Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse. 1895. Cumberland Co. Historical Society.
“The story is told that one day, a young Jim Thorpe was trudging through the fields, on his way back to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School campus from his work on the school farm. As he approached the track and field, he was captivated by the sight of his fellow Indian students running and leaping over the hurdles. Unhindered by his farm boots and overalls, Thorpe impulsively joined the athletes and was soon hurdling and racing with the best of them. It was on this day that the legendary Pop Warner discovered Carlisle’s most famous athlete and future Olympian.[1]”
The school farm from which Jim Thorpe was returning played an integral role in the education and experiences of Carlisle’s Indian students. At its heart was a stately brick farmhouse, spacious and inviting, which not only housed the head farmer and his family, but also provided an agricultural classroom, sleeping quarters, and meals for the student farm laborers.”
By Carolyn Tolman.
In 2012, news of the impending razing of the farmhouse prompted the creation of The Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse Coalition, a small group of concerned descendants and friends determined to save the structure.
As co-founder of the Coalition, Louellyn White conducted a survey of 124 Carlisle descendants to determine the interest in a heritage center at the farmhouse. Survey results overwhelming pointed to the need for intergenerational healing from the ongoing impacts of Indian boarding schools and a deep desire to preserve the farmhouse as a place of memory.
We hope that eventually the farmhouse can be a safe space for descendants to remember, honor and commemorate their loved ones as well as a place for sharing and raising awareness of the history and ongoing impacts of Indian boarding schools.
The Coalition successfully supported the nomination of the farmhouse to the National Register of Historic Places. The Coalition was also successful in the addition of the farmhouse to Preservation Pennsylvania’s At Risk listing, and membership with the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.
In 2019 Preservation Pennsylvania became a fiscal sponsor for the Farmhouse Coalition in our fundraising efforts. The organization, commitment, and fiscal responsibility for this daunting effort has proven difficult over the years. Thus, we are thrilled that Carlisle Barracks is beginning construction to renovate and repurpose the Farmhouse after so many years. While they will utilize the space for their own offices, we continue to be hopeful that we will eventually see our dream of a heritage center become a reality.
Meanwhile, the Carlisle Farmhouse Coalition, has broadened its scope to support the efforts under Shaking the Clouds.
Top Left: Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse undergoing renovation, 2023. Photo by L. White
Center: Farmhouse historic circular staircase. Photo by L. White, 2014
Top Right: Farmhouse, 2011. Photo by Carolyn Tolman, former resident.
Bottom Left: Dairy barn with farmhouse, 1922 (NARA, RG 77)
Bottom Right: Farmhouse upstairs window. Photo by L. White, 2014.