MARCH/APRIL 2021

Post Taste Appreciating historic post office murals

GYM CLASS GOLDEN Basketball landmarks OPPORTUNITY on the rebound Saving Brookville’s Valley House FROM THE PRESIDENT STARTERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS Olon F. Dotson Muncie Hon. Randall T. Shepard Honorary Chair Melissa Glaze Roanoke Sara Edgerton Tracy Haddad Respect Chair Columbus Parker Beauchamp In Praise of Progress Past Chair David A. Haist Wabash for Rustic Doris Anne Sadler “PROGRESS MAY HAVE BEEN all right once, but it went on Vice Chair Emily J. Harrison SPANNING OVER 15,000 Attica Marsh Davis too long.” There may have been a time when Ogden Nash’s President Sarah L. Lechleiter acres, Brown County State witty quip characterized the historic preservation movement. Hilary Barnes Park qualifies as the state’s Secretary/Assistant Treasurer Shelby Moravec LaPorte Such is no longer the case. If the last year has taught us any- Thomas H. Engle largest historic district after Assistant Secretary Ray Ontko its addition to the National thing, it’s that change and progress are not only inevitable, they Richmond Brett D. McKamey are imperative. That holds true for historic preservation, if it is Treasurer Martin E. Rahe Register of Historic Places Cincinnati, OH to remain relevant. Judy A. O’Bannon in December. The area’s Secretary Emerita James W. Renne One obvious and dramatic change can be found in the way Newburgh spectacular natural views we gather. Virtually all of our meetings now are, well, virtual. DIRECTORS David A. Resnick, CPA attracted artists at the Sarah Evans Barker Carmel While we sorely miss the in-person contact, we now regularly Morgantown George A. Rogge turn of the twentieth cen- The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Gary tury, drawing even more interact with colleagues across the state and nation, eliminat- Baskerville-Burrows Sallie W. Rowland ing travel time and expense. This week, for instance, members Indianapolis Zionsville visitors after it became the Bruce W. Buchanan Peter J. Sacopulos of our affiliate council of local preservation organizations Indianapolis Terre Haute Brown County State Game Candace Chapman Robert L. Santa assembled in Zoom conferences that were well attended and no Preserve in 1924. In the ©BOTTLEWORKS HOTEL Evansville Bloomington less substantive than if we had met in person. Edward D. Clere Charlitta Winston 1930s, Civilian Conservation More importantly, we seek changes in the way the his- New Albany Indianapolis Corps crews helped define Mike Corbett John D. Zeglis toric preservation movement addresses our shared heritage. Noblesville Culver the park’s architecture, Ellen Swisher Crabb Beau F. Zoeller creating gatehouses and Auction to the Rescue! Looking back, we recognize how much we need to examine Indianapolis Henryville hough we can’t gather in person for our annual Rescue the motivations for choosing what we have preserved and Cheri Dick shelters in the park rustic Zionsville how those places are interpreted. Looking forward, we must style—even shaping its Party this spring, you can still help us save endangered seek ways to broaden the scope of what we preserve, hasten- trails and lakes. Indiana places by bidding in online auctions this April. Items up OFFICES & HISTORIC SITES Tfor bid will include exclusive overnight packages at two of the ing the arc of change that now celebrates not only high-style Landmarks staff authored state’s most celebrated restored destinations: West Baden Springs landmarks of affluence but places that reflect the wonderful Headquarters Southeast Field Office the nomination, part- Indiana Landmarks Center Aurora Hotel and the recently opened Bottleworks Hotel, located in diversity of our land. In so doing we will connect with new gen- 1201 Central Avenue (812) 926-0983 nering with the Indiana Indianapolis, IN 46202 Southwest Field Office Department of Natural Indianapolis’s historic Coca-Cola bottling plant. Both packages erations of preservationists and ensure that our work remains [email protected] Evansville (317) 639-4534 (812) 423-2988 Resources and supported feature extras including private tours, dining, entertainment, and relevant. (800) 450-4534 Western Regional Office by local preservation group more. Learn more on p.19. We speak of historic preservation as a movement. That, of Northwest Field Office Terre Haute Gary (812) 232-4534 Peaceful Valley Heritage. (219) 947-2657 course, suggests motion—and, hopefully, forward motion, oth- Huddleston Farmhouse erwise known as progress. Central Regional Office Cambridge City Indianapolis (765) 478-3172 (317) 639-4534 Morris-Butler House Eastern Regional Office Indianapolis Cambridge City (317) 639-4534 (765) 478-3172 Veraestau Northern Regional Office Aurora South Bend (812) 926-0983 (574) 232-4534 Marsh Davis, President French Lick and West Northeast Field Office Baden Springs tours Wabash (866) 571-8687 (toll free) (800) 450-4534 (812) 936-5870 Indiana post offices received Southern Regional Office New Albany murals through the federal (812) 284-4534 Section of Painting and Sculpture from 1936 to 1942. Read about A detail from Hay Making by Marguerite Zorach in Monticello’s post ©2021, Indiana Landmarks; ISSN#: 0737-8602 how the New Deal program left its On the office, one of 37 murals created statewide through a New Deal-era Indiana Landmarks publishes Indiana Preservation bimonthly Culver post office Cover program. Learn more on pp. 4-5. PHOTO BY LEE LEWELLEN for members. To join and learn other membership benefits, mark on post offices around the visit indianalandmarks.org or contact memberships@ state on pp. 4-5. indianalandmarks.org, 317-639-4534 or 800-450-4534. To PAIGE WASSEL LEE LEWELLEN offer suggestions for Indiana Preservation, contact editor@ indianalandmarks.org. 2 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 3 MATTER OF STYLE

