WALL SPECIFICATIONS & TEMPLATE

ADAMS COUNTY City Hall 411 E Line Street Geneva, IN

Wall size: ~2,240 square feet Wall Texture: Concrete (lower), Painted Brick (upper); White paint is mostly in good shape; some minor spalling of the brick

WALL SPECIFICATIONS & TEMPLATE

ADAMS COUNTY

*black box indicates window or object that will not be painted **outlined box indicates either a boarded up window or a door that can be painted

Adams County

ADAMS COUNTY INSPIRATION

OUR HISTORY

Geneva is a town located in Wabash Township and is the southernmost town in Adams County, . This mostly rural area is located approximately 45 minutes south of Fort Wayne and two hours’ northeast of Indianapolis. Geneva was founded in 1874 when rival towns of Alexander and Buffalo merged; the first post office in Geneva was established in 1872. The town was named after Geneva, Switzerland.

Geneva became a booming oil town in the 1890s. In 1895, a fire decimated the area and resulted in a banning of wood buildings. Brick, stone, or iron buildings were mandated, which create the signature look of Geneva’s historical downtown district today.

The town lies in “Limberlost Country”, a timber swampland made famous by the naturalist and novelist, Gene Stratton Porter. In the early 1900s, the swampland was drained. Efforts began in 1996 to restore part of the wetland habitat. In 2002, Geneva’s downtown district was placed on the National List of Historical Places. The population of Geneva was 1,293 in the 2010 census.

OUR MAKERS GENE STRATTON PORTER – Best-selling author, nature photographer, naturalist and silent movie era producer. Her advocacy work helped establish conservation efforts in the Limberlost Swamp, as well as other Indiana wetlands.

LIMBERLOST CABIN AND STATE HISTORIC SITE – The log cabin was completed in 1895 for Gene Stratton Porter. It is a 13-room, Queen Anne rustic log cabin. The Porters lived here until the swamp was drained in 1913. It was here that Gene Stratton Porter wrote six of her 12 novels and five of her seven nature books, including the best-selling and A Girl of the Limberlost. The cabin was listed on the National Register of Historical places in 1974.

CEYLON COVERED BRIDGE- Located east of Geneva on CR 950S at Limberlost County Park. This is the last remaining covered bridge over the Wabash River. This is listed on the National List of Historical Places in 2007.

RED GOLD – A tomato processing company which produces most tomato related products. Red Gold products are labeled under eleven brands plus various store and generic brands.

ELKHART PRODUCTS (EPC) – Part of the Aalberts Integrated Piping Systems. The Geneva facility performs custom tubular fabrication work for original equipment manufacturers. Process includes cutting, bending, extruding, brazing of copper, brass, aluminum and other nonferrous metals.

OUR DESIGN The vast majority of Geneva downtown area is original to the era in which it was built (1890 to early 1900). Many of the buildings in the downtown area have been updated to keep the architecture the same. The brick buildings are a signature of the Geneva downtown.

The Pyle Building was built in 1898, and now houses local government as well as the Police Department. The Shamrock Hotel was one of the six buildings to survive the downtown fire of 1895. Today this building houses the United States Postal Services Outlet.

OUR NATURE SOUTH ADAMS TRAILS - Formed in 2006 by a group of Berne and Geneva residents who wanted to create a recreational trail for all ages and ability to enjoy walking, biking and running. The Trailhead is located in Geneva and the trail will continue north in the years to come.

RAINBOW LAKE AND LAKE OF THE WOODS – On the east and west side of US 27 are two private, residential lakes. The lakes are popular for activities including fishing and swimming.

LOBLOLLY MARSH NATURE PRESERVE AND RAINBOW BOTTOM – Indiana DNR- Division of Nature Preserve and Friends of the Limberlost are active in maintaining and enriching these areas’ located Southwest and West of Geneva, respectively. This is a true birders paradise, as well as maintained walking trails.

OUR PULSE History and heritage are so important to Adams County and Geneva. This is a County that is looking forward, but with a sense of pride in the past. There are many things to be proud of, such as the beautiful nature, community spirit, and the role played in the life/upbringing of Gene Stratton Porter. There are many things that make this County and Town unique, one of which is being located in the heart of Amish Country. The Swiss Amish have an important economic impact on the Town of Geneva’s business owners, including long-time businesses in the community such as M&M Market and Briggs Hardware. Geneva’s striking history and remaining historical structures, along with the quaint Amish community and tranquil Nature Preserves, transform a visit to the town into a step back in time.