Indiana Preservationist 1986

              The Indiana
Preservationist
Library votes for downtown and adaptive use
HISTORIC
LANDMARKS
FOUNDATION OF
INDIANA
No. 1, 1986
by Bill Dory
AS IN MANY SMALL COMMUNITIES across the
state, Greencastle lost one of its downtown
department stores when the local Montgomery Ward
outlet left town. The retailer decided not to reopen the
store after a fire seriously damaged the building.
Since the fire, Greencastle has had a 20,000 square-
foot building sitting vacant in the heart of its
Courthouse Square historic district. The 1909 structure
did not attract a new tenant, nor was the building
especially suited to subdivision for multiple tenants. The
building also required extensive interior renovation as a
result of the fire, although it is structurally sound.
What does a community do with such a building? In
Greencastle, we are making it the home of an expanded
Putnam County Public Library. The current library, a
small 5,000 square-foot Carnegie building is packed to
the rafters with books and other resources. The Library
Board realized that new space was necessary to
continue to provide needed services to the public and to
reach new clientele.
Last spring, the Library Board hired Parke Randall
of Pecsok, Jelliffe, Randall and Nice to conduct a
feasibility study of three options: 1) expansion of the
present library; 2) relocation to the former Ward store;
or 3) construction of a new facility. During the study,
the Board decided that the library should remain in the
Courthouse Square area in cjose proximity to the
DePauw University campus and contribute to the
business district revitalization effort being directed by
Main Street Greencastle.
The feasibility study concluded that an addition to
the present library building would not fully meet space
needs and would compromise the architectural
character of the structure. A site large enough for a
new library could not be found in the Courthouse
Square area.
The Library Board decided to renovate the Ward
building after receiving a very generous offer from
DePauw, present owner of the building, to sell the
property to the Board at half of the appraised value.
After conducting a rigorous series of interviews, the
Library Board hired Evans Woollen of Woollen, Molzan
and Partners in Indianapolis to serve as the project
architect.
THE LIBRARY'S STAFF is excited about moving
into a facility that offers a great deal more space and
the opportunity to increase their programming to better
serve the community. After visiting many old and new
libraries around the state, the staff recommended that
Greencastle's fire-damaged 1909 Prevo
Block will soon be restored to house the
Putnam County Public Library, a new
partner in the city's courthouse square
revitalization being orchestrated by
Main Street Greencastle.
Putnam County Public Library
the new library be three floors, although the trend is to
build single-floor structures out in the cornfields. The
staff already has plans to use the restored storefront
windows to "merchandise" books.
The "new" facility is expected to contain meeting
rooms, reference areas, a childrens' room, local history
room, adult fiction areas, study spaces and work rooms
that the library presently does not have.
Community support for the project has been
tremendous. A petition drive mounted in support of the
renovation and relocation project collected over 1,000
signatures. The Library Board plans to sell bonds this
spring, allowing construction to begin this summer. The
project is expected to cost $1.94 million for renovation,
equipment, and soft costs such as legal, architectural
and engineering fees. Late 1987 is the target date for the
grand opening.
Main Street Greencastle and Historic Landmarks'
Western Regional Office are glad to welcome the
Putnam County Public Library to the Courthouse Square
Historic District, and we congratulate the Library Board
on its civic-minded decision to buck the trend and
preserve an important downtown building through
adaptive use.
Outstanding site chosen for 25 th anniversary meeting
MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE are expected to
attend the April 26 public opening of the restored
Union Station in Indianapolis, a milestone in the historic
preservation movement in Indiana. A procession and
ceremony, balloons, confetti, skydivers and skywriters,
and more forms of hoopla will add to the celebration.
The lavishly restored station houses restaurants, retail
shops and a Holiday Inn.
We couldn't think of a more appropriate location
for Historic Landmarks 25th anniversary Annual
Meeting and Membership Dinner than this massive
adaptive use of one of the state's most outstanding
landmarks. So mark your calendars for Sunday, April
2,7, at the Union Station Holiday Inn. A reception—and
tours of the station, of course—will be offered from 4 to
6 p.m., followed by dinner, the annual meeting, and
presentation of the 11th annual Sandi Servaas Memorial
Award.
A block of rooms has been set aside at the Union
Station Holiday Inn for Sunday night. Members must
make their own reservations prior to March 27 in
order to receive the special rate by calling 317-639-2865.
When you call, you must mention that your reservation
is from Historic Landmarks Foundation's block of
rooms. For Historic Landmarks' members, rooms will be
$65 single/$75 double; a few special train car rooms will
be available at $95/$105.
Because the station opens just the day before, no
rooms are available at the Inn on Saturday night, April
26. For the convenience of members and affiliates who
wish to come a day early and participate in the opening
celebration, we have set aside rooms at the nearby Hyatt
Regency. Members make their own reservations at the
Hyatt by calling 317-632-1234 prior to March 27 (and,
once again, mentioning Historic Landmarks in order to
receive the special rate of $65/$75).
N!
IEEDLESS TO
SAY, Annual
Meeting Committee
chairman Dickie
Bookwalter battled stiff
competition in securing
the Union Station
location only the day
after its opening, but she
was determined that
Historic Landmarks'
members should enjoy an
early view of this
outstanding restoration.
Other Annual Meeting
Committee members
include Lee Alig, Kay Finneran, Gloria Gresham,
Margo Martin, Lorraine Price, Rosemary Prentice,
Kent Schuette, Jean Servaas, and John Martin Smith.