Lake, Indiana, centers around Solon Powell contacted local preservation nonprofit Saving Robinson, the city’s founder, and Historic Orange County (SHOC), which solicited permission Chief Mewonitoc, the eponym of from the postal service’s federal preservation officer to pursue Robinson’s 1867 novel on his inter- the mural’s conservation. The group raised $5,000 in grants actions with Native Americans in Post office murals and private donations to hire Parma Conservation of Chicago northwest Indiana. In Alexandria’s often depict arche- to clean the mural, revealing its rich original colors. SHOC typical Americans, post office, Roland Schweinsburg’s fictional charac- used the opportunity to raise public awareness, inviting area art The Sleighing Party includes James ters, and real local teachers to bring their students to observe the conservators at Whitcomb Riley’s “Raggedy Man.” people. Installed work and commissioning a plaque for the post office explain- Pay to artists ranged from $600 to in 1938, Jessie Hull ing the mural’s origins. The artist’s son and his wife came to the Mayer’s The Arrival $1,000 for work that could take up to of the Mail in Culver plaque dedication and donated one of Rost’s drawings, which a year. By December 1942, as the pro- (below) references now hangs in the local library. The group also borrowed a gram neared its end, the Section had the nearby military traveling exhibit on post office murals by the Indiana Historical spent about $1.8 million (an estimated academy, farming Society for display in the post office lobby. community, and $30 million today) on 1,047 murals lakeside recreation. Not long after the Monticello Post Office received Indiana’s and 268 sculptures nationwide. PHOTO BY LEE LEWELLEN last mural in November 1942, the federal government’s public

New Deal Leaves Stamp on Local Post Offices

MOST PEOPLE GO TO THE POST OFFICE TO MAIL established the Section of Painting and Sculpture, aimed at a package or pick up a book of stamps, but lucky patrons may decorating public buildings, enriching the cultural experience of also have a chance to stop and admire a beautiful piece of art. If Americans, and offering financial relief for unemployed artists. your post office was built in the 1930s and 1940s, the next time Reasoning that most people visited post offices, the Section you step into the lobby, look up. You may be in for a treat! focused on commissioning murals and sculptures at post offices During the Depression, the federal government sought to across the country. Two years later, Indiana received its first post put people to work through a number of initiatives as part of office murals, a pair painted by Henrik Martin Mayer in Lafayette. the New Deal, including funding for public art projects. In order to promote high-quality art, the Section selected art- In 1934, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., ists via state, regional, and national competitions, asking them to submit proposals that reflected the host community, even encour- A Depression-era aging artists to interview residents and postmasters for inspiration. federal program Though some artists failed to win the competition they commissioned murals and entered, they were invited to create murals for smaller build- sculptures for ings, often in the same general region. After Indianapolis new post offices, artist Jessie Hull Mayer lost the contest to create murals for creating public the Lafayette post office (her husband submitted the winning Originally, 37 Indiana post offices received murals through art program came to an end. In 1943, as the nation’s industrial art still on display around Indiana. In entry), she was commissioned to paint a mural in the Culver the Section’s program; 36 remain today, according to a survey focus shifted to the war effort, the construction of new post 2012, concerned post office. Completed in 1938, The Arrival of the Mail in completed in 1995. Though murals have been lost to demoli- offices and associated funding for murals came to a halt. citizens led an Culver depicts students from Culver’s military academy looking tion or deterioration around the U.S., in Indiana appreciation For further reading, check out The Living New Deal, effort to clean at their letters. Mayer went on to create murals for post offices of these public artworks has spurred conservation efforts. livingnewdeal.org, an online project documenting the impact Rural Mail Carrier in Paoli’s 1937 post in Jasper, LaGrange, and Canton, Missouri. In 2012, Paoli resident and former University of Pittsburgh of New Deal programs, or A Simple and Vital Design: The Story office (above). Post office murals often depicted archetypes of Americans art professor Edward Powell noticed the poor condition of the of the Indiana Post Office Murals by John C. Carlisle. Indiana’s last mural (farmers, laborers, pioneers, etc.), real people from the com- town’s post office mural Rural Mail Carrier, painted in 1939 was installed in Monticello’s post munity or region, fictional characters, or some combina- by Richmond native Tom Rost. The mural had been cleaned in — Adapted from an article by Brad Miller, director of Indiana office (left) in 1942. tion of the three. Crown Point’s post office mural by George the 1980s but ensuing years of cigarette smoke and dirt left it Landmarks’ Northwest Field Office in Gary. PHOTOS BY LEE LEWELLEN Melville Smith, From Such Beginnings Sprang the County of darkened and grimy.

