diff --git a/featuretools/entityset/entityset.py b/featuretools/entityset/entityset.py
index 596587ba66..fb08e2534d 100644
--- a/featuretools/entityset/entityset.py
+++ b/featuretools/entityset/entityset.py
@@ -636,6 +636,7 @@ def entity_from_dataframe(self,
                               make_index=False,
                               time_index=None,
                               secondary_time_index=None,
+                              last_time_index=None,
                               already_sorted=False):
         """
         Load the data for a specified entity from a Pandas DataFrame.
@@ -690,12 +691,21 @@ def entity_from_dataframe(self,
                 es["transactions"].df
 
         """
-        return self._import_from_dataframe(entity_id, dataframe.copy(), index=index,
-                                           make_index=make_index,
-                                           time_index=time_index,
-                                           secondary_time_index=secondary_time_index,
-                                           variable_types=variable_types,
-                                           already_sorted=already_sorted)
+        variable_types = variable_types or {}
+        entity = Entity(
+            entity_id,
+            dataframe,
+            self,
+            variable_types=variable_types,
+            index=index,
+            time_index=time_index,
+            secondary_time_index=secondary_time_index,
+            last_time_index=last_time_index,
+            already_sorted=already_sorted,
+            make_index=make_index)
+        self.entity_dict[entity.id] = entity
+        self.reset_metadata()
+        return self
 
     def normalize_entity(self, base_entity_id, new_entity_id, index,
                          additional_variables=None, copy_variables=None,
@@ -824,12 +834,14 @@ def normalize_entity(self, base_entity_id, new_entity_id, index,
             ti_cols = [c if c != old_ti_name else secondary_time_index for c in ti_cols]
             make_secondary_time_index = {secondary_time_index: ti_cols}
 
-        self._import_from_dataframe(new_entity_id, new_entity_df,
-                                    index,
-                                    time_index=new_entity_time_index,
-                                    secondary_time_index=make_secondary_time_index,
-                                    last_time_index=None,
-                                    variable_types=transfer_types)
+        self.entity_from_dataframe(
+            new_entity_id,
+            new_entity_df,
+            index,
+            time_index=new_entity_time_index,
+            secondary_time_index=make_secondary_time_index,
+            last_time_index=None,
+            variable_types=transfer_types)
 
         for v in additional_variables:
             self.entity_dict[base_entity_id].delete_variable(v)
@@ -1083,52 +1095,6 @@ def related_instances(self, start_entity_id, final_entity_id,
     #  Private methods  ######################################################
     ###########################################################################
 
-    def _import_from_dataframe(self,
-                               entity_id,
-                               dataframe,
-                               index=None,
-                               variable_types=None,
-                               make_index=False,
-                               time_index=None,
-                               secondary_time_index=None,
-                               last_time_index=None,
-                               already_sorted=False):
-        """
-        Load the data for a specified entity from a pandas dataframe.
-
-        Args:
-            entity_id (str) : Unique id to associate with this entity.
-            dataframe (pd.DataFrame) : Pandas dataframe containing the data.
-            index (str, optional): Name of the variable used to index the entity.
-                If None, take the first column.
-            variable_types (dict[str -> dict[str -> type]]) : Optional mapping of
-                entity_id to variable_types dict with which to initialize an
-                entity's store.
-            make_index (bool, optional) : If True, assume index does not exist as a column in
-                dataframe, and create a new column of that name using integers the (0, len(dataframe)).
-                Otherwise, assume index exists in dataframe.
-            time_index (str, optional) : Name of column to use as a time index for this entity. Must be
-                a Datetime or Numeric dtype.
-            secondary_time_index (str, optional): Name of variable containing
-                time data to use a second time index for the entity.
-            already_sorted (bool, optional) : If True, assumes that input dataframe is already sorted by time.
-                Defaults to False.
-        """
-        variable_types = variable_types or {}
-        entity = Entity(entity_id,
-                        dataframe,
-                        self,
-                        variable_types=variable_types,
-                        index=index,
-                        time_index=time_index,
-                        secondary_time_index=secondary_time_index,
-                        last_time_index=last_time_index,
-                        already_sorted=already_sorted,
-                        make_index=make_index)
-        self.entity_dict[entity.id] = entity
-        self.reset_metadata()
-        return self
-
     def _add_multigenerational_link_vars(self, frames, start_entity_id,
                                          end_entity_id=None, path=None):
         """
diff --git a/featuretools/tests/entityset_tests/test_es.py b/featuretools/tests/entityset_tests/test_es.py
index 3d84448dc0..5a1086d91c 100644
--- a/featuretools/tests/entityset_tests/test_es.py
+++ b/featuretools/tests/entityset_tests/test_es.py
@@ -322,9 +322,12 @@ def test_converts_datetime():
               'time': variable_types.Datetime}
 
     entityset = EntitySet(id='test')
-    entityset._import_from_dataframe(entity_id='test_entity', index='id',
-                                     time_index="time", variable_types=vtypes,
-                                     dataframe=df)
+    entityset.entity_from_dataframe(
+        entity_id='test_entity',
+        index='id',
+        time_index="time",
+        variable_types=vtypes,
+        dataframe=df)
     pd_col = entityset['test_entity'].df['time']
     # assert type(entityset['test_entity']['time']) == variable_types.Datetime
     assert type(pd_col[0]) == pd.Timestamp
@@ -343,8 +346,11 @@ def test_handles_datetime_format():
               'time_no_format': variable_types.Datetime}
 
     entityset = EntitySet(id='test')
-    entityset._import_from_dataframe(entity_id='test_entity', index='id',
-                                     variable_types=vtypes, dataframe=df)
+    entityset.entity_from_dataframe(
+        entity_id='test_entity',
+        index='id',
+        variable_types=vtypes,
+        dataframe=df)
 
     col_format = entityset['test_entity'].df['time_format']
     col_no_format = entityset['test_entity'].df['time_no_format']