Hartsville College: A Historical Perspective Part III

Editor's Note: Following is the third installment of a guest column by Emily Haines, a BCSC student and member of the Bartholomew County Student Historians. Originally published as an academic paper, HSJ is presenting this story of Hartsville College in its original form offered in three installments with minimal edits that appear italicized brackets. Paragraph breaks inserted by editor.

Hartsville College has closed and there have been events that have gone on since its closing.

Much in-depth information is to be revealed about the fire, the building’s purpose before the fire, and how the college is recognized today. The Hartsville square marker leads readers to believe that the school closed due to the 1898 fire. This can be derived from the text, which reads “destroyed by fire, January 1898.” This, however, is not the case.

The school closed about a year before the fire as the Hartsville College closed in 1897. Huntington then became its direct successor. According to “Origins of the University” by Huntington University, “The last meeting of the Board of Trustees of Hartsville College was held in the college library at Hartsville, Indiana, in June 1897 about three months before the opening of Central College in Huntington. At [t]his meeting, the Board of Trustees of Hartsville College turned over to the Board of Trustees of Central College all books, records of proceedings, and students' grades. They recommended that the new college at Huntington should confer degrees on students [at] Hartsville College then in the senior class. Having met all financial obligations, they voted their good will to the new college and adjourned sine die” (University 4). This means that information about prior and current students at Hartsville College at the time of its closing automatically became students [at] Huntington University, which was then known as Central College.

Between the closing and the destruction of the building, the college building was used for church services. This is found in “Marker Text Review Report,” which reads “The Columbus Daily Herald reported in 1898 that the former school building was used for church services in the period between the school’s closing and the fire” (3).

Hartsville College is probably most widely known for the fire that occurred in January 1898. The cause of the fire was arson when a person spilled coal oil on the floorboards and lit it aflame. Sadly, Hartsville, Indiana had no way to stop the fire and the townsfolk could only watch as their beloved ex-college burned to the ground. This is according to “Marker Text Review Report”, which reads “The 1898 Columbus Daily Herald article stated that Hartsville College was destroyed ‘by the act of the incendiary who saturated the floor of Hartsville college hall with coal oil.’ The article went on to say that the fire began at 5 a.m. and became so furious as to alert the whole town. Hartsville lacked methods to extinguish the fire, so citizens could only watch the fire destroy the building” (3). The arsonist is unknown, but it is believed that it was someone who disliked the college who committed the act. [According to] “Marker Text Review Report,” which reads “Secondary source, Up from Stubble: A Saga of College Park Ubee, Indiana, 1973, cites an 1898 Evening Republic article that claims the building was ‘fired by enemies of the institution’” (3).

Huntington is not the only continuation of Hartsville College; however, as the University of Indianapolis is also a continuation of Hartsville’s educational institution. In 1902, the University of Indianapolis was founded under the name of Indiana Central University by the New Constitution United Brethren Church. Such information is found in a description of an image titled “Hartsville College,” which reads “Not to be outdone, in 1902 the New Constitution UB Church established its own ‘successor’ to Hartsville College-- Indiana Central University (now renamed the University of Indianapolis)” (5). Hartsville College had and has an interesting story following its closing including two successors, each with information on its predecessor.

In conclusion, the story of Hartsville College is important for people to know and is very intriguing. The issues, founding, closing, people involved, and later occurrences are all very important to the story of Hartsville. This story is something that is easily forgotten and not well known, which makes the college even more important and interesting to learn about and keep from being forgotten.

Works Cited

Boone, Richard Gause. “Under the New Constitution, 1851–91’.” A History of Education in Indiana, edited by Richard Gause Boone, New York, D. Appleton and Company, 1892, pp. 423–24.

“Hartsville College.” United Methodist Churches of Indiana, archive.inumc.org/heritagemapdetail/168773. Accessed 23 May 2022.

Huntington University. “University Archives.” Huntington University, 25 June 2020, www.huntington.edu/united-brethren-historical-center-1/university-archives.

Indiana Historical Bureau. “Hartsville College.” IN.Gov, State of Indiana,
www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/find-a-marker/hartsville-college. Accessed 23 May 2022.

“Indiana Almanac.” IN.Gov, State of Indiana, www.in.gov/history/about-indiana-history-and-trivia/indiana-almanac. Accessed 23 May 2022.

Indianapolis University. “O.W. Pentzer: A Man of Varied Accomplishments.” Hartsville College Archive Project, Indianapolis University, uindy.edu/archives/files/hartsville-college/owpentzer_a_man_of_varied_accomplishments.pdf. Accessed 23 May 2017.

“Marker Text Review Report.” IN.Gov, Bartholomew County, 30 June 2011,
www.in.gov/history/files/03.1995.1_Hartsville_College_Review_Report_and_Bibliography.pdf.

O.W. Pentzer & Son. “Hartsville College, Hartsville, Indiana 1850–1897.” We Do History, Indiana Historical Society, images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/V0002/id/806. Accessed 23 May 2023.

Stimson, Richard. “The Boyhood Nurturing of the Wright Brothers.” Wright Stories, 2001–2022 Wright Stories, wrightstories.com/the-boyhood-nurturing-of-the-wright-brothers. Accessed 23 May 2022.

University of Indianapolis. “Hartsville College Archive Project Update: October 2019.”

Hartsville College Archive Project, University of Indianapolis, Oct. 2019, uindy.edu/archives/files/hartsvillecollege/hartsville_college_archive_project_update_oct2019.pdf.

“Remembering Arne Wilbur Clause M.D. Class of 1897.” Hartsville College Archive Project, University of Indianapolis, uindy.edu/archives/files/hartsville-college/remembering_arne_wilbur_clouse_md_class_of_ 1897.pdf. Accessed 23 May 2022.