4 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 5 NEWS

including installing a new restaurant and renovating an existing pharmacy at the block’s north end. “You couldn’t ask for a better loca- tion in a downtown area, with plenty of places to walk and shop within walking distance, which makes this kind of housing attractive to people who want to age in place,” notes Rippe. Fortuitously, floor levels across the buildings lined up within six inches, making it possible to create connect- ing hallways that could be accessed At street level, affordable housing construction to proceed, but financing by a shared elevator. Workers pre- storefronts received difficulties put development of the market-rate apartments a facelift. On one served historic architectural elements, historic façade, on hold. including a grand staircase in the workers removed “In small towns like this, where there haven’t been any new former hotel, pressed-metal ceilings, later additions to apartments built in 40 years, lenders are apprehensive because tile, and original woodwork and reveal long-hidden of the absorption rate of apartments and overall ability to architectural ele- floors. At street level, the historic ments, including achieve market rate rents. There’s just no data to support it,” storefronts received a facelift, expos- original cast-iron says Rippe. ing long-hidden cast-iron columns columns and a Around the same time, the State designated Brookville as and a prismatic glass transom with prismatic glass an Opportunity Zone. Created through the federal Tax Cuts transom. an art glass insert. Low-Income PHOTOS © RATIO and Jobs Acts of 2017, opportunity zones encourage private Housing Tax Credits from the investment in rural and low-income communities by defer- Interior spaces Indiana Housing and Community incorporate original ring federal taxes on capital gains invested in designated areas. Bringing Back Brookville’s Valley House Development Agency and federal features, including Indiana currently has 156 opportunity zones. Historic Preservation Tax Credits as pressed-metal ceil- In 2018, long-time Brookville residents Mick and Jenny FOR MORE THAN 160 YEARS, THE VALLEY Last October and neglect, the hotel earned a spot well as developer equity allowed the ings and tile (below, Wilz sold Sur-Seal Gasket, a family business Mick’s father left). The state’s House Hotel has anchored a commercial block on Brookville’s marked the open- on Indiana Landmarks’ inaugural 10 founded in Cincinnati, and were incurring capital gains as ing of Valley House first completed Main Street across from the Franklin County Courthouse. Flats, an $11 million Most Endangered list. A Connersville project to use a result. They began exploring how investing in Brookville’s Once a popular overnight stop for passengers traveling between development that businessman bought the build- Opportunity Zone Opportunity Zone could benefit the community and liked the Indianapolis and Cincinnati, the long-vacant hotel earned repurposed six ing, but his plans for its reuse never funding, the Valley idea of helping the Valley House—a landmark whose fate they House Flats devel- notoriety in recent decades for its state of disrepair. Last year historic commercial materialized. Stalled developments had both been concerned about over the years. Their contri- buildings as afford- opment also lever- marked a turnaround for the site and the surrounding block, able and market- in the intervening years left the hotel aged a mix of state bution through the Opportunity Zone program allowed the revitalized and reopened as Valley House Flats, an $11 million rate apartments foundering. low-income housing development of the market-rate apartments to proceed. for seniors. The tax credits, federal development and the first project in the state completed using Looking for a solution to save the historic preserva- “This gave us the opportunity to really help the community Opportunity Zone funding. project rescued the landmark, town leaders and business and get to see our money being used, when it would just go to 1852 Valley House tion tax credits, and Much of the block including the Valley House dates to Hotel, a long- owners reached out in 2014 to Bruce developer equity. taxes if we didn’t find a project like this,” says Jenny. PHOTO © VALLEY HOUSE 1852, built after a devasting downtown fire destroyed the empty landmark Rippe, a developer with experi- FLATS The experience encouraged the couple to make other oppor- previous buildings and adjacent county courthouse. Opened in Franklin County ence adapting historic buildings and tunity zone investments, acquiring Whitewater Publications, Citizens for Historic December 1852, the hotel became a hub for traveling business Preservation and creating affordable housing in other publisher of the local newspaper located in another historic leaders, government officials, and dignitaries, with author and community leaders small towns. The proposed develop- building on Main Street, and supporting the development of a General Lew Wallace, Indianapolis Mayor Charles Bookwalter, had worked for ment aimed to save the Valley House new area hotel. and presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan among its decades to save. and renovate six historic commercial Valley House Flats held its grand opening in October 2020, PHOTO © VALLEY HOUSE famous guests. FLATS buildings on the block as a mix of and by early 2021, 34 out of its 47 apartments had been leased. By the time it closed in the 1970s, the Valley House report- affordable and market-rate apartments “In a time of pandemic, when people aren’t feeling very edly claimed status as Indiana’s oldest continuously operating for seniors. At ground level, plans positive, there was so much positivity here last year with the hotel. In 1991, however, blighted by two decades of vacancy called for retail and other amenities, Valley House,” adds Mick.

