Side A Thomas Stinson Cummins, owner of a successful dry
goods store, built his home in the early 1870s on
the outskirts of the growing village of Marion. The
home was purchased in 1889 by Henry M. Barnhart,
an inventor, and co-founder of the Marion Steam Shovel
Company. In 1927, it was sold to the Schaffner- Queen
firm of funeral directors and converted into a funeral
home. Franklin Schaffner had previously been responsible for the funeral
arrangements for President and Mrs. Warren G. Harding. A succession
of businesses has maintained it as a funeral home. As of
2016, the buildimg is occupied by the Denzer-Farison-Hottinger &
Snyder Funeral Home.
Side B The home, built in the Second Empire style popular in post-Civil
War design, features a Mansard roof that provided space for a
ballroom with an adjacent receiving area and tea room. The attic
was subsequently converted to a coffin showroom. Exterior
modifications included the removal of the dome atop the octagonal
tower, replacement of the original one-story columns and porch
with two-story iconic columns supporting a balcony and topped
with a pediment, as well as the addition of several rooms. The
first floor features 12-foot ceilings, ornate chandeliers, walnut
woodwork, and elaborate plasterwork. It remains one of the few
examples
of the grand homes which were once the showcases of
the industrial and business leaders of Marion.
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