Modern Makeover Better Together
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 Annual Report MODERN MAKEOVER A former 10 Most saved BETTER TOGETHER Relying on local partners FROM THE PRESIDENT BY THE NUMBERS Temple Beth-El South Bend BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Olon F. Dotson Muncie Hon. Randall T. Shepard Honorary Chairman Jeremy D. Efroymson Indianapolis Parker Beauchamp Better to Keep Her Chairman Melissa Glaze Roanoke James P. Fadely, Ph.D. people who attended Indiana ONE OF THE MOST JARRING entries in Indiana Landmarks’ Past Chairman Tracy Haddad Columbus Sara Edgerton Landmarks tours, talks, open current 10 Most Endangered list is the Pulaski County Vice Chairman David A. Haist Culver houses, and events around the Courthouse, a Romanesque Revival gem that imparts dignity Marsh Davis President Bob Jones Evansville state in the last year and grandeur to Winamac, the county seat. When we were Doris Anne Sadler Secretary/Assistant Treasurer Christine H. Keck Evansville alerted that Pulaski County officials were considering demo- Thomas H. Engle Assistant Secretary Matthew R. Mayol, AIA lition of their historic courthouse, our immediate response Indianapolis Brett D. McKamey might have been to raise a chorus of opposition and do battle Treasurer Ray Ontko Richmond with public officials. Instead, we committed to helping the Judy A. O’Bannon Secretary Emerita Martin E. Rahe congregations receiving training county find another path that might lead to the preservation Cincinnati, OH DIRECTORS James W. Renne in landmark stewardship, of the courthouse. Hilary Barnes Newburgh community engagement, and Indianapolis We can conjure compelling reasons for saving the court- George A. Rogge fundraising from Sacred Places The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Gary Riverside High School house: design, craftsmanship, materials, community char- Baskerville-Burrows Sallie W. Rowland Indianapolis Indiana since its launch in 2015 FREDERICK DAVID Indianapolis Indianapolis acter, and history, to name a few. But sometimes a building’s Candace Chapman Peter J. Sacopulos EVAN HALE Evansville Terre Haute fate boils down to the arguments that historic buildings are Edward D. Clere Robert L. Santa functionally obsolete and too expensive to adapt and main- New Albany Bloomington Mike Corbett Charlitta Winston Between tain. The best way to counter those arguments is to provide Noblesville Indianapolis Ellen Swisher Crabb John D. Zeglis 2010-2015 hard data to the contrary, which is exactly what we did. Indianapolis Culver To that end, Indiana Landmarks commissioned an exten- Cheri Dick Beau F. Zoeller Zionsville Indianapolis sive and multi-option architectural study that compared in grants awarded by costs of retaining and updating the old courthouse with those OFFICES & HISTORIC SITES Indiana Landmarks of demolition and new construction. The study also gave full Headquarters Southeast Field Office leveraged… Indiana Landmarks Center Aurora consideration to the county’s concerns about functionality 1201 Central Avenue (812) 926-0983 and safety. Indianapolis, IN 46202 Southwest Field Office [email protected] Evansville (317) 639-4534 (812) 423-2988 All other good reasons for saving the courthouse aside— (800) 450-4534 Western Regional Office and there are many—a line from the old song “Makin’ Northwest Field Office Terre Haute Gary (812) 232-4534 Whoopee” best summarizes the study’s results and our (219) 947-2657 LEE LEWELLEN Huddleston Farmhouse informed, respectful recommendation to Pulaski County: Central Regional Office Cambridge City Indianapolis (765) 478-3172 (317) 639-4534 “You’d better keep her, you’ll find it’s cheaper.” Morris-Butler House Samara Eastern Regional Office Indianapolis West Lafayette Cambridge City (317) 639-4534 (765) 478-3172 LEE LEWELLEN Veraestau Northern Regional Office Aurora South Bend (812) 926-0983 (574) 232-4534 French Lick and West Northeast Field Office Baden Springs tours Marsh Davis, President Wabash (866) 571-8687 (toll free) (800) 450-4534 (812) 936-5870 Southern Regional Office in grants recommended by Indiana New Albany (812) 284-4534 Landmarks and awarded in 2019 by the A plan to replace Winamac’s Pulaski County Courthouse with a parking lot Efroymson Family Fund of the Central On the landed the stately 1895 landmark on our 10 Most Endangered list in 2019, ©2020, Indiana Landmarks; ISSN#: 0737-8602 Indiana Community Foundation to help sparking studies and talks with county officials on alternatives to retain the Cover Indiana Landmarks publishes Indiana Preservation bimonthly stabilize, rehabilitate, save, and restore in investment in historic properties including community anchor, a top preservation priority in 2020. PHOTO BY EVAN HALE for members. To join and learn other membership benefits, visit indianalandmarks.org or contact memberships@ historic landmarks statewide Ferdinand’s Wollenmann House indianalandmarks.org, 317-639-4534 or 800-450-4534. To PHOTO BY LEE LEWELLEN offer suggestions forIndiana Preservation, contact editor@ indianalandmarks.org. 2 INDIANA PRESERVATION 10 MOST SAVED give back. I just