Read time: 9 min.

Every day, hundreds -maybe thousands- of people pass through Chesterfield, Indiana, on their way to Muncie or Anderson. If they’re anything like me, they always seem to catch that second red light at Main and Washington. As I sit there, I often wonder how many realize that one of Indiana’s most unique places is hidden nearby. Just two blocks north of the intersection, Camp Chesterfield has been the home of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists since 1890! Among its other landmarks, two historic hotels stand as curious relics of a movement that still lives on today.

Spiritualism -the belief that a person’s awareness continues after death and can be contacted by the living¹– has probably existed for as long as people have pondered the afterlife. In North America, the movement took root in upstate New York during the 1840s and emerged in the wake of religious revivals like Millerism and Mormonism. Neither movement associated itself with such mysticism¹, but it’s thought that both helped create a culture where many believed in the possibility of direct communication with divine beings like angels or God himself².

Spiritualism surged into the spotlight in 1848 when sisters Catherine and Margaretta Fox of Hydesville, New York, claimed they could communicate directly with the dead. According to Kate, Maggie, and their older sister, Leah, their connection came through mysterious rappings, which the sisters portrayed as messages from beyond the grave³. Their eerie demonstrations captivated audiences far and wide, which propelled them to international fame⁴. The Fox sisters eventually admitted that their act had been a hoax, but spiritualism had firmly taken root in America⁵. 

Although spiritualism was a radical departure from most traditional religions⁶, it gained momentum among reformers and intellectuals eager to try and ground Christian doctrine in scientific principles⁷. Indiana became a hub for the movement, with a particularly active group in Anderson⁸. In the 1880s, believers started gathering in private homes and in Dr. John W. Westerfield’s hall downtown. By 1886, the movement’s influence was undeniable: drawn by the promise of connecting with the beyond, two hundred people flocked to a mass meeting at Westerfield Hall⁹!

As spiritualism flourished in Indiana, the need for a dedicated gathering place became clear. In 1888, Westerfield and his followers took a bold step by founding the Indiana Association of Spiritualists, Incorporated¹⁰. Later that year, the group held a meeting in a riverside grove owned by Carroll and Emily Bronnenberg just north of Chesterfield. The gathering marked the beginning of something lasting: with generous support from Westerfield and the Bronnenbergs, the group secured the 34-acre property in 1892¹¹. Camp Chesterfield- a sanctuary where believers could seek connection with the spirit world for generations to come- was born.

In its early years, Camp Chesterfield featured a modest collection of ramshackle structures: a dining hall, lodge, tent auditorium, two séance cabins, an entry arch, and a gatehouse¹². Although its buildings were temporary, its impact -especially on women- was anything but. Long before they had the right to vote, spiritualists like Amelia Colby-Luther, Flora Hardin Millspaugh, and Reverend Mable Riffle found a platform to speak and lead within its grounds. By 1909, Riffle, then secretary of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists, spearheaded efforts to modernize the camp with permanent buildings¹³. Among them was the Sunflower Hotel.

The Sunflower Hotel was built to accommodate the growing number of visitors that the camp’s original Lodging House could no longer handle. The hotel was built by James Millspaugh, designed by a Mr. Langley, and named after the flower that always turns toward the light¹⁴. Set on a rusticated foundation and clad in Insul-Brick asphalt over clapboard siding, the two-story frame building was dedicated in 1914. Among its earliest supporters was Martha Woodmansee of LaPorte, who donated $500 toward the hotel’s construction on the condition that Room 3 be reserved for her for the rest of her life¹⁵.

The $6,887 hotel boasted seventy rooms when it was first erected. Demand for even more lodging grew, though, so the Sunflower’s twin -The Lily- was dedicated across the camp’s main entrance in 1921¹⁶. That still wasn’t enough, so the Sunflower was expanded between 1922 and 1925. An additional forty rooms were added by relocating part of the camp’s old Lodging House and attaching it to the northern side of the building¹⁷. Later, the hotel appears to have received further upgrades and additions in 1932¹⁸. 

History suggests that waves of new spiritualists often emerge in the wake of major conflicts. After the Civil War, many found solace in the idea of reconnecting with lost loved ones¹⁹. World War I only deepened that yearning²⁰, which led to the growth at Camp Chesterfield that the Sunflower and Lily helped give accommodation to. A similar pattern followed World War II, as spiritualism expanded once again²¹. The upsurge brought forth another urgent need for more lodging in Chesterfield.

In 1945, the camp made plans for a $75,000, L-shaped hotel with seventy rooms. To be known as the Grand Hotel, the brick-and-cement building was designed to feature two wings with frontages of 175 feet. The plans also allowed for future expansion: if demand continued to rise into future decades, two additional extensions could be added to the hotel to ensure the camp could welcome generations of seekers drawn to its message of connection²². 

