Culbertson Widows Home at 704 E. Main St. The Widows Home was completed in 1873 due to the benevolence of one of Indianas preeminent businessmen and philanthropists, New Albany resident William Stuart Culbertson. Moved by the plight of women left widowed by the Civil War, and himself recently married to a woman who had been in that situation, Culbertson donated $25,000 for the construction of the facility, as well as an endowment of $150,000 for its operation. Local contractor James Banes was responsible for the design and construction of the home, which was executed in the Italianate style. Along with his brother William, Banes had also designed and built Culbertsons own residence (now the Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site) farther east on Main Street, and the plans here are very similar. The Widows Home was designed to accommodate thirty to forty women at a time; the only qualifications for admission were a good moral character, lack of a home, and an inability to support herself. The Widows Home operated until 1971, when the Board of Trustees closed the facility and sold the furnishings at public auction. The home itself was sold two years later to Charles and Roberta Mitchell, who used it as their residence. Mrs. Mitchell was widowed herself in the mid-1980s, and lived alone in the house until her death in March 2000. The home was then purchased by the current owners, Carl Holliday and Steve Goodman, for use as their residence and a bed and breakfast. (http://www.historicnewalbany.com/default.asp?q_areaprimaryid=2&q_areasecondaryid=0&q_areatertiaryid=0&q_listingid=239)