MAY/JUNE 2021

SECOND ACT Vincennes theater takes on new role as business center TELLING THE STORY Preserving landmarks of ’s African American history DRIVING FORCE Jump starting Indy’s Ford Assembly Building

Powered Up Fort Wayne’s historic GE factory recharges as innovation district FROM THE PRESIDENT STARTERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS Olon F. Dotson Muncie Hon. Randall T. Shepard Honorary Chair Melissa Glaze Roanoke Sara Edgerton Chair Tracy Haddad What’s Columbus Parker Beauchamp Rightful Recognition Past Chair David A. Haist Wabash Doris Anne Sadler in a Name? JUNETEENTH IS GAINING RIGHTFUL recognition as a day of Vice Chair Emily J. Harrison Attica Marsh Davis IN CHOOSING THE NAME national celebration and reflection. On June 19, 1865—two months President Sarah L. Lechleiter Electric Works—the mixed- after the surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox—U.S. Hilary Barnes Secretary/Assistant Treasurer Shelby Moravec use innovation district being LaPorte Major General Gordon Granger arrived with roughly 2,000 Union Thomas H. Engle Assistant Secretary Ray Ontko developed on the site of the troops on Galveston Island with word that the Civil War was over Richmond Brett D. McKamey former General Electric (GE) and enslaved people were free. On that date, General Granger Treasurer Martin E. Rahe Cincinnati, OH Judy A. O’Bannon campus in Fort Wayne— NOT SO COMMON issued General Order No. 3, which stated: Secretary Emerita James W. Renne Newburgh development group RTM s malls began drawing shoppers to the suburbs in the 1960s, DIRECTORS David A. Resnick, CPA Ventures took inspiration leaders in Columbus, Indiana, sought ways to keep business The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a Carmel Sarah Evans Barker downtown. In 1973, architect César Pelli designed the Commons proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves Morgantown George A. Rogge from the past. At the turn The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Gary A are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights of the twentieth century, GE and Courthouse Center, a new shopping mall and enclosed 2-acre city Baskerville-Burrows Sallie W. Rowland park that Pelli compared to an Italian piazza. Constructed on a multi- and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and Indianapolis Zionsville acquired the existing Fort Bruce W. Buchanan Peter J. Sacopulos block site cleared through urban renewal and covered in reflective brown the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that Indianapolis Terre Haute Wayne Electric Light and glass, the building offered visitors immersive views of the nearby street Candace Chapman Robert L. Santa Power Company as a sub- between employer and hired laborer. Evansville Bloomington sidiary, later purchasing the from inside and became a hub for events, concerts, and performances. Edward D. Clere Charlitta Winston Rising maintenance costs and Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery New Albany Indianapolis campus along Broadway Mike Corbett John D. Zeglis deterioration induced the City in the United States, but it has yet to be recognized as a national Noblesville Culver to create the Fort Wayne to demolish most of Pelli’s Ellen Swisher Crabb Beau F. Zoeller Electric Works of General holiday. Nor is it a paid state holiday in Indiana as it is in a small but Indianapolis Henryville Commons in 2008. On June 3, growing number of states. Notwithstanding, Indiana Landmarks Cheri Dick Electric. Ghosted lettering Zionsville architecture critic Alexandra has declared Juneteenth an annual company holiday. Rather than a proclaiming “Fort Wayne Lange explores the legacy of day off work, we will treat it as a day of service to assist in the pres- Electric Works” can still be OFFICES & HISTORIC SITES the Commons and other malls ervation of historic African American sites in Indiana. found on a 1907 building in a virtual talk, “The American Headquarters Southeast Field Office Reckoning with our national history is an ever-changing process, Indiana Landmarks Center Aurora that originally served as a Mall: How Shopping Shaped and that includes our work in historic preservation. As we increas- 1201 Central Avenue (812) 926-0983 brass foundry. See pp. 4-5 Postwar America.” Get details Indianapolis, IN 46202 Southwest Field Office ingly embrace heritage preservation within our mission, historic [email protected] Evansville for more on plans for the on p. 19. (317) 639-4534 (812) 423-2988

(800) 450-4534 WORKS © ELECTRIC PHOTO complex. events and traditions—Juneteenth prominent among them—gain Western Regional Office Northwest Field Office well-deserved stature. We are proud to declare Juneteenth a day of Terre Haute PHOTOS © GRUEN ASSOCIATES Gary (812) 232-4534 (219) 947-2657 service and celebration at Indiana Landmarks. Huddleston Farmhouse Central Regional Office Cambridge City Indianapolis (765) 478-3172 (317) 639-4534 Morris-Butler House Eastern Regional Office Indianapolis vehicles a Cambridge City (317) 639-4534 (765) 478-3172 Veraestau day rolled off Northern Regional Office Aurora Marsh Davis, President South Bend (812) 926-0983 assembly lines (574) 232-4534 French Lick and West at Indianapolis’s Northeast Field Office Baden Springs tours Wabash (866) 571-8687 (toll free) Ford Motor (800) 450-4534 (812) 936-5870 Southern Regional Office Company New Albany Work is underway to adapt Fort Wayne’s historic General Electric (812) 284-4534 Assembly plant complex as a mixed-use district called Electric Works, with phase in 1923. Learn On the one of construction expected to generate $300 million in local ©2021, Indiana Landmarks; ISSN#: 0737-8602 more about the Cover economic impact. Read more about plans for the site on pp. 4-5. Indiana Landmarks publishes Indiana Preservation bimonthly building’s new PHOTO © ELECTRIC WORKS for members. To join and learn other membership benefits, visit indianalandmarks.org or contact memberships@ use on p. 15. indianalandmarks.org, 317-639-4534 or 800-450-4534. To © FORD MOTOR COMPANY ARCHIVES offer suggestions for Indiana Preservation, contact editor@ indianalandmarks.org. 2 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 3 NEWS

