Harlan-Lincoln House Museum

Located on the Iowa Wesleyan University Campus, the Harlan-Lincoln House Museum is one of the most historic homes in Mount Pleasant. Originally built around 1854, it has the distinction of being associated with two leading national political figures of the 19th century: Iowa Senator James Harlan and President Abraham Lincoln. Harlan, who lived in the house from 1873 until 1895, served in the U.S. Senate from 1855-1865 and from 1867-1873. Before that, he served as the president of Iowa Wesleyan College from 1853 to 1855 (he was president again from 1869 to 1870). Harlan was good friends with Lincoln, who, after being reelected for a second term, appointed Harlan as Secretary of the Department of the Interior. In 1868 Harlan's daughter, Mary, married Lincoln's son, Robert, in the house. They often spent summers in Mount Pleasant. The house is now a museum operated by Iowa Wesleyan University and features a collection of historical items including Harlan's desk, a fragment of the coat Lincoln was wearing when he was assassinated, and Mary Todd Lincoln's mourning veil.

James Harlan was born on August 26, 1820 in Clark County, Illinois. Four years later, his family moved to Indiana where he grew up on a farm and attended rural schools. As a young man, he worked as a teacher until 1841 when he enrolled in Indiana Asbury University, which is now DePauw University. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1845, Harlan moved to Iowa City, Iowa where he was appointed Superintendent of Schools. He also married his wife, Ann, at that time. Over the next few years he studied law as well. He passed the bar exam in 1850 and opened a law practice in Iowa City. Harlan also became involved in politics and joined the Whig Party, which wanted him to to be party's candidate for governor but he declined. As noted above, in 1853 Harlan became the president of Iowa Wesleyan College. He built a house, what is now the original portion of the nearby Harlan House Hotel, in 1857.

In 1855, Harlan was elected to the U.S. Senate as a candidate of the Free Soil Party, whose main issue was preventing the expansion of slavery into new territories. In early January 1857, his Senate seat was declared vacant as a result of election irregularities. However, he was reelected on January 29 as a Republican and served until 1865 when he resigned to become Secretary of the Department of the Interior under Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson. Harlan did not serve in the position for very long. He resigned in July 1866 due to disagreements with Johnson's Reconstruction policies (the term "Reconstruction" refers to the period after the Civil War).

Harlan was elected to the U.S. Senate again in 1867 and served until his term ended in March 1873. After losing his reelection bid, he and Ann moved back to Mount Pleasant. They bought the house and proceeded to enlarge it (Harlan converted his first house into the Harlan Hotel to earn additional income). Mary, Robert, and their three children (two girls and a boy) often lived in the house during the summer. In 1895, Harlan ran for governor but lost. He died in 1899 in the Harlan Hotel, which he had moved into in 1895 after deeding the house to Mary.

Mary and Robert lived in the house until 1907 when they moved to Vermont. Mary donated it to Iowa Wesleyan College (which became a university in 2015) in honor of her father. The college used it as the residence for the college presidents and some faculty. It also included a tea room and a room for the Pi Beta Phi organization. The house was converted into a museum in 1959. In 1931, the rear portion of the house was torn down due to structural problems. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

"Harlan, James 1820-1899." Accessed November 8, 2021. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/H000211.

"James Harlan 1820-1899." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed November 8, 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=33116.

Lange, Mrs. Kay. "Harlan-Lincoln House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. May 25, 1973. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/c083d55b-e577-47a3-b025-0e7340298632.

"Our History." Harlan-Lincoln House. Accessed November 8, 2021. https://harlanlincolnhouse.org/history.