Goodnow House

This furnished home of a founder of Manhattan and Kansas State University was built in 1861 for the Free State pioneer and educator, Isaac Goodnow, who helped to establish Manhattan by bringing two small towns together.

Isaac Tichenor Goodnow, a teacher who came to Kansas to advance the cause of freedom, helped to lay the foundation of public education in the state. Arriving from Rhode Island in 1855, with his wife Ellen, Goodnow settled in what is now Manhattan with a group of Northern Methodists who were opposed to slavery. He quickly became active in local and territorial affairs, serving as a representative to the 1855 Free state Convention in Lawrence.

Goodnow became principal of Bluemont Central College, which eventually became Kansas State University. He served in the House of Representatives, was state superintendent of public instruction, and was elected the first president of the Kansas State Teachers Association that he also helped to found.

Listed on the Kansas State Historical Register, the house in which Isaac and Ellen lived for most of their lives has some surprisingly modern features. The chimney had to be curved around a window because Mrs. Goodnow insisted on a window centered on the south side of the house. A simple, yet innovative ventilation system allows cool air to enter the house through holes bored at floor level in the south wall; rising warm air then escapes through vents in the roof. Period furnishing belonging to Mrs. Goodnow and saved by family friends are on display throughout the house.

Free Admission

Hours: Saturday and Sunday 200 to 5:00 pm, or by appointment.

2301 Clafflin Rd.
785-565-6490

To: Riley County
To: Manhattan