needs make the buildings appealing for redevelopment today. The West Campus also retains the GE Club, a recreation building constructed for employees in 1926 complete with gymnasium and 12-lane bowling alley. The gym and bowling alley remain and will become part of a new community and event center at Electric Works. A nationwide decline in manu- facturing jobs in the late twentieth century affected GE too, leading the company to shut down the Fort Wayne plant beginning in 2014. Removal of the rooftop sign bearing the GE logo in 2015 finally signaled lights-out at the factory. Drawn by its rich history, dense once occupied the site. Ghosted lettering proclaiming, “Fort Innovation Sparks New Use collection of historic buildings, and Wayne Electric Works,” remains visible on the West Campus’s location adjacent to downtown and oldest building today. FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, A STRETCH OF Fort Wayne’s Fort Wayne’s growing central business “This site presented a great canvas to reimagine what this land along Broadway in Fort Wayne has been a base for inno- former General district, RTM Ventures, LLC acquired place could become as an economic engine for this century,” Electric complex is vation. First developed as the Fort Wayne Jenney Electric Light undergoing reha- the property from GE in 2017. The says Jeff Kingsbury, chief connectivity officer at Ancora Company and later as General Electric, the property grew into bilitation to become development group includes Ancora Partners, one of the companies leading the site’s redevelop- an industrial complex spanning 39 acres and over 1.2 million Electric Works, a Partners, Ash Crest Corp., Biggs ment. “The scale of buildings, their character, the way they square feet. Now, the site is poised to become a hub for inven- mixed-used innova- Group, Cross Street Partners, and were built, and how the campus is laid out is ideal to creating a tion district under tion again as Electric Works, a mixed-use innovation district development by Weigand Construction. The LLC’s mixed-use innovation district with a strong sense of place.” being developed by RTM Ventures, LLC. RTM Ventures, LLC. name honors Ranald T. McDonald, After closing on $286 million in public and private In 1886, James Jenney, inventor of an electric arc lamp and Work is begin- whose Fort Wayne Electric Company financing in early 2021, the development team is moving small dynamo, chose the site for his Fort Wayne Jenney Electric ning on the West forward with phase 1 of development, expected to generate Campus’s historic Light Company, which evolved and merged with other compa- buildings dating $300 million in local economic impact during construction. nies before being purchased by General Electric (GE) in 1899. from 1907 to 1942, On the West Campus, which includes 10 buildings dating Expected to be “Instead of spending millions for Under GE, the campus produced all kinds of commercial and including several from 1907 to 1942, work is underway to create offices, retail, completed in late demolition to create another vacant industrial buildings 2022, phase one household electric equipment, including alternators, dynamos, (above) and the a food hall and public market, a STEAM high school, health of Electric Works site, we were able to realize the com- transformers, motors, and switches. During the 1940s, the GE Club (right), a clinic, an innovation and research center, and a community (rendering top) munity’s vision by leveraging state factory supported the war effort by building superchargers for former employee center. Do it Best Corp., Indiana’s largest private company, will create offices, and federal funding that incentiv- military aircraft; GE employed 20,000 in Fort Wayne in 1944. recreation building will be headquartered at the site, and Indiana Tech and retail, a high school, izes private investment to reuse these slated to become health clinic, com- The company initiated multiple scientific patents at the plant; a community and Indiana University plan to be part of the innovation and munity center, and historic buildings in new ways,” says the United States’ first ice-making machine—a predecessor to event center. research center. Parkview Health will operate a primary care research center in Kingsbury. “Here we have an oppor- the household refrigerator—and the garbage disposal were both PHOTOS BY EVAN HALE clinic and pharmacy. Work is expected to be completed in 10 historic struc- tunity to create a place to live, work, invented there. late 2022. tures on GE’s for- shop, play, and learn in an urban set- mer West Campus. Philadelphia architecture firm Harris & Richards designed The project financing includes $35.7 million in federal The oldest building ting with a sense of character—quali- many of the complex’s industrial buildings, using reinforced Historic Tax Credits and $12.5 million in New Markets (above) will house a ties that are very desirable nationally concrete with brick facades, large windows, and open floors Tax Credit allocation by the National Trust Community food hall and public for growing businesses and the talent market. supported by massive columns to create light-filled work- Investment Corporation, the company’s largest historic tax PHOTOS BY ELECTRIC they seek.” WORKS (TOP) ; EVAN HALE spaces that could support heavy machinery. The open, adapt- credit investment in its history. Use of the credits requires the (ABOVE) Visit fortwayneelectricworks.com able floor plans that suited GE’s evolving manufacturing significant historic features to be retained and restored. for ongoing updates on the project.

