1842 Indianola - Underground Railroad

The former OSU chapter house of Kappa Sigma is being highlighted at William Oxley Thompson Library on the campus of The Ohio State University. Associate Professor Karen Lewis from the Knowlton School of Architecture, using a grant from the Battelle Foundation, has studied "The House on the Hill" extensively. Her purpose has been to add facts to fiction as to the role the Neil family's former role played, large or small, in Ohio's Underground Railroad.

The College of Architecture has recreated in 3-D the house and uses layers and colors for guidance, focusing on many years of architectural changes. The displays show the chalet style home built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The wrap-around architecture occurred in 1932 - 1938 displaying neo-Greek display and design. Then in 1964 - 1966, the new South wing addition which brought a dining room and several personal living areas for tenants.

Just this Fall, brother Rick Dishnica discovered the displays while in Columbus for the OSU vs UCLA football game. He brought it to the attention of the Alpha-Sigma of Kappa Sigma Education Foundation. Then the Knowlton College, under the direction of Professor Lewis, gave a public presentation to several faculty and special invited guests which included many Alpha-Sigma Kappa Sigma alumni.

There is no declaration the property and building at 1842 Indianola was not a stop along the Underground Railroad. Keep in mind the Underground Railroad was not a material thing. It represents all of the men, women and children who were coming out of Kentucky as a free people, free from slavery, who challenged themselves to traverse the State of Ohio on a journey to reach Canada. The Neil family were abolitionists making "The House on the Hill" a highly likely stop for refuge while passing through Columbus.

The new and current extensive display is one of the Thompson Library's most interesting and exquisite areas to visit. It will be open through March 2026. Artifacts and articles abound.