 Courtesy of Hist Am. Buildings Survey (HABS) USDOI by Toughluck | Tips and photos of unusual, out-of-the-way Indianapolis attractions, posted by real travelers and locals. Indianapolis Map |
 | Indianapolis Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 53 |  |
 St. Peter's Lutheran
Church by deecat
It is true that Columbus is an unlikely place for architectural masterpieces. Its just a southern Indiana town that is divided by rivers and is surrounded by cornfields.
It began with the First Christian Church designed by Eliel Saarinen, a Finnish architect as a request from the congregation. Now that was back in 1942, and the church now anchors a city block. But it was the leadership of J. Irwin Miller of Cummins Engine Foundation, who spearheaded this remarkable feat by offering to pay the architectural fees for the design of a public school. He then extended the offer for all public buildings if the architects were selected from a foundation list. I saw, "WOW!" to that.
Today, there are more than 50 public and private buildings designed by notable architects.
The photograph is of the St. Peter's Lutheran Church that has a copper-clad roof and a 186-foot steeple!
There's another famous "spire" in Columbus, (North Christian Church/1964 at 850 Tipton Lane), and it was designed by Eliel Saarinen's son, Eero, and it has a 192-foot spire, the tallest in the city.
Mill Race Park is built along a flood plain, and it was designed to withstand the flooding. The park has an 84-foot tower and an amphitheater that seats 500. There are walking trails and a covered bridge at the park also. So, they extend the beauty of the town outward.
I only wish more small cities and towns would have the courage to do the same. Leave a Comment
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 Irwin Gardens in
Columbus, Indiana by deecat
The Irwin-Sweeney-Miller home was enlarged & remodeled in 1910. At that time, architect Henry Phillips, designed the remodeling & the gardens. The garden is a copy of one in Pompeii, Italy. Miss Elsie Sweeney was the one who found the original garden in the ruins "of the historic city reduced to rubble by Mount Vesuvius." The garden was named Casa degli Innamorati and had belonged to friends of Tiberius' mother, Livia. The garden in Pompeii was much smaller.
There is an elevated summer house that copied a design from a lakeside structure at theVilla of Hadrian at Tivoli, Italy. There is a long, lowered section between the terrace & summer house with a long pool as its focal point. It was added to extend the local gardens all the way to Pearl Street.
There's a statue under the center arch that is copied from a fountain in the Vatican gardens in Rome, & across from the Italian wishing well is a metal elephant that is a copy of one which was at the St. Louis World's Fair pavilion.
Near the house, there are four Greek busts of Diogenes, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle (copied from Hadrian's villa).
Both the house & gardens have copied murals of pompeiian murals. There's a tall brick wall that is rounded in imitation of 16th-century gardens in Mantua, Italy.
The house has seven windows (for views of the garden), and the stained glass transom windows above the large windows symbolize a day of the week (a symbol of the god for whom the days were named.
The gardens open on weekends in May and continue to be open until the first hard frost.
I've been to all those spots in Italy, and I love gardens and mythology, so I was so upset that we were there in April, when I could only look through the wrought iron fencing. These are truly elaborate designs for this marvelous Italian garden Leave a Comment Other Contact: Fifth Street
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 At Home ..in the Village Shop
in Zionsville by deecat
There are over fifty shops that line the brick street of Zionsville. These shops offer a variety of shops, most quite "upscale". There are women's shops, antique shops, children's shops, toy shops, and, of course, eateries.
If you decide to stay over, there are two Bed and Breakfasts here.
Surrounding the village are preserved historical homes dating back to the 19th Century.
You are able to tour the village by horse-drawn carriage if you are so inclined. We thought not a good idea in the rain.
The village is only 8 blocks long so it is an easy place to walk. It's really a reconstructed Colonial Village. We learned while there that in 1903, the inter-urban railway was laid down the center of Main Street thus linking Zionsville with downtown Indianapolis (it was a 30-minute ride). I sometimes wish the "olden days" were now because transportion via train was so much better.
Jill and I managed to see all the shops, buy chocolate candy, have a cream soda, and eat lunch. Just think what we could have done if it were not raining! Leave a Comment
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 Eero Saarinen Church, Henry
Moore Arch by deecat
It's known as the "Athens of the Prairie" because it's the only place in the world where I did actually "look at an Eliel Saarinen church through a Henry Moore arch as I was standing in front of an I.M. Pei library"! (took photo to prove it)
Thank goodness for J. Irwin Miller, the president of the Cummins Engine Company (USA's leading maker of diesel engines) because he is the one who hired great architects from all over the world to design the buildings in Columbus.
It was The Christian Church (1942) by Eliel Saarinen (through the arch in the photo) that started the town's fine architectual reputation.
The Large Arch by Henry Moore looks magnificent in front of the town's Cleo Rogers Memorial Library by I.M. Pei. I had reason to go into this special building (to ask for directions), and I could see why Pei is so famous.
Try taking this same photo if you ever have the opportunity to visit Columbus, Indiana. It was a great challenge. Leave a Comment
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 Exterior/Interior of Columbus
Inn by deecat
Someone purchased it, renovated it, and turned it into Columbus Inn Bed and Breakfast.. The Inn has 34 rooms, including 5 suites, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
They have Senior Citizen Discount, Wireless Hi Speed Internet throughout, Afternoon and High Tea on Monday-Saturday. The regular rooms with a Queen Sleigh Bed and private bath costs about $119.00. The most expensive suite is called The Sparrell Suite, a two-level suite with spacious living area, half bath, and kitchenette on the lower lovel. On the loft level, there is a queen size bed with a full bath and spacious closet for $260.00.