4 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 5 ADAPTIVE REUSE

Engineering, which is providing programming and entrepreneurial support and summer interns. An interlocal board comprised of the City and Knox County was established to take ownership of the theater, while a separate nonprofit, The Pantheon Center, Inc., runs day-to-day opera- tions in the building. With funding and partnerships in place, interior renovation commenced at the Pantheon in 2019. Workers preserved and incorporated original features into the modern vision for the building, including the original wood stage floor where Hank Williams, As part of the re-create missing ornamental plaster along the proscenium arch Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry once transformation, the and on walls flanking the stage through a three-dimensional theater’s balcony stood. The main level and stage house (above) became a painting technique known as trompe l’oeil or “trick of the eye.” a coffee bar and rentable desk space. meeting room with Exterior work is slated to begin this summer, aided by a The balcony became meeting space, a view. The main $732,000 grant from the federal Economic Development and an additional conference room level and stage now Administration and matched by $198,000 from the Knox include a coffee and offices occupy the former theater bar and rentable County Development Corporation. Workers will repoint Curtain Rises on Theater’s Next Act office on the uppermost floor. desk space. Exterior brick, repair terra cotta, install new gutters, downspouts, Vincennes native Chris Blice and his renovation will begin and windows, and install a marquee that pays homage to its this summer at the In recast- THIS MAY MARKS A CENTURY SINCE THE additional revitalization. The group partner Jon Edwards volunteered their Renaissance Revival- historic predecessors. ing Vincennes’ Pantheon Theatre opened its doors in downtown Vincennes. stabilized and sold the New Moon for expertise to help recapture decorative style building, Opened for business in December 2020, the revamped Pantheon Theatre including installation Once a state-of-the-art entertainment venue that played dual as a co-working, use as a restaurant before turning its interior features, suggesting a design Pantheon has hosted small events and draws monthly member- of a new historically roles as vaudeville theater and movie house, the grand building meeting, and event attention to the Pantheon. In studying palette to brighten up the theater’s cav- ships from people reserving co-working space. The business is inspired marquee. space, community recently entered its next act, recast as the Pantheon Business reuses for the theater, the group saw ernous interior. With experience work- The Pantheon’s planning several events to celebrate the centennial of its original leaders aimed to and Innovation Theatre—a co-working, meeting, and event an opportunity to address some of the ing on old buildings as part of their owners plan to cele- opening night, May 16, 1921. Visit pantheontheatre.org for save the long- space designed to spur entrepreneurship and creativity. county’s broader needs. Indianapolis-based decorative painting brate the landmark’s additional details. empty downtown 100th birthday in A Renaissance Revival-style building with terra cotta details, anchor and create “We’re very proud of the history and mural company, the pair plan to May. “It’s really quite a significant adaptive reuse of an iconic a hub for entre- the Pantheon once drew national performers and gave local of Vincennes, and it’s a city of firsts. replicate bird of paradise murals that PHOTOS © PANTHEON building that bridges the past with modern initiatives to bring preneurs. Interior BUSINESS AND INNOVATION amateurs a taste of stardom. Stars including Ed Wynn, W.C. But it also faces the same issues rural once adorned the walls. They will also THEATRE vibrancy back to the local community,” says Miller. renovation began Fields, John Phillip Sousa, the Marx Brothers, and Duke in 2019, and the America has across the country, with Ellington all played the Pantheon. The theater hosted the city’s Pantheon Business its population not growing and losing first “talkie,” boasted air conditioning by 1935, and gave native and Innovation a lot of its talent,” notes Steve Miller, Theatre opened son Red Skelton his start. for business in CEO of Griffin Enterprises and By the ’50s, shopping and high schools moved to the city’s December 2020. founder of INVin. “We wanted a way PHOTOS © PANTHEON outskirts, and people got their entertainment at home, watch- BUSINESS AND INNOVATION to offer opportunities for entrepre- ing television. The Pantheon closed in 1961, with retail tenants THEATRE neurship addressing key concerns in occupying only a fraction of the building. Vacancy and dete- our community, specifically agricul- rioration earned the theater a spot on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 ture, manufacturing, and energy.” Most Endangered list in 2012. The group found key partners In 2014, as business and arts initiative INVin studied ways in the Purdue Foundry—a resource to breathe new life into downtown Vincennes, it acquired two for student, faculty, and alumni anchor buildings—the Pantheon and the 1939 New Moon entrepreneurs—as well as the univer- Theatre—hoping their revival might serve as a catalyst for sity’s Davidson School of Chemical

6 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 7 LANDMARKS OF BLACK HISTORY

few weeks ago, I made my first visit to the Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis. Though I’ve lived in the city for four years and have been an avid cyclist and triathlete for decades, I’d not heard of Marshall “Major” Taylor until late last year. An eponymously named cycling club in New York City was selling Major Taylor-themed cycling jerseys and jackets in anticipation of Black History Month and, on the basis of aesthetics and supporting a cycling club, I placed my order. It was only later, when my jacket arrived in January, that I learned that Major ATaylor, the first African American sports star, hailed from Indianapolis and that the velodrome bearing his name was located less than three miles from my home. Since then, I’ve been reading and consuming all I can find on the history of this cycling legend. As few physical ties to Taylor’s story remain in Indianapolis today, I’m grateful to the members of our community, including the Major Taylor Coalition in Indianapolis and the Major Taylor Association in Worchester, Massachusetts, that have been working so hard to tell his story with visual arts and historical markers. Stumbling upon the roots of Major Taylor’s story has only whetted my appetite to learn more about the contributions and legacies of Black women and men in Indiana and has increased my passion for making that history more accessible. Across our state, in brick and mortar, in urban centers and small towns, the physical landscape and corporate memory reveals a more compre- hensive and rich history of Black Hoosiers that needs to be revived, told, and celebrated. Whether in my own backyard or on the other side of the state, I’m looking forward to all the places this journey of discovery will take me. This issue of Indiana Landmarks’ magazine will be my companion and guide as I venture forth. The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

