Indiana Landmarks, the private nonprofit that saves meaningful places around the state, will welcome 2,000 of the nation’s historic preservation professionals to Indianapolis Oct. 29 through Nov. 2 for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2013 National Preservation Conference.
In addition to participating in education sessions and special events, the historic preservation professionals, urban planners, community activists and heritage-tourism advocates attending the conference will visit historic sites throughout Indiana. Some attendees will participate in a day-long real estate charrette on Oct. 29 to discuss potential new uses for Indianapolis’ old City Hall at the corner of Alabama and Ohio streets.
“While it’s not a convention that attracts huge numbers of attendees, ‘Preservation at the Crossroads’ will bring influential individuals to our city and state,” said Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks.
Education sessions feature national and local experts and topics range from “The Squishy Factor: Making the Case for the Social Benefits of Historic Preservation” and “A Data-based Approach to Neighborhood Revitalization” to “Building Reuse: Obstacles and Solutions” and “Thirst-Quenching Preservation Opportunities: Microbreweries Saving Buildings and Communities.”
Field sessions will take conference attendees to historically significant sites across the state, including West Baden Springs, Columbus, Madison, Delphi, SAMARA in West Lafayette, and Underground Railroad sites in Eastern Indiana. In the Indianapolis area, sessions will explore repurposed industrial sites, Kurt Vonnegut’s landscape, and preserved rural areas in Traders Point and Zionsville.
Conference registration is open to the public starting at $275 for a single-day pass. Registration is required for education and field sessions.
Three events are open to the public with or without conference registration. They are:
Built: Dance Party to Benefit LGBT Heritage, Oct. 30, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Talbott Street nightclub, 2145 N. Talbott St., $25 per person.
The party will honor LGBT preservationists before bringing on the DJ and filling the dance floor. All are welcome and Halloween costumes are encouraged. A grant for an Indianapolis LGBT heritage project will be announced. Buy tickets at http://lgbtparty.eventbrite.com/.
Halloween Candlelight Home Tour, Oct. 31, 7 to 10 p.m., The Old Northside Historic District, $45 per person.
Trick or treat and tour eight private homes – seven restored Victorians and one modern infill-plus Morris-Butler House and Indiana Landmarks Center.
Tour ticket holders get free admission to Silent Halloween at Indiana Landmarks Center, featuring Lon Chaney in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and a Laurel and Hardy short with live organ accompaniment. Buy tickets at http://candlelighttour2013.eventbrite.com/.
Speakeasy on the Circle, Nov. 1, 7:30 to 11 p.m., the Columbia Club, $45 per person.
The historic Columbia Club turns into a stylish speakeasy with a soundtrack drawn from Indiana’s jazz heritage. The event occurs on several levels in the Monument Circle landmark and includes hors d’oeuvres, drinks and an auction benefitting the national Preservation Action Foundation followed by dancing and cabaret on the Crystal Terrace overlooking Monument Circle. Buy tickets at http://speakeasyonthecircle.eventbrite.com/.
For more information on the conference, visit www.PreservationNation.org/conference or call Indiana Landmarks, (317) 639-4534 or 800-450-4534
