Posted in: Then & Now Then and Now: At Vermont and Meridian, Part I – 18 East Vermont

The Indiana War Memorial is one of the crown jewels of Indianapolis, but much like the soldiers it stands for, it came at a heavy cost–in this case, to the city’s history and architecture. Some...

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Posted in: Then & Now L.S. Stockman Drug Store, 501 N. Illinois Street

The L.S. Stockman Drug Store on the northeast corner of Michigan and Illinois Streets as it appeared in 1908. Image: Bass Photo Co. Collection, Indiana Historical Society   People who live or work downtown are...

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Posted in: Indianapolis Collected Indianapolis Collected: “Ghosts wept” as the Maennerchor fell

More than 1,000 members and friends of the Maennerchor gathered at its old hall on Washington Street in June 1906 to march through downtown Indianapolis to the site of the German singing club’s future headquarters at...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: Progress Laundry, 422-26 E. Market Street

Courtesy of the Indiana Album, ca. 1911 lantern slide from the collection of Joan Hostetler This week I showcase two lantern slides that I purchased on eBay of the Progress Laundry Company. Lantern slides were...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: IOOF Lodge and John Koch Furniture / Interstate 65-70, 824-30 Virginia Avenue

Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society, William H. Bass Photo Company Collection, Neg. 35980-F John Koch’s furniture store occupied this ca. 1900 brick building located between Fountain Square and Fletcher Place for over five decades....

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Prayers: Fall Creek Parkway and 32nd Street

If, like me, you frequent Fall Creek Parkway, you surely noticed a change at Fall Creek Parkway and 32nd in the last few weeks. First, a bunch of really tall, old, beautiful trees were taken...

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Posted in: Then & Now Indianapolis Then and Now: Woodruff Telephone Exchange / Webster Telephone Exchange 1721 N. Rural Street

Yet another building on the city’s demolition list seems structurally sound and has an interesting history, so this is a plea to help find a buyer. This brick building, located at 1721 N. Rural Street,...

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Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: 22nd & Broadway – Stop the Insanity!

This got a lot of attention this week on facebook, and the outrage was justifiably robust. This lovely limestone structure at the corner of 22nd & Broadway has been home to Broadway Methodist Episcopal, First...

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Posted in: Historic Miscellania Enter at your own Risk: 16th & College, the movie.

Just in case you missed the news on facebook, one of our favorite old commercial buildings was demolished this week. It was a familiar touchstone and neighborhood anchor that stood on the southwest corner of...

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Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: Rather than Tear it Down…

Sunday Prayers this week shows a property that looks comparable to others you may currently find on the oddly named “Rebuild Indy” demolition list. Rather than demolition, however, prayers were answered when this property was...

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Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers Answered: New Jersey Street, 2000 block

Thinking about the current issue we face with demolitions on the docket for Indianapolis got me thinking about other eras that did mass destruction to the city. We lost a LOT of amazing architecture between...

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Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: Discerning in Destruction, Please?

Can we all just take a moment to evaluate what we are about to destroy, please? Everyone sit the heck down and stop with the broad, sweeping indictment of boarded up houses headed for the...

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Posted in: Then & Now Then and Now: Hotel Lincoln / Hyatt Regency, 2-20 Kentucky Avenue

The corner of West Washington Street and Kentucky Avenue was once the site of the four-story Commercial Block. In 1906 the building housed various businesses including M. F. Smith, jeweler, and the tailor G. F....

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Posted in: Historic Miscellania Preservation Denied: Board of Trade Building

If you are a faithful reader of our site, you may recall our interview with Indiana Landmarks President, Marsh Davis, cited the Board of Trade building as one of the bigger losses to preservation in...

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