had to do it. I didn’t even have a business plan A leaky roof installing green tile in the master bath’s in place when I bought it.” exposed the Mills shower to match the original sink. House to the ele- Anthony, who is passionate about mid-century architec- ments, accelerating “Finding out that he was dedicat- ture, finally got a clear vision for the property while visiting decline inside (top ing this conference center to my dad, Frank Sinatra’s home, now an event center in Palm Springs. left). In transform- I was completely speechless,” says Bill He decided to rent the Mills House for small meetings and ing the house into Cooler. “My family was brought to an event center, business retreats, rechristening it the Harry Cooler Conference Anthony prioritized tears of joy at Todd’s vision and I just Center in honor of its architect. saving original think of how proud my father would Though the house was structurally sound, water pooling details such as pen- be of him. Ever since he bought it, on the flat roof created holes that left the property open to dant lights and a it’s been a euphoria of watching the built-in planter (top Reviving a Modern Masterpiece the elements and animals. Anthony banished the critters right). Susan Mills place evolve.” and put on a temporary roof before assessing what could be England, daughter The Mills House will be one of ALONG GREENWOOD’S BUSY Vacancy and dete- Saved in the nick of time by Greenwood native Todd Anthony, saved. To bring back Cooler’s design, he brought in Harry’s of original owners the homes featured on this year’s Edith and Ernie Fry Road, the Mills House has been rioration landed the Mills House is capturing attention again following a year- son, architect Bill Cooler. Back to the Future tour on May 30 in Greenwood’s Mills Mills (below) pro- a standout since its construction in House (above) long renovation. Vintage photos and slides aided work throughout. After a vided vintage pho- Indianapolis, sponsored by Indiana 1956, a Wrightian-inspired residence on Indiana In 1954, Ernie Mills, owner of the Monarch Cabinet friend sent her an article about the renovation, Susan Mills tos for inspiration. Landmarks’ affinity group Indiana PHOTOS BY JASON of glass and fieldstone. By 2014, Landmarks’ 10 Company, bought a wooded site on a large lot to build a house England, the daughter of the original homeowners, reached WETHERHOLT (ABOVE), Modern. Watch upcoming issues of however, the vacant house stood out Most Endangered for use as his family home and a showcase for his company’s out to Anthony to share her memories of growing up in the MILLS FAMILY (BELOW) Indiana Preservation for more tour list in 2014, and for for all the wrong reasons, its neglected years we pressed cabinets and countertops. A fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, house and a scrapbook of historic images. In a happy coinci- details. To learn more about the Mills state landing the property on Indiana for a preservation- Mills found the right local partner in Indianapolis architect dence, Anthony found a photo of Ernie and Edith Mills stand- House’s history and see additional Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered list. minded buyer who Harry Cooler, who had studied under Wright while attending ing near the staircase beneath a sputnik-style light fixture that photos, visit coolercenter.org. could ensure the the University of Illinois. perfectly matched a vintage fixture he’d already purchased for home’s future. The property finally Cooler’s design for the tri-level house brought the outside the space. “That’s the great part about the house being built in found its savior in through expanses of glass and natural materials. At Mills’ the last sixty years. There’s still people around that can tell its in Greenwood request, Cooler incorporated cutting-edge technologies, includ- stories,” says Anthony. native Todd Anthony (left), ing air conditioning and copper tubing to supply radiant heat In the basement crawlspace, Anthony discovered terrazzo who embarked in the terrazzo floors, as well as samples of his company’s work. floor samples that guided Indianapolis’s Santarossa Mosaic on a year-long After the Mills family moved out, the property eventually and Tile in repairing the original floors. The crawlspace also renovation in 2018, became a law firm, then fell into disrepair. In driving by the contained original blueprints, now framed and hanging on the consulting with Bill Cooler (far left), house in December 2018, Todd Anthony, owner of online walls. Beneath rotted wall panels, workers found notes written son of the original business DiscountFilters, saw a “For Sale” sign in the yard. He from Ernie Mills to contractors. architect Harry started making phone calls, and within a few days he owned Scouting online auction sites and antiques shops, Anthony Cooler. the Mills House. “It was in such a state of disrepair that anyone outfitted the house in mid-century style, with a mixture of PHOTOS BY JASON WETHERHOLT with common sense wouldn’t have gotten involved,” Anthony reproduction and original pieces, including a Wright-designed jokes.