220. Other Residents

The Seiberling Mansion has had several owners. Monroe Seiberling, built the house and held the deed for 12 years - but actually only lived in here from its completion in 1891 until 1895. He rented it to others between 1895 and 1901 before selling it. The mansion then had a string of short-term owners until 1905.

One of the more prominent residents was Orange V. Darby, whose family lived here from 1903 to 1905. Darby himself only spent a few months in the house before his death in December, 1903. His Widow, Evaline, and two daughters, Mildred and Anna, lived in the mansion until 1905. Darby was involved in the retail business in Kokomo from 1880 until 1902. One of his businesses was the Darby Dry Goods Store at the corner of Main and Sycamore - now home to Cook McDougal's Itrish Pub.

In 1905, Rev. William Parr purchased the home. He was a Methodist Episcopal minister, a trustee for both Taylor and DePauw universities, a founding board member of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, and a delegate to the 1901 World Ecumenical Conference in London. He was also an astute and wealthy businessman. Parr Methodist Church in Kokomo carries his name.

From 1905 to 1914 the mansion was owned by Frank Miller who dealt in patent medicines and real estate. His wife, Cora B. Miller, lived here after his death and continued his patent medicine business.

George Kingston was the longest-term private owner of the mansion from 1914 to 1946. His success manufacturing carburetors for the "Model T" Ford made him very rich, and the mansion was a symbol of that success. Kingston moved to Florida in 1931 but retained ownership of the mansion and rented it to a series of people.

After Kingston's death, the mansion was sold to Indiana University in 1946 for use as a Kokomo extension campus. It held classrooms until 1965, when the IU-Kokomo campus opened on South Washington Street. IU retained ownership of the empty building until 1972, when it was turned over to Howard County to be used as the Howard County Museum.