In sharp contrast to the elegant Oliver mansion, Dom Robotnika -Polish for worker's home-is a modest residence that might have been home to a factory worker of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. Built in the 1870s, the house was moved to the property by J.D. Oliver in 1907, where a succession of Oliver staff lived until the mid-1980s.In 1992, it was moved to its present site by the Northern Indiana Historical Society.
Painted white, the house reflects the subtle, clean and fresh look prominent during the early 1930s, seemingly in protest to the vivid, even gaudy, colors of the Victorian Era. The front-gabled home has a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and three bedrooms.
The Worker's Home is an excellent teaching tool for the Center for History. Because the contents are not considered "museum artifacts" but an educational collection, everything in the house can be touched. It's a wonderful opportunity for students and families to learn about life during the 1930s. Open the drawers, the ice box, the cabinets. Visualize a family of five living in this 1200 square foot house. Hear the stories of the Polish workers who immigrated to America during this time period.
From the President Franklin Delano Roosevelt calendar to the bedside rosaries, the nostalgic feeling continues from room to room. The cookie jar on the icebox, the horsehair sofa, the radio and more bring back warm memories of a simpler lifestyle.