Indianapolis’s thrived as a center of Black- owned business and culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, before highway construction and urban renewal projects destroyed many of its historic buildings. Today, the 1927 Madam Walker Building (left) remains its most prominent landmark. PHOTO BY O. JAMES FOX COLLECTION, INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

8 INDIANA PRESERVATION represents for many of us a community where our great-grandparents, grand- parents, and parents lived, worshipped, socialized, shopped, went to school and raised families and did so when they weren’t welcome in other parts of the city,” adds A’Lelia Bundles, journal- ist and great-great granddaughter of Madame C.J. Walker. In 2020, a proposal to tear down a three-story building for construc- tion of a five-story apartment complex sparked dismay from neighborhood residents, Indiana Landmarks, and other community leaders, concerned A proposal for a restaurants, churches, newspapers, that the development’s generic design Near Angola, Fox is the only physical reminder of a once-sprawling campus. SAVING WHAT REMAINS sprawling apartment offices, and a national epicenter for neglected to take into consideration Lake Preservation The building’s ruinous condition earned it a spot on Indiana complex along Indiana Foundation is rais- Avenue (above) Black music boasting more than community input or consideration for ing awareness of the Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered list in 2020. As the preservation movement gained momentum in the prompted outcry 30 jazz clubs. The area was famous the neighborhood’s heritage. area’s history as an In northern Indiana, Fox Lake developed just outside of mid-twentieth century, too often it overlooked places associ- among neighborhood enough to attract Madam C.J. Walker, Spurred by the proposed develop- African American Angola in the early twentieth century as a resort community ated with African American history. At the same time, many residents and local who located her international hair- ment, Indiana Landmarks joined a lake resort commu- for , who were not allowed to vacation at leaders concerned nity and working to of those same places were under active attack, decimated by that designers failed care manufacturing business there, team of heritage preservation and preserve its historic white resorts. Today, it’s a rare survivor, believed to be one of urban renewal, highway construction, discriminatory lend- to solicit commu- commissioning construction of a development experts to discuss how landmarks, including only two still-standing African American lake resorts in the ing, and other destructive policies. nity input. A team grand world headquarters building. design along Indiana Avenue could Pryor’s Country Place, nation, along with Idlewild in Michigan. How do you tell the story of a place when so much of its of preservation and Completed in 1927 after her death, serve as a catalyst for revitalizing the a former inn (above). Fox Lake is still a thriving retreat, but property owners development experts In eastern Indiana, physical fabric has been lost? As society comes to grips with convened a virtual dis- the building remains the most promi- area while honoring its history. The Union Literary Institute are concerned the overdevelopment that has changed the the far-reaching legacy of racial injustice, preservationists cussion highlighting nent landmark on the Avenue. developer later withdrew its proposal, Preservation Society nature of similar lakefront communities in the area could in communities around Indiana are working to save what the Avenue’s heritage By the 1960s and ’70s, construc- and now the group—calling itself is considering options encroach on Fox Lake. A new group, Fox Lake Preservation and how alternate to save what remains remains of several Black landmarks and ensure new develop- designs (below) for tion of Interstate 65 and expansion OG Ink—is bringing together local of the Union Literary Foundation, wants to protect the historic resort commu- ment honors what came before. new development of Indiana University’s Indianapolis shareholders with national preserva- Institute, one of the nity’s natural character and built heritage. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, might draw on its campus had wiped out many of the tion and urban development leaders first schools to offer Find more about preservation efforts at Union Literary Indianapolis’s Indiana Avenue was a prosperous hub of history. Avenue’s buildings and displaced to deliberate Indiana Avenue’s rebirth higher education to all. Institute and Fox Lake on Indiana Landmarks’ website, PHOTOS BY EVAN HALE (ABOVE); PHOTOS © JOY PARKER Black-owned business and culture—a thriving district of JEFFERY TOMPKINS (BELOW) residents from surrounding neighbor- and future development. (ABOVE); EVAN HALE (BELOW) indianalandmarks.org. hoods. “The preservation community Elsewhere in the state, other groups has counted among the city’s greatest are focusing on preserving sites associ- losses the destruction of the English ated with Black history. Opera House and Marion County In Randolph County, Union Courthouse,” says Indiana Landmarks Literary Institute Preservation Society President Marsh Davis. “To that list, I is exploring options for preserving a would add the willful dismantling and decaying brick building in the middle destruction of Indiana Avenue and of a farm field, a former classroom for adjacent neighborhoods.” Union Literary Institute. Established Today, only remnants of the original by anti-slavery Quakers and free Avenue survive, surrounded by parking Blacks in 1846, the Institute was one lots. “Where many see a blank slate, of the first schools in the state to offer and what may look like an asphalt higher-level education to all students desert to people who are driving by on regardless of race, class, or gender. their way to , Today, the partially collapsed building

