Levi Coffin House

The most important Underground Railroad station in America — eight miles north in Fountain City

The Levi Coffin House in Fountain City — eight miles north of Richmond on US 27 — is a National Historic Landmark and the most significant surviving Underground Railroad site in the United States. The Federal-style brick house, built in 1839, was the home of Quaker merchant Levi Coffin and his wife Catherine, who used it as a station on the Underground Railroad from 1827 to 1847. An estimated 2,000 people passed through on their way to freedom in Canada or the northern states.

The house is preserved much as it was, with the hidden rooms and passages that sheltered freedom seekers. Guided tours run from June through August (Tuesday–Saturday) and by appointment in other months. Allow an hour for the tour. The site is operated by the Indiana State Museum system and is well-interpreted.

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A story
Levi Coffin and his wife Catherine are estimated to have helped over 2,000 escaped slaves reach freedom between 1827 and 1847. The house in Fountain City became so well-known among freedom seekers that Coffin was called the "President of the Underground Railroad." He later moved to Cincinnati and continued the work. Harriet Beecher Stowe is thought to have based the character of Simeon Halliday in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" partly on Coffin.

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