Day in and day out, several Indianapolis residents travel along the city streets without knowledge of the area’s historic districts and landmarks. Following are several locations in Indianapolis that hold significant value. Maybe the next time you step foot onto one of these sites, you’ll appreciate the stories and the many traditions they share.
INDIANAPOLIS UNION RAILROAD STATION
Opening as the first union station in the world on September 20, 1853, by the Indianapolis Union Railway, the Indianapolis Union Station was designed by Pittsburgh architect Thomas Rodd. The building, created with granite and brick displays massive brick arches which are characteristics of the Romanesque style. The 1840s were a time where Indy residents began to notice a spike in train travel and the Union Station helped connect various parts of the city.
In 1853 a large brick train shed was built to link together various train lines. After the station was completed by Rodd in 1888, more than 320,996 passenger train cars and 861,991 freight cars passed through the station.
After World War II train travel began to decrease around the country and Union Station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 14, 1982. To make use of the space, restaurants, nightclubs and retail stores occupied the old train sheds. After Circle Centre Mall opened in 1995, Union Station’s retail area sharply declined and closed shortly after. Since 2002 the space has housed charter schools, events and office space. Today the Crown Plaza hotel and Amtrak service from Indianapolis to Chicago operates in the historic area.
LOCKEFILED GARDENS APARTMENTS
As the Great Depression affected several Indianapolis residents, especially African-Americans in the area, city leaders requested a Public Works Administration grant to construct new apartment housing to eliminate deteriorating housing. Between the 1940s and 1970s, the apartments were home to African-American families.
Indianapolis architects Merritt Harrison and William Earl Russ were hired to design the city’s first public housing projects comprised of 24 buildings with 748 units, on 22 acres of land, which mocked European housing models.
The site included a central mall, several playgrounds, William D. McCoy Public School #24 and a small shopping arcade.
Due to area decline, obvious segregation, residents seeking additional living spaces and other factors, the apartments closed in 1976. In 1980 city leaders decided the apartments would house Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) students. Despite several protests by area preservationist, only units along Blake Street and Locke Street (now University Boulevard), out of the original 24 buildings remain. Eleven new buildings were constructed and the original buildings were renovated.
MADAME WALKER THEATRE CENTER
In December of 1927, the Walker Building and Theatre opened to the public in the Indiana Avenue Cultural District. The building’s concept was developed by Madame C.J. Walker and was carried out by her daughter A’Lelia Walker after her death in 1919. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the building was known for its businesses and entertainment in the African-American community but after the late 1950s, the building’s activity began to decrease. In 1979 a group of volunteers began a project to preserve the building and after becoming incorporated as the Madame Walker Building Urban Life Center, the building was purchased from the Walker Manufacturing Company.
The first phase of renovation occurred in 1983, which housed offices and the Grand Casino Ballroom. A $2.5 million campaign was raised to restore the 935-seat Walker Theatre. In 1996 the Madame Walker Urban Life Center was renamed the Madame Walker Theatre Center. The Walker Plaza was brought to life in 1989 with several office buildings.
Today the building is designated as a National Historic Landmark and it is registered on both the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures and the National Register of Historic Places. The site is now used for pageants, musicals, concerts, lecturers, auditions and rehearsals, video screenings, ceremonial awards presentations and other community events.
RANSOM PLACE HISTORIC DISTRICT
Established in 1897 as one of the oldest African-American neighborhoods in Indianapolis, Ransom Place was home to several prominent African-American city leaders and businesses that originally consisted of about four dozen houses located on six blocks. The site lies in between Indiana Avenue, West St. Clair Street, West 10th and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Streets.
The neighborhood was named after Freeman Ransom who was an attorney and general manager of the Walker Manufacturing Company.
Between 1900 and 1920, the area’s demographics changed rapidly from 86 percent white to 96 percent African-American. The area was deemed fully developed in 1950 but along with Indiana Avenue, the area began to decline and many properties deteriorated.
Between 1960 and 1980, IUPUI purchased 1,000 properties for its campus.
Today the area, listed as The Ransom Place Historic District, is certified by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Ransom Place Neighborhood Association Inc. helps maintain the area. Current zoning classification limits occupancy to four non-related people per dwelling and requires at least two off-street parking spaces per residence.
Sources: Indiana Historical Society, Nps.gov, National Register of Historic Places.