10 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 11 RECOGNIZING University under Robert Charles Bates, RIGHT: Little recognized as the first certified Black remains in Gary TRAILBLAZING to mark the architect in the U.S. In the 1890s and work of William ARCHITECTS early 1900s, Cooke began designing Wilson Cooke, college buildings and dormitories, a who created In the early twentieth century, hospital, a house, and even a mail-order many commu- nity anchors for two men broke barriers in northern house design. He went on to work the city’s African Indiana, working as Black architects in as an architectural draftsman for the American commu- a time when Jim Crow laws, segrega- U.S. Treasury Department Supervising nity in the 1920s. tion, and prejudice profoundly limited Architect’s Office, overseeing construc- Cooke’s First AME Church (right) still opportunities for African Americans tion of post offices and federal court- stands, but it’s throughout the United States. While houses in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, vacant and dete- the legacy of one remains evident in a and West Virginia. riorated. Indiana Landmarks is collection of landmarks, little remains In 1921, he moved to Gary, Indiana, working with the to illustrate the other’s work in Indiana. with his family, and established a pri- congregation Marion, Indiana, displayed a vate practice. His commissions included on preservation complex, conflicted attitude to race Several build- commission to build a high school. When white construction a number of community anchors for strategies. PHOTOS BY BRAD MILLER relations in the early 1900s. National ings designed by workers refused to work for him, Plato was removed from the the city’s African American population: African American BELOW: Cooke African American publications of architect Samuel project and given a new assignment to build a high school in a Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, designed St. the era promoted the city as a place Plato still stand in Black neighborhood. The experience reportedly inspired him First African Methodist Episcopal John’s Hospital Marion, including of opportunity, where Black people to tell the workers, “Those of you who would not work with Church, Stewart Memorial Settlement (below left), the Wilson House could own houses and businesses and me will work for me some day.” He was right. House, and St. John’s Hospital—the built in 1929 to (below), which now serve African could pursue higher education. And serves as an event In 1912, banker J. Wood Wilson hired Plato to design and city’s only Black hospital. Along with Americans at a center. A Craftsman yet, the city hosted build a 15-room Colonial Revival-style mansion as a wed- growing his business, Cooke held time when most house attributed to rallies in the ’20s and infamously ding gift for his bride. As a condition of the job, the architect other leadership positions within the in Gary couldn’t Plato is currently lynched two African American men insisted Black contractors working for him be allowed to join community, serving as director of the afford medical for sale by local care. The hospital on the courthouse square in 1930. preservation group the local workers’ union, a practice he continued on subse- Gary Building and Loan Association, a was abandoned Save Our Stories An native with a reputa- quent projects. He went on to design churches, schools, stores, county property tax assessor, and head- in the 1950s and Cooke’s impact on Indiana remains lesser known, exacer- and needs interior tion as a talented carpenter-builder, an apartment complex, and houses in styles both modest and ing a local anti-Klan group. demolished 70 bated by the loss of most of his Gary designs from the local restoration. years later. Today Samuel Plato (1882-1957) moved to PHOTOS BY JARED STRAND grand. He left Marion with his family in 1921 to design post His practice folded after the stock landscape. Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, Stewart Marion in 1902, quickly securing a (ABOVE); EVAN HALE (BELOW) offices and government housing throughout the country. market crash of 1929, necessitating an empty lot Memorial Settlement House, and St. John’s Hospital have been (below, right) Some of Plato’s Marion designs remain in good repair, a return to the federal Supervising marks where the demolished. First AME Church still stands, but it’s in fragile including the Wilson House, now an event venue known as Architect’s Office in 1931, where he landmark once condition. Indiana Landmarks has consulted with the church’s the Hostess House, but his First Friends Church languishes. designed and oversaw the building of post stood. congregation to evaluate its condition and brainstorm next PHOTOS BY MARSH DAVIS Concern for the architect’s legacy inspired Marion residents to offices in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, (LEFT); BRAD MILLER steps in hopes of preserving part of the trailblazing architect’s (RIGHT) form Save Our Stories (SOS) in 2012. A preservation affili- Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Hoosier legacy. ate of Indiana Landmarks, SOS has raised awareness of Plato’s work through programs and walking tours. In 2019, the group used a loan from Indiana Landmarks to purchase a Craftsman- style house attributed to Plato at 917 South Adams Street. The group cleaned out the interior, put on a new roof, tuckpointed brick, and restored leaded glass windows, and now offers the property for sale for $89,000. Almost a decade after Plato started working in Marion, another African American architect began to make an impact in Gary. Born in South Carolina, architect William Wilson Cooke (1871-1949) studied architectural drawing at the state’s Claflin

12 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 13 SAVED

SCHOOL TIES but the building served a number of uses over the next 40 years before being vacated more than a decade ago. In many communities, few sites offer as much history about In 2019, city officials identified the school as key to revital- the African American experience as do schools. Since the state’s ization efforts in Kokomo’s north side Carver neighborhood, founding in 1816, educational opportunities for Black children embracing the school’s history as an opportunity for commu- in Indiana varied widely depending on location and communi- nity reflection and growth. The City made improvements to ties’ adherence to state laws restricting equal access. the building, including a new roof, repointing masonry, and In 1919, construction of Douglass School in Kokomo reopening downsized windows. sparked widespread controversy as African American students— Embracing Hope of Howard County, a nonprofit commu- who previously attended schools nearest their homes—were nity development corporation, is now leading efforts to rehabil- segregated into a separate school. In an editorial to the Tribune, itate the school as a community center. “If you understand the