What a great way to save old historic buildings. This Inn is quite lovely, as you can tell from the photo of the interior of the Lounge. It really is a Bed and Breakfast Inn because they do serve breakfast, included in the night's stay.
It's in a great location; you are able to walk everywhere in town. It already had parking for the City Hall, so parking is not a problem.
All in all, I would love to stay at the Columbus Inn, take the guided tour, and spend at least an entire day here. Leave a Comment Phone: (812)378-4289Other Contact: 445 Fifth Street, Columbus, IN
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 Morris-Butler House by deecat
There is a formal parlor, dining room, private rooms upstairs, and after your tour, you will know how a well-to-do family and their servants lived. The home has rare furniture, fine art, unique accessories, high-ceilinged rooms that are stenciled, and wallpapered.
For the people who live it Indianapolis, the home offers entertaining special events such as the "ritual of afternoon tea" or a "sinister historical figure up to no good"...how lucky to be able to participate in such history.
They also schedule holiday performances, seasonal exhibits, workshops, and lectures.
Group tours are available at special rates; they will customize group tours for special interests relating to antiques, decorative arts, and Victorian social history.
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10-3:30
February through December
closed on major holidays and month of January.
Admission: adults $5.00/senior $4.00/students and children%3.00; free parking Leave a Comment
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 Entrance to Columbus
Visitor's Center by deecat
I had heard about columbus, Indiana's wonderful architecture. I told Jill about it, but she did not seem too interested. We were rushed for time, and I was so afraind we would miss Columbus. Thank goodness we did not. Jill now agrees that it is a small town in Indiana with some of the finest architecture ever.
Start your tour at the Visitors Center; it's quite an architectural feat itself! It's a landmark, combining buildings of 3 eras. It was built in 1864 and renovated most recently by Kevin Roche (Who also did the Post Office).
Visitors are given the opportunity to watch a video that showcases several of the prominent designers whose buildings stand throughout the city: Kevin Roche, Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Harry Weese, and L.M. Pei.
In the main room of the center, there are exhibits that help the visitor see the city's progress, architectural attractions, and history. There are even scale models of several buildings.
A real focal point of the Visitors Center building is The Yellow Neon Chandelier hanging in the window facing Franklin Street. And would you believe that there is a 6-foot-tall glass sculpture by famed artist, Dale Chihuly Several of his glass works are on display and are for sale.
Sign up here for tours (10 a.m. Monday through Saturday, with an additional 2 p.m. Saturday tour and an 11 a.m. tour on Sunday).
Open: Monday-Saturday 9-5
March-November, the Center is open
10-4 on Sundays.
Pick up a map and other information here. Also, visitors are able to ask questions and receive answers from people "in the know"! Leave a Comment Phone: 378-2622Other Contact: Fifth and Franklin
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 Athenaeum by deecat
It was begun in 1893 and completed in 1898; it is a grand example of German Renaissance Revival architecture. The building has been undergoing restoration work since 1991.
Today, it houses the Rathskeller (the city's oldest restaurant), a branch of the YMCA (the city's oldest functioning gymnasium), a beer garden with a stylish band shell, and the American Cabaret Theatre.
The Athenaeum is mentioned in several of Kurt Vonnegut works and is the setting for a scne in the movie, Going All the Way.
You are able to schedule a tour, but you may also wish to "poke around" on your own after dinner or before a show.
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9-5
Friday 9-4
(Of course, the different establishments within the building have varying schedules.) Leave a Comment
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 Family Cemetery in Spencer,
Indiana by deecat
On our Spencer, Indiana, Adventure, Jill tells the background of why we went to Spencer in the first place:
"My ancestors left Monroe and Owen counties in Indiana in the 1850s and lived in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas before settling in Oklahoma. However, the house where my great-great-great grandfather, Rev. Leroy Mayfield, had lived is still found near Bloomington. I had an address, so Dee and I went to find the house and the nearby cemetery where Leroy and his family were buried.
I had tried to contact the present owners, but did not succeed. However, we found the house and photographed it from the car. Next, we traveled down the road to find the family cemetery. I spotted a few headstones through some trees. One of my landmarks for the cemetery was a gravel pit. We found that the gravel pit was still in very active use. We parked carefully out of the way of the trucks and carefully crossed the road to a trailer that stood in front of the cemetery.
A woman greeted us cheerfully and replied that we were welcome to visit the cemetery. She warned us about a downed tree, but didn't mention the barbed wire. That wire didn't stop either of us.
I dashed about reading stones and finding familiar names. I photographed a number of the stones. They were not in good condition, but I've seen worse abandoned cemeteries and was delighted to view the home and final resting place of one of my more interesting ancestors.
Rev. Leroy taught himself to read the Bible and became a Baptist circuit preacher in the 1830s. According to the history books, he was involved in the formation of Indiana University."
Yet, Jill and Dee continue the adventure... Leave a Comment
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 Murat Centre by deecat
A minaret "snakes" into the sky, and a towering, tiled desert scene is splashed across a portion of the exterior. And you know that in anything to do with the Shiners, this is the standard motif.
It's the largest of the Shine temples in North America, and the Murat claims the highest number of membrs. It is also the founding spot for the Shrine Circus.
This temple was built in three phases:
The plush Theatre was built in 1910.
The exotic Egyptian Room in 1923.
The popular Shrine Club in 1969.
Inside is a theatre that has a new bar that is believed to be the longest one in the state. The Egyptian Rooms are a "must see".
It has uneven opening times so to get inside, you need to call (317)635-2433 and ask for Lloyd B. Walton, public relations director. They say that he is the man with the best stories about the temple's history as well as many "paranormal happenings" that have gone on at the Murat Centre Leave a Comment Phone: (317)635-2433Other Contact: 502 N. New Jersey Street
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