6 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 7 After a visit to Indiana for the state’s high school finals in 1925, even Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game, expressed amazement at Hoosiers’ embrace of basketball. So, it may be no surprise the NCAA announced in January that the entire Division 1 men’s 2021 basketball tournament would be played in Indiana. A number of the state’s iconic historic gyms will take center stage hosting the tourna- ment, including Purdue University’s Mackey Arena (1967), Indiana University’s Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (1971), the Indiana Farmers Coliseum (1938) at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, and—perhaps the grandaddy of them all—Butler University’s (1928), a National Historic Landmark. Outside of these great landmarks, historic gyms both large and small can still be found in almost every corner of the state. Indiana’s first high school state basketball tournament took place in 1911, and the ensuing decades saw a flurry of gym construction as communities built home courts for teams hoping to make it to the state championship. Eventually, school consolidation and con- struction of newer facilities left many small- town arenas empty and idle. Marshall County’s 1928 gym in Bourbon was the latest casualty, demolished last year after the Triton Community School Corporation said it could no longer sup- port the old gym’s upkeep. In Converse, local Designed by Fermor Spencer Cannon in 1928 to advocates are still searching for a use that would seat 15,000, Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse give the 1926 Bordermen Gym new purpose. served for years as host venue for the state’s single-class high school basketball champion- Elsewhere around the state, communities have ship. Today, the National Historic Landmark is rallied to preserve their gyms, adapting them to revered by many as a basketball cathedral. new uses, or reviving them as true temples to PHOTO © BUTLER UNIVERSITY “Hoosier Hysteria.”

indianalandmarks.org 9 Still owned by the school, it’s primar- ily used as a gym for the Mooresville Junior Basketball League and occa- sional school functions. In 1939, the Public Works Administration helped fund construc- tion of Jasper High School’s yellow brick gym for $100,000. In 1984, school leaders rechristened it the Cabby O’Neill Gym to honor Coach Leo “Cabby” O’Neill, who steered the school’s boys basketball team helped Wildcats to win the state champion- In 2009, concerned Landmarks’ support, successfully appealed for its preservation. winning game plan dig its basement and transport gravel ship in 1949. After the high school citizens rallied to save The initiative raised funds for the gym’s renovation, including Jasper’s threatened for the concrete foundation. moved out for newer facilities in Cabby O’Neill Gym a new roof, heating, plumbing, and electrical work. n Indiana, few landmarks stir as much local sentiment as Communities The gym served the high school 1977, the Art Deco landmark became (above), rehabbed as The victory proved fortuitous in 2011, when the roof historic gyms. They serve as symbols of local identity, the around Indiana until 1959, when the school corpora- home court for Jasper’s middle school. an events venue. New collapsed at the newer high school gym, making the Cabby have preserved focus of hometown pride, and the backdrop for genera- tion built a new high school and gym. When the school board con- Harmony’s Ribeyre O’Neill Gym the high school team’s home court once again historic gyms, Gym (below) also tions I of memories. As schools grow and consolidate, however, sometimes It continued to use the old gym for sidered demolishing the gym for two seasons. Today, the gym hosts community and school found new use host- many of these local landmarks end up as second-string play- adapting them junior high team games and elemen- in 2009, the Dubois County ing events. events year-round, even the occasional Wildcats game. to new uses. The PHOTOS BY GREG SEKULA ers, replaced by larger gyms with more modern amenities. tary school physical education classes. Historic Preservation Committee (ABOVE), LEE LEWELLEN, THE Long before it had its moment in the spotlight as a stand-in 1920 Mooresville PROGRESSIVE IMAGE (BELOW) When historic gyms lost their original purpose, communities Gymnasium (above) In 1996, as the aging gym began to and a friends group, with Indiana for the Jasper gym in Hoosiers, Lebanon High School’s 1931 in Mooresville, Jasper, Lebanon, and New Harmony rallied for hosts a junior fall into disrepair, locals formed a gym starred locally as the home court of the Tigers and venue their preservation. basketball league committee to save the building, rais- for several sectional tourneys. After the high school moved to In December, Mooresville celebrated the 100th anniversary and occasional ing donations and securing a $77,150 newer facilities in 1968, the City bought the gym for use by school functions, of its historic Mooresville Gymnasium, marking the landmark’s while Lebanon’s grant from Lilly Endowment for its recreation department and the local YMCA. long history within the community. Dedicated in 1920, the gym 1931 Memory Hall much-needed renovations. In the ’90s, city leaders sought a new use for the deteriorat- became Morgan County’s first facility built specifically for basket- (below) is used by Today, Mooresville Gymnasium ing gym and neighboring historic high school, repurposed residents of the ball. On the condition they would be repaid and with the prom- adjoining apart- is part of a campus of historic build- as apartments for seniors. Now part of a luxury apartment ise of free passes to home games in the first year, Mooresville ment complex. ings, including the 1861 high school complex, The Flats of Lebanon, Memory Hall serves as a PHOTOS © MOORESVILLE residents and businesses made $100 loans to the school’s athletic SCHOOLS (ABOVE), (known as the Academy) and 1936 fitness center for residents and rental space for private events. association, raising $23,000 to build the new gymnasium. The KURTIS CRABTREE (BELOW) Newby Memorial Elementary School. Where the stage used to be, a mural commemorates the gym’s history, including former player Rick “the Rocket” Mount, who played for Lebanon from 1962-1966 and became the first high school athlete featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In southwest Indiana, New Harmony’s 1924 Ribeyre Gymnasium became another Indiana gym to gain fame on film, featured in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own. Today, following a dedicated student and community-led initiative to repurpose the building, it’s The Ribeyre Center, the town’s largest events venue. Faced with a decaying building, New Harmony students formed the Ribeyre Gymnasium Restoration Group (RGRG) in 2001. The group raised over $1 million to restore and update the gym. Used for weddings, banquets, con- ferences, and festivals, the center’s business took a hit in 2020. “We were going fantastic until COVID hit,” says Rick Johnson, a former New Harmony teacher and RGRG board member. “Hopefully things will pick up this year, because we still have improvements on our to-do list for this awesome building!”

