Jim Hair

This list was created by Sue King, Morrisson-Reeves archivist at my request for a walking tour of Richmond for the Model T Centennial visitors in July 2008.

Ten Historic Buildings in Downtown Richmond
Compiled by Sue King, Archivist, Morrisson-Reeves Library

1. Pennsylvania Depot – North 10th and E
Burnham designed and opened in 1902, this looks pretty rough right now, but was once one of Richmond’s grandest buildings. It is currently being restored by Roger Richert and Save the Depot, LLC.

2. Adam H. Bartel Building – North 9th and E
The main building was built in 1891, and housed the dry goods wholesaler until it closed in 1999. The company also owned the warehouse to the rear which is now The Loft housing Ghyslain Bistro and Coco’s gift shop.

3. Miller Brothers Building – Fort Wayne Avenue
Home of a wholesale hardware company for most of the 20th Century, this beautiful building has been restored and is in use as the Historic Richmond Furniture Gallery.

4. Wayne County Courthouse – Main between 3rd and 4th
Construction began in 1890 on this magnificent building which continues to be the seat of county government.

5. 600 Building (Bartel’s Hoosier Store) – Northeast corner of 6th and Main
Built in 1927, it remained a family owned business until after the catastrophic downtown explosion in 1968.
It was then renovated into office space.

6. Independent Order of Odd Fellows Building – Southwest corner of 8th and Main
This is one of Richmond’s oldest existing buildings and was built by this fraternal order in 1868. The order had private rooms on the third floor, and rented the second and first floors to professionals and retailers. Dwindling numbers forced the group to list the building for sale in 2007.

7. Knollenberg’s. – Southeast corner of 8th and Main
The George H. Knollenberg Co. building formerly housed a family-owned department store, once the center of retailing in Richmond. The original building with the tower was built in 1877 and expanded to the west in 1888. There was another building added on 8th Street in 1896. After 130 years as a family-owned business, the Geo. H. Knollenberg Co. closed its doors in 1996. It uis currently owned by an investor from Sacramento, California, and is being used as an art gallery.

8. Leland Hotel – Northeast corner of South 9th and A
Opened in 1929, this was once the premier hotel in town. For a time it converted to a motel, and in 2001 it reopened as senior apartments. In 2010 it was sold to Lakeside Properties which plans to add expanded medical care for senior residents.

9. Murray Theatre – Southeast Corner of 10th and Main
This theater was built by Omar Murray in 1909 as a vaudeville house. Over the years it also served as a movie theater and since 1952 it has been the home of Richmond Civic Theatre.

10. Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church – North A between 10th and 11th
Given by Daniel G. Reid in memory of his parents, the Scottish Gothic designed church was dedicated in May 1906 and made of limestone from Bedford, Indiana. Reid Memorial Church has 62 stained glass windows that were created by the Louis Tiffany studio. A set of fourteen bells in the tower range in weight from 288 to 2,035 pounds; the largest bell has a quote from Job 19:25-26 engraved on it…”For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and in my flesh shall I see God.” The organ is considered to be one of the finest in America and was built by Hook and Hastings House of Boston.

11. Wayne County Historical Museum – North A between 11th and 12th
The Hicksite Quakers built this as their meetinghouse in 1865, and it has been the museum’s home since 1930.

Richmond has a number of other great buildings in the area,
what else should be included?

This entry was posted on 2010/09/30 at 11:35 am and is filed under Uncategorized with tags Richmond Indiana Historic Buildings Community Walking Tour. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.