The Harriet Beecher Stowe House was built by Lane Seminary in 1833 to serve as the residence of that institution's president. Harriet Beecher moved to Cincinnati from Connecticut in 1832 with her father, Dr. Lyman Beecher, who had been appointed president of the seminary. It was in Cincinnati where Harriet learned about the evils of slavery which inspired her book, Uncle Tom's Cabin . The Stowe House is operated as a cultural and educational center which promotes black history, and is where this towering white ash tree grows.