10 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 11 attracts upwards of 60,000 visitors In a typical year, bottom line, which relies on income from games and souvenir from all over the U.S. and beyond. thousands of purchases. To help recoup some of the lost income, the Indiana visitors flock to But 2020 was anything but normal, the Hoosier Gym Broadcasters Association partnered with drive-in theaters in as the pandemic forced the facility to to watch all-star Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Terre Haute to host screenings cancel most of its in-person events. games, shoot bas- of Hoosiers, raising around $15,000. The lost revenue put a dent in its kets, and look at 2021 marks a major anniversary year for the site, as the gym sports and movie memorabilia in the turns 100, Hoosiers turns 35, and the neighboring Knightstown gym’s museum. Academy turns 145. Volunteers are planning several events to PHOTOS © THE HOOSIER GYM mark the occasion, including a block party and parade on May 22 that will include the Hickory Huskers bus from the movie. All events depend on current recommendations concerning gatherings. Stay updated by visiting hoosiergym2021.com and thehoosiergym.com.

Hoosier Gym regularly hosts basket- It’s Iconic ball exhibitions, including the popular Original Inspiration Hoosiers Reunion All-Star Classic, RISING ABOVE THE TOWN OF Company. Last painted in 1969, its hen it comes to cementing Indiana’s basketball Indiana’s 1921 where teams of top athletes from Milan, population approx. 2,040, lettering was nearly unreadable reputation, the state owes a debt to the 1986 Knightstown around the state play as a Hickory a water tower proclaiming “State by 2017, when the Town of Milan Gymnasium gained Champs 1954” celebrates the com- secured donations and a $28,452 movie Hoosiers. Inspired by the events leading to widespread fame as Husker or Terhune Tiger. theW 1954 state championship game between tiny Milan and the home gym for “People are drawn here because munity’s claim to fame. The tower grant from Rising Sun Regional powerhouse Muncie, the movie filmed on location in historic the fictional Hickory of the movie, then they get here and commemorates Milan High School’s Foundation to make repairs, install gyms, downtowns, and churches around Indiana. Its most Huskers in the 1986 understand this is a really neat old basketball team, which famously new lighting, and repaint the iconic filmHoosiers . The beat Muncie Central 32-30 with a tower black with white lettering. iconic venue, Knightstown’s Hoosier Gym, remains a mecca for starring role gave building,” says Events Coordinator buzzer-beating shot to win the state Drive to see it for yourself and fans of the film and game. new purpose to the Bob Garner, who played as a senior championship at Butler Fieldhouse make plans to visit the Milan ’54 Before it gained national recognition, the gym sparked local landmark, restored in 1966 with the last Knightstown in 1954. Dubbed the Milan Hoosiers Museum, located in the pride as home to the Knightstown Panthers. Before construct- as a museum and basketball team to use the building. events center. Miracle, the match-up drew former State Bank of Milan on Carr ing the gym in 1921, Knightstown Community School held “And of course, everyone wants to Volunteers are plan- David and Goliath compari- Street. The first floor offers a trea- ning several events basketball games in a hall above the town drugstore and in a shoot a basket.” sons (Milan High School’s sure trove of memorabilia con- church basement. After the school system built a new high to mark the gym’s Going into 2020, the gym was in 100th anniversary enrollment was 161 com- nected to the 1954 team, as well school and gym in 1966, it shuttered the old gym. It sat this year. better shape than ever, with a new roof, pared to Muncie’s 1,662) as movie props and uniforms from mostly empty for nearly 20 years, until location scouts for PHOTO BY MIKE FENDER windows and other repairs funded by a and inspired the 1986 film Hoosiers. The museum’s hours are Hoosiers chose the site to stand in as home gym for the fictional $500,000 grant from the Indiana Office Hoosiers. Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Hickory Huskers. of Community and Rural Affairs. The tower was built in with groups by appointment. Learn Recast as a community center and museum featuring mem- In a normal year, the gym hosts 1924 to provide fire protec- more at milan54.org or by calling orabilia from the film and area sports teams, the non-profit more than 80 basketball games and tion for the Milan Furniture 812-654-2772.