Overhauling an Automotive Landmark

BUILT IN 1915, INDIANAPOLIS’S One of Indiana’s a million cars and trucks between 1915 and 1932, when the Ford Motor Company Assembly most productive Great Depression halted assembly. The building subsequently auto factories in the Plant once held acclaim as one of 1920s (below left), served as a parts service and automotive sales branch. the state’s most productive early auto Indianapolis’s Ford By 2016, the industrial windows that once flooded the manufacturing plants, able to produce Motor Company interior with light had been covered up or filled in, making 300 vehicles a day by the 1920s. A Assembly Plant got reinstalling and repairing windows a top priority to reclaim the a jump start in the century after its construction, the twenty-first century plant’s historic appearance and brighten up the inside. Workers factory was considerably less cel- as offices, retail, and brought in even more natural light by reopening portions ebrated, deteriorating as a half-empty apartments (after of the soaring atrium, where a crane that once transported warehouse when it landed on Indiana and before, above). automotive components to each floor for assembly remains on A virtual program local resident Charles Harvey saga- Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered on May 27 shares display. Outside, WJE led work to reinforce and restore con- ciously observed: “We have, so far, List in 2016. The building caught how the industrial crete, repair brick, rebuild the gables, and install a new cornice been unable to see any good that the attention of TWG Development, landmark was trans- on the north facade. formed for modern will come out of said segregation. which assembled a team of experts living, including The factory’s first floor now houses retail, TWG’s offices, From a psychological view we get to overhaul the four-story factory as addition of a rooftop and resident amenities, with upper floors transformed into along best by coming in constant While visiting Kokomo past, it can inform your future,” says Reverend William Smith, offices, retail, and apartments. lounge (below, right). 132 apartments. A rooftop lounge and patio with gas fire pits in 1940, First Lady PHOTOS © TWG, JESSICA contact with each other. The better whose nearby church created Embracing Hope. “The school’s In a virtual program on May 27, BRANSTETTER (ABOVE LEFT & and grills allows residents to take advantage of downtown BELOW RIGHT); HADLEY FRUITS we know each other the better we origins aren’t something we celebrate, but we recognize it as “Jump Starting Indy’s Ford Building,” (ABOVE RIGHT); FORD MOTOR views. Hear more about the landmark’s rebirth by joining the asked to see Douglass COMPANY ARCHIVES (BELOW) understand each other’s needs— School (above), part of our history. It can help us recognize how far we’ve come representatives of TWG, RATIO, and talk on May 27 (see p.19 for details). thus springs up the most essential emphasizing the and what we’ve been able to accomplish since then.” Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) elements of the human race in importance of educa- Visit indianalandmarks.org to learn about other historic will talk about the landmark’s history tion for all Americans. general—, sympathy, and a dis- Indiana Landmarks African American schools–endangered, saved, and undergoing and how they adapted the industrial position to ‘do unto others as you recommended the rehabilitation—and their impact around the state. space for modern living in a $27.6 would have them do unto you.’” school for grants million development that utilized the The separation proceeded from the Efroymson state Redevelopment Tax Credit and Family Fund and Cox Help Indiana Landmarks achieve even more by: despite protest, and for decades the Funds of the Central the federal Historic Tax Credit. city’s Black children were forced to Indiana Community • Renewing your membership For more information Designed by Seattle architect John Foundation, and we’re talk to Sharon Gamble, attend school separated from their • Making a donation in addition Graham, the plant was part of Ford’s consulting on the white peers. to membership 800-450-4534 plan to expand distribution of cars school’s rehabilitation. or visit In the 1950s, Douglass School PHOTOS: © HOWARD COUNTY • Including Indiana Landmarks and trucks from strategic locations. HISTORICAL SOCIETY (ABOVE indianalandmarks.org merged with the all-white Willard LEFT); JOSHUA BIGGS (ABOVE) in your estate plans The complex produced more than half School. Douglass closed in 1968,

14 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 15 MEMBER PROFILE

FOR LANDMARKS ON THE MARKET SALE see more at indianalandmarks.org/for-sale BRIEFLY NOTED

