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Two area landmarks make ‘Most Endangered’ list

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A park memorial in Indianapolis and a portion of downtown Greenwood are among two of the additions to Indiana Landmarks’ annual 10 Most Endangered list.

Since the inception of the program in 1991, Indiana Landmarks counts just 10 losses among more than 85 historic places that have appeared on the list. This year’s list includes six new entries and four making repeat appearances.

The Taggart Memorial at Riverside Park in Indianapolis honors Thomas Taggart, an Irish immigrant who served as Indianapolis mayor from 1895 to 1901. As mayor, he created the city park system, acquiring hundreds of acres along the White River, in addition to land for Brookside and Highland parks.

He also served as a U.S. senator and chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and owned the French Lick Springs Hotel.

The Neoclassical landmark at Riverside—a limestone colonnade and fountain—was erected in 1931, two years after his death. The fountain doesn’t work, and an unsightly fence surrounds the monument to protect the public from its unsafe condition, said Indiana Landmarks. The not-for-profit group is studying how private funds might be raised to restore the memorial.

“Taggart’s Indianapolis legacy—a parks system available to all citizens of the capital city—deserves the honor of a fountain that works and a graceful, safe colonnade,” the organization said.

In Greenwood, nearly a quarter of the downtown is in danger of being razed and replaced with buildings that imitate the original structures.

Indiana Landmarks said Mayor Charles Henderson wants to acquire and demolish seven buildings near the intersection of Main Street and Madison Avenue, and redevelop the site with architecture that mimics the Italianate-style and Classical Revival-style buildings that would be torn down.

The buildings are in good condition and house several businesses, Indiana Landmarks said.

“Greenwood has become defined more by its sprawl and mall than by its neighborhoods and downtown,” Indiana Landmarks said. “Retaining these buildings is key to maintaining an individual character for the community.”

Other new entries on the list are the George DeBaptiste House in Madison, the Haven Hubbard Home in New Carlisle, Sylvan Springs in Rome City, and the Taylor Dome at Taylor University in Upland.

Repeat entries from last year’s list are the Farmers Institute near Lafayette, Robert Memorial Building in Connersville, St. John’s Hospital in Gary, and historic windows on structures statewide.

The Indianapolis-based Indiana Landmarks uses the list to bring attention to neglected sites and to mobilize support for preservation efforts.
 

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  • Endangered historic windows
    An example of removed historic windows is the historic apartment building being redeveloped on the east side of Meridian just south of 38th St. On Sunday, I noticed that the windows were gone. If that building were located one block north, north of 38th St. in the Meridian St. state historic district, it likely would not have happened.
  • Love the Taggart Memorial!
    I was out there not to long ago taking photos, it is such a beautiful memorial. I can only imagine it back in it's heyday.
  • Move the Taggart structure
    It's pretty much ignored where it is. Give it a new home (near capitol or one of the malls?) where it will get reasonable recognition.
  • Our Faulty Priorities
    The Taggart Memorial in Riverside Park has been on my list along with the historic bridges over Fall Creek for over 15 years. It doesn't say good things about or city when important parts of our history are allowed suffer from neglect.bdg3

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  1. Doug Henning!

  2. These guy were thugs — they grew up in freaking Haughville! Smh, sigh. If the mayor needs/wants "quality" Black Hoosiers who are NOT corrupt, give me a call — I know plenty. Land bank info here - http://www.kubepharm.com/indylandbank/IndyLandBank.html

  3. Magician and illusionist!

  4. The basic idea of nice apartments with parking and retail is a good one, but this design seems overwhelmingly big/tall for Broad Ripple. The size could be disguised a bit with lots of big trees/landscaping, but the complex is too massive to blend in easily. That section of canal between College and Westfield will also need to be upgraded on both sides. Nice apartments facing onto a nice promenade with shade trees/plantings could bring together the canal towpath/Monon recreation, the outdoor seating at existing restaurants, and this project into something that upgrades the whole area. A plan for the whole stretch makes more sense than facing nice new housing onto what looks like a ditch. Is there a plan? Does the public have input? Who pays? The apartment idea seems to be reasonable, but Whole Foods is not a good idea for appropriate retail. Besides the store being physically too big, there are already Fresh Market at 54xCollege and Whole Foods in Nora for fancy groceries. Good Earth and Kroger are within walking distance of the Shell site. There are at least 7 grocery stores within a safe bike ride. Whole Foods would add nothing but traffic congestion. This design is on the right track, but there needs to be more work done to ensure that it blends in with and enhances the existing community. A project that large will set a tone for that whole part of town. It could be a real asset, but only if done right.

  5. I did not move to Zionsville to live in Carmel. This and the subsequent developments to follow will ensure a vanilla uniformity of strip malls and apartment buildings as we seek to bring our town down to the least common denominator. We were warned before recent elections that pro-development council members would make sure their friends (landowners and developers) would be able to make their millions off of the exploitation of Zionsville. Why in God's name would we sell out the best preserved small town in the State of Indiana?

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