PHOTOS BY JARRAD HOLBROOK (ABOVE, LEFT), © MILAN ’54 HOOSIERS MUSEUM (LEFT) 12 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 13 MEMBER PROFILE

Tomorrow in the Indiana Dunes and the “Pagoda House,” a John Lloyd Wright design in Long Beach. Jim’s father, Bloomington architect William Strain, took Jim on consults around the state. The couple met while attending Indiana University in the ’60s and moved to Indianapolis when Jim took a job as an attorney. Cheryl connected with Indiana Landmarks while volunteering with the Junior League of Indianapolis, helping to lead tours in the Lockerbie Square and Old Northside neighbor- hoods, where Indiana Landmarks was partnering with other non-profits to encourage investment. In 2004, a desire to live near down- town prompted them to hire Axis Architecture to build a house on a vacant lot in the Old Northside, work- ing with the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission to make sure it fit in with its Victorian neighbors. The open design includes spaces dedicated

to their interests: a spacious kitchen In 2004, the movie adaptation of So Cold the River, where their son worked where Cheryl can experiment with Strains hired Axis on the production crew. “That particular place keeps coming Love for Design Architecture to new recipes and a darkroom where Jim design a home back in our family memories,” says Cheryl. “All our children Draws Supporters can develop film and prints of places (above and right) have become interested in architecture and art as well.” he’s photographed (historic churches that complemented Indiana Landmarks’ mission to save meaningful places INDIANAPOLIS RESIDENTS Indianapolis resi- around Indiana and throughout its Victorian resonates with the Strains. “When you look at the places on neighbors while Jim and Cheryl Strain reveal a life- dents Cheryl and Europe remain a favorite subject). The Indiana Landmarks’ most endangered list, there’s a history Jim Strain (above, catering to their long appreciation of good design in on a 2019 trip to couple opened their home as part of interests in cooking there, and to just discard these places is a shame,” notes Cheryl. the variety of houses they’ve owned: Paris, France) credit the Old Northside’s Candlelight Tour and photography, “These places define us,” adds Jim. “The work you are doing is a Craftsman house at 45th Street a lifelong appre- when Indianapolis hosted the National including a court- important and it shows.” yard where they and Broadway, a Tudor Revival in ciation of architec- Preservation Conference in 2013. ture for inspiring relax and enter- Golden Hill, and two Contemporary them to become The Strains say they support tain. They opened designs—one by architect Carolyn members of Indiana Indiana Landmarks because they’ve their home for the Landmarks. A love Old Northside’s Goode in Williams Creek and one they seen its impact—from restoring the Candlelight Tour commissioned in the Old Northside. of good design Central Avenue Methodist Church prompted them when Indianapolis Their love of architecture of all eras to live in architec- just down the street from their hosted the National and styles inspired them to become turally significant home to engineering the comeback Preservation Conference in 2013. members of Indiana Landmarks. homes, including of the in a Contemporary PHOTOS BY JIM STRAIN Both credit their families for foster- design (right) in southern Indiana. The couple took ing a preservation ethic. Growing up the Old Northside their kids to see the grand hotel in in Michigan City, Cheryl recalls going neighborhood. its “before” state, and returned last PHOTOS © THE STRAINS on Sunday drives to look at interest- (ABOVE), BRENDAN CRONIN year as extras when the restored hotel ing buildings, including the House of (RIGHT) provided the backdrop for filming the