Somehow, though, the final result turned out quite differently from the original plan. Completed in 1947, the new building -eventually named the Western Hotel- featured just thirty-two sleeping rooms, along with baths and a spacious dining hall. Though smaller than envisioned, it was still seen as a valuable addition to the community. Members of the Anderson Chamber of Commerce attended a celebratory dinner, praising the hotel as a countywide improvement that expanded local lodging options²³.

It remains so today. Architecturally, the Western Hotel is a great example of mid-century American roadside design²⁴. Built from concrete with a brick veneer, the building rests on a sturdy block foundation. The Western’s distinctive features include its flat roof, wraparound porch, and a fantastic vintage sign that adds to its charm. Inside, visitors are greeted by a period-appropriate lobby complete with an Art Deco check-in counter²⁵. Today, the entrance to the Western transports guests back to a time when places to stay the night were destinations in their own right.

Unfortunately, the Western stands alone as Camp Chesterfield’s only operating hotel. The Lily fell to arson in 1997, and the Sunflower has hardly fared any better. The landmark still stands, but it’s been years -if not decades- since the 111-year-old hotel served as a home away from home for the thousands of spiritualists who descended upon Camp Chesterfield. Still, there’s hope: in 2019, the Friends of Camp Chesterfield Foundation secured a $75,000 grant to help stabilize and restore the Sunflower²⁶, a crucial step toward preserving a landmark that has long been central to the camp’s identity. If the project succeeds, the Sunflower may once again serve as a place of reflection and connection as it welcomes new generations of spiritualists.

Camp Chesterfield isn’t just known for its two historic hotels- it’s a trove of architectural gems like cozy cottages, a clapboard chapel, and rustic bridges that blend with its surrounding gardens and grottos. The landscape is a mix of buildings that whisper of the past alongside modern additions like the Cathedral in the Woods and the camp’s Art Gallery. Each tells a story, but the Sunflower and Western Hotels are the first to grab my attention every time I visit: even today, they shape the experience of those who walk Camp Chesterfield’s paths by blending history with a living, spiritual tradition. Here’s hoping that the Sunflower can be restored!

Sources Cited
1 Melton, J.G. (2001). Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology. Vol 2. Gale Group [Farmington Hills]. Book. 
2 Carroll, B.E. (1997). Spiritualism in Antebellum America. Religion in North America. The Indiana University Press [Bloomington]. Book. 
3 Weisberg, B. (2004). Talking to the Dead. Harper Press [San Francisco]. Book. 4 Natale, S. (2016). Supernatural Entertainments: Victorian Spiritualism and the Rise of Modern Media Culture. Pennsylvania State University Press [University Park]. Book. 
5 Wiseman, R. (2011). Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t There. Macmillan Publishers [London]. Book. 
6 National Register of Historic Places, Chesterfield Spiritualist Camp District, Chesterfield, Madison County, Indiana. National Register #02000192.
7 Beckley, L. (2016, November 10). Mesmerism, Rappings, & Trance Speaking: Spiritualism in Indiana. Untold Indiana. The Indiana Historical Bureau. Web. Retrieved February 24, 2025. 
8 (See footnote 7).
9 (See footnote 6).
10 (See footnote 6). 
11 (See footnote 6). 
12 (See footnote 6).
13 Women and Spiritualism / Camp Chesterfield (n.d.). State Historical Markers. Indiana Historical Bureau [Indianapolis]. Marker. 
14 Dedication Camp Hotel (1914, August 4). The Anderson Herald. p. 8. 
15 (See footnote 14). 
16 “New Lily” For Hotel (1921, July 31). The Anderson Herald. p. 1. 
17 Take a Tour of Historic Camp Chesterfield (n.d.). Camp Chesterfield. Web. Retrieved February 23, 2025. 
18 Daily Program (1932, July 8). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 11. 
19 Kommel, A. (n.d.). Seances in the Red Room: How Spiritualism Comforted the Nation During and After the Civil War. The White House Historical Association [Washington, D.C.]. Web. Retrieved February 25, 2025. 
20 Schofield, M. (n.d.). The Rise of Spiritualism During the First World War: Raymond, Or Life and Death. The University of Leeds [Leeds]. Web. Retrieved February 25, 2025. 
21 Large Hotel Planned At Chesterfield (1945, September 10). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 1.
22 New Chesterfield Hotel (1947, October 18). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 13. 
23 (See footnote 6).
24 (See footnote 17). 
25 (See footnote 6).
26 Friends of Camp Chesterfield Foundation. Friends of Camp Chesterfield Foundation (2019, June 4). From Rev. Vicki Corkell, President of the IAOS….I wish to share exciting news! The Efroymson Family Fund, a fund [Status]. Facebook.