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The Bell House
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by Kris Babington
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Captain George
W. Bell was county clerk for Lawrence. He lived on the hill overlooking
the town. During Quantrill's raid he saw the raiders before they made their
first charge. He seized his gun and started out with hope of reaching the
main street before them, and joining the citizens in defending the town.
The raiders reached him first and George and one of his friends tried hiding
in an old brick house. One of the men came up to kill them but it turned
out that he knew the two men and had sat down and eaten with them, so George
begged for him not kill them. The man granted their wish but as they came
out of the house the other raiders were chanting "kill them, kill them".
George asked if they could have a moment to pray; they knelt down and prayed,
then were killed. Then Annie Bell had to raise her four children without
her husband. |
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Built in 1863,
and approved by the Historic Site Board on June 4th, 1983, the Bell House
and the original owners had a significant history. |
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The Bell house
survived 7 attempts to be set on fire. Only once was it set on fire, but
Annie saved the house from completely burning. Annie and her children lived
in the cellar of the house and rented the upper bedrooms of the house for
awhile. The basement opens to a ravine that cannot be seen from the street.
In the house the paint in the bedrooms and living room has had a faint touch
of peach color added to create a warm, rosy aura. Open shelves, a plate
rack, and a nook set into the doorway display crockery and glassware in
the kitchen. The kitchen is also graced by an antique gas stove. Its green
and cream surfaces reflect the color scheme of the rest of the house.
Deep windows and carved stairwells have been enhanced by polished wood floors.
The house is mainly painted white with light green decor. Skylights
have been added to brighten the upstairs rooms. The bathroom is tiled with
green ceramic. It was carved out of space previously occupied by a bedroom.
Storage closets with louvered doors for air circulation have also been added
to the upstairs. |
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The stone vernacular style
was common to the early Lawrence houses. The house is important for its
architectural integrity and character. Stone cuttings above the windows
give the windows a beautiful look. Scratched permanently on two of the
stones left to the front door are "July 18,1868" and "6/21/84"
there is no significance event explaining why these dates are there. An
addition to the north of the house was built in 1968. Driving on Ohio
Street, this house will catch your eye because it is like none of the
other houses around it.
Anna Marie Thompson Bell was
born September 30th, 1826 in Cincinnati, Ohio. George Washington Bell
was born May 8th, 1821 and died August 21st, 1863 in Quantrils Raid. This
house sits at 1008 Ohio Street and is a very lovely home that has beautiful
architectural details.
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Resources
- Notes from Watkins Community
Museum files.
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This is a Photo
Explorations Project at West Junior High School, Lawrence, Kansas.
Karen Musacchio, instructor.
© Kris
Babington, 2002.
Historic Places / Student
Projects / Community Connections
/ West Junior High /
USD 497
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