14 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 15 REAL ESTATE LANDMARKS Everyone FOR ON THE MARKET see more at loves a good SALE indianalandmarks.org “We’re very excited to dig into comeback the work ahead,” adds Aaron. “We love the home’s intricate features story from the woodwork inside and out Indiana Landmarks to the stained glass in the attic dor- Rescued & Restored shares turnaround tales of mer windows.” more than 50 landmarks Haven Hubbard’s grandfather saved across the state and built the stately brick home around restored to new uses, with 1860 as the centerpiece of a sprawl- dramatic before-and-after ing farm, adding the distinctive solar- photographs illustrating ium and other Queen Anne features their revival. Have you during an 1890s remodel. In 1916, purchased your copy yet? Haven’s widow Armenia donated Proceeds from the sales of the 750-acre farm and nineteenth- the coffee table book sup- 207 Hanover Avenue century homestead to the Evangelical port the work of Indiana Aurora Church, with enough money to build Landmarks, helping us save and revitalize more C.1905 standout with special elements the Haven Hubbard Memorial Old historic Hoosier places. throughout, including staircase with People’s Home. built-in bench, art glass windows, Today, Greencroft Communities pocket doors, fireplaces, and win- dow seat with storage. 2,400 square operates a modern retirement facility feet plus full attic. Ohio River access. on the property. The historic house Recent improvements include new had been vacant for nearly a decade, roof, art glass repair, and interior refin- Finding Their Haven however, when our local affiliate, ishing. Inquire for price. Historic New Carlisle, raised concerns Jarrad Holbrook FOR BRIAN AND AARON Aaron and Brian New Carlisle’s Old Republic, a former entry on our 10 Most about its future. The group facilitated 404-909-5219 Blight, rescuing things that are Blight (below, with Endangered list. discussions with Greencroft and [email protected] canine companion neglected or unwanted is a way of Eleanor) purchased Brian and Aaron closed on Haven Hubbard House helped clean out the house before it life. The couple previously renovated New Carlisle’s Haven just before Christmas and immediately jumped into went on the market. a vintage cottage in South Bend, Hubbard House action. Brian’s experience as project manager for CORE Indiana Landmarks negotiated an (above) from Indiana $29.95 plus shipping and rescuing a discarded slate roof from a Landmarks late Construction will guide the restoration. “I come from a agreement with Greencroft’s board handling. Order online at nearby school renovation for instal- last year, drawn by long line of carpenters, and I still have their old toolboxes, to sell the house, using an option to bit.ly/RescuedRestored lation on their home. As founder the home’s original including a tool chest from my great-grandfather,” says buy the property. We sold it to the (link is case sensitive) or woodwork, parquet of Heartland Small Animal Rescue, Brian. “The woodwork and details inside of the home fit Blights with covenants protecting call 800-450-4534. floors, built-ins, and Aaron works to find loving families other historic details. well with that heritage and were part of what drew me to the exterior as well as interior details, for pets in need. Now, as new owners PHOTOS BY TODD ZEIGER the property.” including the stunning original wood- of the Haven Hubbard House in New work and built-ins, fireplaces and Carlisle, she and Brian are bringing exquisite parquet floors. Illinois Bell Telephone HAVE A Building their enthusiasm to one of the area’s “We couldn’t have made this save HISTORIC HOME 541 South Lake Street, Gary most historic properties. without Greencroft’s commitment,” OR COMMERCIAL The couple spotted the house for says Todd Zeiger, director of Indiana BUILDING FOR Co-working office space for rent in historic building along Lake Street. The sale via a Facebook post in 2019. Landmarks’ Northern Regional SALE? available space is 121 square feet. with Intrigued by the property’s low asking Office. “The happy ending is payoff Ask us about options for two built-in desks, shelving, and access to a shared conference area, office price—just $35,000—and its stun- for years of conversations and legal advertising your property ning original woodwork, the Blights work aimed at getting the house into kitchen, and bathroom. Utilities included here or on our website. as well as high speed internet. $350 per reached out to Indiana Landmarks. the hands of people who will bring Contact Paige Wassel, month with a minimum one-year lease. Brian had become acquainted with new life to it.” 317-639-4534, editor@ indianalandmarks.org. Brad Miller the organization while working for 219-947-2657 the general contractor that renovated [email protected]

