Phone: (260) 563-8686
jamesfordmuseum.org