NOMINATE PRESERVATION LEADERS Nominations for the Sandi Servaas Memorial Award for outstanding achieve- ment in historic preservation are due June 1, 2021. The annual award recognizes win- ners in two categories: an organizational award, which comes with a $2,000 cash prize, and a youth-serving award, which comes with a $1,000 cash prize. Both Drawing Supporters to Our Mission winners also receive the Servaas Memorial Award sculpture, “No Doors to Lock out Arista Frank & Nellie Deputy House FILLED WITH ANTIQUE FURNITURE AND WORKS Paco Argiz and “When I was a child in Cuba, if I the Past.” 4900 West County Road 850 South, Commiskey by European and American masters, Indiana Landmarks Jamie Gibbs went to a house I liked, I came home Nominations for the John Arnold Award restored their 1937 members Jamie Gibbs and Paco Argiz’s house in Indianapolis’s and would draw out the plans for it,” for Rural Preservation are due June 5, 1878 folk Victorian house available for $5,000 but must be moved from Mediterranean 2021. The annual award recognizes the present location. Retains distinctive front and side porch, fireplaces Meridian Hills neighborhood reflects their love of art and Revival-style says Paco. He thought about becoming preservation and continued use of historic with original mantels, historic doors, and woodwork with comb-grained home (above) design. After moving from New York to Indianapolis, the an architect, but plans changed when the farming-related buildings in an active faux-wood finishes. 4 rooms and 1 bathroom. Large eat-in kitchen. in Indianapolis’s couple lovingly restored the 1937 Mediterranean Revival-style Cuban Revolution prompted his move farming operation. The award winner Meridian Hills $5,000, Greg Sekula, 812-284-4534 receives a handsome outdoor marker and home, guided by Jamie’s expertise as a preservationist, interior neighborhood, to America in 1962 at age 13. While [email protected] feature coverage in Indiana Landmarks’ designer, and landscape architect. turning the living with relatives in Massachusetts member magazine, Indiana Preservation. Today, the house bears no resemblance to when they first property into a and studying at Boston University, Paco saw the vacant property in 2008. A 1970s update had covered showplace for was asked to teach Spanish to a group of Find nomination forms for both awards at their collection of indianalandmarks.org/awards. the interior in seafoam green from the walls to the carpeting. art and antiques. Franco-American nuns, a turn that led to Jamie’s professional background allowed him to see beyond the They open their a passion for teaching and several decades COVID-19 UPDATE outdated décor to the home’s striking original features: stucco house for fund- in education. Paco is retired today, while raisers for arts The Consolidated Appropriations Act exterior, red tile roof, carved limestone details, wrought iron and cultural orga- Jamie still serves as principal of his interior 2021 (H.R. 133) extended two opportuni- accents, and bathrooms with vintage tile. nizations, includ- design and landscape architecture firm ties for donors that were established by Banishing the dated design palette and removing carpet to ing donating a Jamie Gibbs Associates, with offices in 2020’s CARES Act: dinner on their reveal the marble tile and hardwood flooring underneath, the Indianapolis, New York, and Amsterdam. A universal (or non-itemized, above-the- 2225 Riverside Drive Hill Place terrace for Indiana line) deduction allowing taxpayers to South Bend 1523 Southeastern Avenue, couple transformed the property. In honor of Paco’s favorite Landmarks’ Along with supporting Indiana deduct up to $300 in charitable contribu- Indianapolis author Cervantes, they commissioned Indiana muralist Fred Rescue Party auc- Landmarks’ core preservation ethic, Beautiful house overlooking the tions (cash donations, not in-kind contribu- Kreiter to paint panels depicting Don Quixote installed next to tion this spring. Jamie and Paco admire the organization’s St Joseph River near Notre Dame. National Register-listed all- tions) made in 2021. For 2021, both spouses Built in 1841, it was substantially brick Italianate less than a mile the spiral staircase. Restored and renamed Dulcinea, the house is a Admirers of his- willingness to form partnerships with toric architecture may claim the $300 for a total of $600. remodeled by Austin & Shambleau to Fountain Square, Fletcher showpiece where the couple entertain friends and host dinners for and supporters other nonprofits and embrace new inter- For those who claim itemized deductions, in 1911. Set in 3/4 acre, the 4 bed- Place, Mass Ave., and Twin Aires. arts and cultural organizations, including Indiana Landmarks. The of our mission, ests, like Indiana’s automotive heritage the charitable deduction limit is raised room, 4 bath house has wood- 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, gatherings all feature menus prepared by Paco, a gourmet cook. the pair enjoy and Mid-Century Modern architecture. from 60 percent of adjusted gross income burning fireplaces and extensive two-story library, 8 slate fire- bringing guests to to 100 percent for donations made in 2021. historic features. 1-bedroom apart- places, spacious kitchen and Both Paco and Jamie developed a love of architecture at an events at Indiana “Indiana Landmarks comes up with ment in carriage house. Historical catacomb-feeling basement. early age. Jamie grew up in a historic house on Indianapolis’s Landmarks’ his- outrageously innovative and sometimes If you would like to discuss a charitable documents included with sale. With original hardwoods, full north side and recalls visiting his grandmother in Woodruff toric headquarters co-ventured events that draw in people gift to Indiana Landmarks, contact Sharon walk-up attic, 3-car garage. Won in Indianapolis. Gamble, Vice President for Development, $385,000 Indiana Landmarks’ Sensitive Place and visiting with his father while it was still that may or may not understand what Quinn Thurin PHOTOS BY EVAN HALE 317-822-7921, sgamble@indianalandmarks. Rehabilitation Award in 2004. owned by the Lilly family. He pursued his love of architecture preservation is, but they leave knowing org. As always, please consult your own Cressy & Everett Real Estate in New York as a graduate student in historic preservation at why this organization exists and why it’s tax advisor for advice. 574-233-6141 Inquire for price Columbia University. important,” says Jamie. [email protected] Kristin Glassburn 317-513-4251

