Carmel Live

About

This museum covers the history of Westfield and Washington Township. It's upstairs in Westfield City Hall, a former Methodist church on Penn Street. Next door at 136 Penn Street is the 1835 Barker Family Log Cabin, which you can visit on the same trip. The cabin was taken apart in January 2020, rebuilt with the help of many volunteers, and opened in June 2023.

A large part of the story here is the Underground Railroad. Westfield was founded by Quakers, and the society's research places the town on a route north through Hamilton County, with Asa Bales among the local workers named in an 1880 county history. The museum keeps a copy of a book on Indiana's routes, compiled from Depression-era writers' project work. Bales is buried at the nearby Anti-Slavery Cemetery, a stop on the school tours the society leads downtown.

History

Three Quakers from North Carolina laid out the town, then called West Field, on May 6, 1834. The society formed in 1995 and opened its first museum in the old fire station and town hall in 2008. It moved to Penn Street in 2017.

When to go

The museum and cabin are open Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m., and by appointment. In 2026 the society gave tours to groups in the spring and held a free tour of Union Bible College in October. Check its site or Facebook page for upcoming events.

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Good to know

Use the north entrance off Hickory Alley. The accessible entrance is off Elm Alley. Parking is free in the lot and on the street around the museum.

Price

The society's site doesn't list an admission price. Check with the society through its site or Facebook page.

Prices checked November 2026 on the website of Westfield Washington Historical Society. They can change, so check before you go.

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