Also in 1846, a two-story brick house was built along the future Lincoln Highway. That house is now open as Lincoln Highway Bed and Breakfast. Owner Sue Quickstad has redecorated and refurnished the house to reflect pre-Civil War times.

Sue says: “I’ve collected these antiques for years and finally have a place to display them,” she said. She has lived in the old house for almost three years, preparing it for use as a bed and breakfast.  The Victorian charm is evident in every room. “I’ve tried to give every room the feel of the middle 1800s,” Quickstad pointed out. “It’s been a lot of work, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”

The house has a newer Cape Cod addition so guests have a choice of old or new. Yet even in the old house, modern appliances and air conditioning make it much more pleasant to stay in 2006 than it was in 1846. The history of the house is appealing. Bricks were made just down the road by Moses McCoy and his family, stacked onto a wagon, driven by a horse to the home site where the house was slowly built, brick by brick.  An old picture of the house, framed with photographs of Moses and his wife, hangs in the dining room. McCoy would later serve in the Civil War.

Quickstad noted that she was told Johnny Appleseed had once stayed in the house. If so, it must have been in the last year or two of his life. It is unknown whether the three apple trees on the property were planted by the legendary figure.

A white picket fence sets off the two acres of property. Quickstad has put in a lot of work outside as well as inside. Hundreds of hostas and flowers are placed around the grounds. The large trees that shade the property include the state’s oldest persimmon tree and Chinese Lilac tree.

Five swings allow visitors to relax and take in the scenery. The property itself has had several names, the most recent of which was Persimmon Place, named for the old tree standing along the highway.

In naming the bed and breakfast, Quickstad said, “We chose Lincoln Highway Bed and Breakfast because we wanted to emphasize the historical aspect of this place.”