16 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 17 May/June 2021

RSVP & RECEIVE INFO FRENCH LICK Lecture Series Concerning Historic Tours & Events for events at indianalandmarks.org/tours-events & WEST BADEN Preservation. 6 p.m. Free with RSVP. or by calling (317) 639-4534. All times are eastern. SPRINGS TOURS Learn more on p.3. Please note that we have returned to holding some Ongoing tours for in-person events, along with virtual talks. overnight guests: Indiana Automotive West Baden Members Show-and-Tell Springs Hotel Wednesday-Saturday June 12, Indianapolis Logs to Lustrons Talk 2 & 4 p.m. Indiana Automotive—an affinity May 20, Online event French Lick group of Indiana Landmarks devoted Two couples share their experiences revitalizing landmarks Springs Hotel to the state’s rich automotive heri- in Indiana Dunes National Park. During an online talk, Wednesday-Saturday tage—hosts a casual members meet- Noon Pat and Mike Shymanski showcase their restoration of the up outdoors at Indiana Landmarks Tours depart from our Oscar & Irene Nelson House, and Laurie and Steve Snell Landmarks Emporium Center. Bring your favorite classic discuss how they disassembled, moved, and restored the all- shops in the hotels. or vintage car for an automotive steel, prefabricated Jacob Lustron home. Q&A session fol- Discount for members show-and-tell. 8:30-11:30 a.m. Free on tours and in shops. lows talk. 7 p.m. $7/general admission; Free for members. Reservations recom- to Indiana Automotive members and mended. 812-936- their guests with RSVP. Jump Starting Indy’s Ford Building 5870, swoodward@ May 27, Online event indianalandmarks.org. A Day of Gardens The team that restored Indianapolis’s Ford Assembly Note: All tours and Art are open only to Building discuss the preservation challenges of converting overnight guests of June 19, Attica the 1915 manufacturing building into a modern mixed-use French Lick Resort, Fountain County Landmarks spon- development in a virtual talk. 6 p.m. $7/general admission; subject to the historic sors a day celebrating local art and Free for members. Learn more on p.15. hotels being open to architecture. Tour neighborhood the public. Check our website for current and country gardens, a 5-acre estate The American Mall status and ticket info. landscape, and historic Cottrell June 3, Online event Village. See local art and take part in Author and architecture critic Alexandra Lange’s virtual gardening demonstrations. 9 a.m.- talk “The American Mall: How Shopping Shaped Postwar 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $20/person; DAVE DECARO DAVE America,” looks at the architectural, urban, and cultural Day-of-tour tickets are $25/person. legacy of the mall from 1956 to present day. Sponsored Visit fountaincountylandmarks.org by Indiana Landmarks’ affinity group Indiana Modern for more information. and supported by Indiana University’s Cornelius O’Brien

INDIANAPOLIS TOURS

Monument Circle City Market Catacombs Athenaeum On select Saturdays, May Join a guided tour of the remains of Tomlinson On select Wednesdays and Sundays, through October, one-hour Hall, hidden beneath the Indianapolis City May through October, one-hour guided walking tours examine Market. In 2021, tours begin on the market’s guided tours explore the history, the story of the Circle at the mezzanine and include a brief history about architecture, and preservation of the heart of the city including the the building’s development. Tours depart Athenaeum, as it evolved from German Soldiers and Sailors Monument every 15 minutes from 10 a.m.-2:15 p.m. on May clubhouse to a hub of modern urban and encircling landmarks. Tours 1 & 15, June 5 & 19, and July 3 & 17. Advance life. Tours depart at 5:45 and 6 p.m. on depart at 10 a.m. on May 8 & 22, ticket encouraged. $12/general admission, $6/ May 19, June 16, and July 21, and 1:45 June 12 & 26, and July 10 & 24. child (age 6-11), $10/member; free for children and 2 p.m. on July 11. Advance ticket $10/general admission, $5/child ages 5 and under. Note: Tour schedule is sub- encouraged. $10/general admission; (age 6-11); $8/member; free for ject to change pending safety directives and $5/child (age 6-11); $8/member; free The American Mall, June 3 children ages 5 and under. health concerns. for children ages 5 and under.

© GRUEN ASSOCIATES 18 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 19 Nonprofit Org. PAID 1201 Central Avenue U.S. Postage Indianapolis, IN 46202 Indianapolis, IN Permit No. 3464

AND FINALLY

Indiana Landmarks is partnering with the Town of Dillsboro to stabilize a fire- damaged c.1870 downtown building, hoping its revival can serve as a catalyst for reinvestment in the town’s commer- cial core. PHOTO BY JARRAD HOLBROOK Small Town Smarts WITH A POPULATION OF JUST 1,400, DILLSBORO ration, install a new roof, repair floor joists, remove damaged recognizes the value of its small-town charm. So, when a fire elements, and clean out the interior. The building holds great raged through the roof of its former Masonic Hall—the town’s potential for apartments, offices, retail, or a restaurant. last three-story historic commercial building—the blow seemed The Town of Dillsboro has committed $25,000 towards the catastrophic. However, with key support from town officials, stabilization, recognizing the building’s importance to its small Indiana Landmarks has stepped in to stabilize the c.1870 commercial corridor. “Local buy-in makes projects like this structure and set up an opportunity for revitalization in the possible,” says Jarrad Holbrook, director of Indiana Landmarks’ southeast Indiana town. Southeast Field Office. “Historic preservation is not always Damage from the fire, water, and sustained exposure to about saving big, flashy architecture, it is also about saving the elements rendered much of the building’s interior beyond places important to communities and using them as opportu- salvage. We plan to dry things out to prevent further deterio- nities for reinvestment.” indianalandmarks.org