16 INDIANA PRESERVATION indianalandmarks.org 17 March/April 2021

WHAT WE’RE SAVING NOW

“Most people remember the building from its days as an ice cream and soda shop or when it was a library,” says Breanne. “It’s a really cute building West Baden Springs Hotel with a lot of personality.” Indiana Landmarks staff offered technical advice and a grant to help nominate the building to the National Register of Historic Places. Dubbed “The Bankquet,” the events center opened in July 2020. “It was rewarding seeing it come to fruition and rescuing something from neglect and turning it around into something that enhances the Banking on a Turnaround community,” says Edward. “I think it brings a lot of happiness to those GROWING UP IN GRIFFITH, BREANNE STOVER Breanne and whose families have been here for Newport Hill Climb had always been captivated by the brick and stone-trimmed Edward Stover spent generations to see it saved. Being able two-and-a-half years building on a prominent corner at Main and Broad streets. So adapting the 1920 to resurrect it really gives us a sense of when a for sale sign went up in front of the property in 2017, Griffith State Bank community pride.” (below) into The Visit indianalandmarks.org/tours-events to RSVP INDIANAPOLIS CITY FRENCH LICK & WEST Breanne and her husband, Edward, moved quickly to buy it, The Stovers hope to host an event MARKET CATACOMBS BADEN SPRINGS embarking on a two-and-half-year rehabilitation to transform Bankquet, an events to celebrate the bank’s 100th anni- and receive information on upcoming events center that opened TOURS Ongoing tours for the Colonial Revival-style building into an events center. in July 2020. versary this spring. Learn more about Join a guided tour of the overnight guests: Built in 1920 as Griffith State Bank, the structure served a PHOTOS © THE BANKQUET The Bankquet and see additional remains of Tomlinson (ABOVE), BRAD MILLER Hall, hidden beneath the West Baden Springs Hotel number of uses over the years, most recently as a sign maker’s (BELOW) photos at thebankquethall.com. Talking Track: Indianapolis City Market. Wednesday-Saturday, studio. Even in its diminished state, the bank attracted attention Indiana’s Racing Heritage In 2021, tours begin on the 2 & 4 p.m. with its barrel-vaulted ceiling, Palladian window, stone lintels, market’s mezzanine and April 8 French Lick Springs Hotel and terrazzo floor. By the time the Stovers bought it, water include a brief history of Join Mark Eutsler, co-founder of Indiana Racing Memorial Wednesday-Saturday, noon infiltration from a leaking roof had caused significant damage to the building’s develop- Association (IRMA), for a virtual talk highlighting the his- ment. Tours offered on Tours depart from our the bank’s walls and ceiling. They installed a new slate roof and tory of motorsports across the Hoosier state. Founded in Mar. 19, 22, 24, 26, 29, Landmarks Emporium shops reskimmed every inch of the water-damaged plaster. To turn the and 31 and Apr. 2, at in the hotels. Discount for 2013, IRMA memorializes the people, places and events of old bank vault into a bathroom for the facility, workers cored 11:40 a.m., noon, 12:20, members on tours and in Indiana’s racing heritage through installation of permanent 12:40, 1, and 1:20 p.m. shops. Reservations recom- through 21 inches of concrete to add plumbing and electrical historic markers. To date, the group has dedicated 48 markers, Advance ticket required. mended. 812-936-5870, access. As a maintenance and restoration contractor based in $12/general admission, swoodward@ commemorating sites including the Stutz Motor Company, Chicago, Edward brought hands-on experience to the project. $6/child (age 6-11), indianalandmarks.org. Wabash Clay Company, and the Newport Hill Climb. Free Throughout the rehabilitation, people stopped by to share $10/member; free for chil- NOTE: All tours are open only with RSVP. 7–8 p.m. dren ages 5 and under. memories of the building and thank the Stovers for their work. to overnight guests of French NOTE: Tour schedule is Lick Resort, subject to the his- subject to change pend- toric hotels being open to the Rescue Party Auction ing safety directives and public. Check our website for Help rescue endangered landmarks by participating in our health concerns. current status and ticket info IN THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE of our member magazine, some sharp-eyed online Auction to the Rescue! Bid on a variety of items in a readers correctly pointed out that we used a photo of Indianapolis’s Admiral silent auction beginning April 19, and on Thursday, April 29, Apartments with a caption identifying the building as the Drake Apartments. Help Indiana Landmarks achieve even more by: Located along Meridian Street, both landmarks are fantastic examples of grand join Indiana Landmarks’ President Marsh Davis online for apartment buildings built during a multi-family housing boom in Indianapolis in a live auction featuring exclusive experiences and overnight • Renewing your membership For more information talk to Sharon Gamble, the 1920s. When demolition loomed for the Drake in 2019, Indiana Landmarks stays (see p.3). All proceeds support Indiana Landmarks’ • Making a donation in addition joined preservation advocates and city leaders to lend support for its preserva- to membership 800-450-4534 work to save meaningful places. Watch our website for more BRIEFLY tion. The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission voted to protect the • Including Indiana Landmarks or visit building as a local landmark, and we continue to keep an eye on the property. information. in your estate plans indianalandmarks.org NOTED We sincerely apologize for the mix-up. We won’t even use 2020 as an excuse. JOSHUA BIGGS PHOTOS © INDIANA RACING MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION (ABOVE, LEFT), DAVE DECARO (ABOVE, RIGHT) 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

The Fountain County Art Council is leading a campaign to rehabilitate the 1854 Cades Mill Covered Bridge, the state’s oldest covered span still in its original location. Indiana Landmarks Bridge awarded a $3,500 grant for a struc- tural analysis to Rebuilders help guide repairs. PHOTO BY EMILY ECKARDT

BUILT IN 1854 TO SPAN COAL CREEK NEAR hope to restore the bridge as a regional attraction—a place to Veedersburg, Cades Mill Covered Bridge holds distinction as host small events and engage covered bridge enthusiasts. Indiana’s oldest covered bridge still in its original location. One Workers made emergency repairs in 2019 to stabilize the of only three covered bridges in the county, it serves pedestrian span and halt further damage. A $3,500 Efroymson Family traffic today, closed to vehicles when the adjacent modern Endangered Places grant from Indiana Landmarks will help bridge was constructed. fund a structural analysis and construction plans. Donations In recent years, shifting abutments and a broken truss caused to the project can be sent to the Western Indiana Community by flooding gave the Cades Mill bridge a noticeable lean, Foundation, Covered Bridge Fund, P.O. Box 175, Covington, inspiring the Fountain County Art Council (FCAC) to launch Indiana, 47932. a $405,000 initiative to rehabilitate the span. FCAC members

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