Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District is located in Hartford City
, Indiana
. Hartford City has a population of about 7,000 and is the county seat
of Blackford County
and the site of the county courthouse
. The National Park Service
of the United States Department of the Interior
added the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places
on June 21, 2006 — meaning the buildings and objects that contribute to the continuity of the district are worthy of preservation because of their historical
and architectural
significance. The District has over 60 resources, including over 40 contributing buildings, over 10 non-contributing buildings, 1 contributing object (a World War I statue), 8 non-contributing objects, and two other buildings that are listed separately in the National Register.
Much of the District's
significance relates to the discovery of natural gas
in the east central
region of Indiana. The discovery led to a regional economic boom known as the Indiana Gas Boom
. Beginning in the late 1880s and lasting for about 15 years, the Gas Boom changed the economy and the appearance of the region. The Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District is situated in what was the center of Hartford City in the 19th and 20th centuries, and most of the buildings within the District were constructed during the Gas Boom era. The buildings within the District were built in several architectural style
s, including Commercial Italianate
, Romanesque Revival
, Renaissance Revival, and others. Many of the buildings' exteriors have not been changed from their original appearance.
. The community was originally named Hartford. This was later changed to "Hartford City" after it was discovered that another "Hartford" already existed elsewhere in Indiana. The East Central Indiana version of Hartford was named county seat of Blackford County early in its existence, thereby ensuring its importance. It took over 40 years for the rural community to grow to a population of nearly 1,500. During that time, community planners had the foresight to plan for railroads
, which linked the community to other cities, beginning in the 1860s. With a focus on agriculture
, the entire county had only 171 people working in manufacturing as of June, 1880.
Hartford City Gas and Oil Company was formed in February 1887, and the company found natural gas
in March of the same year. Surnames of some of the directors of this company can be found on the District's buildings today — Campbell, Smith, Dowell, and Weiler. Both oil
and natural gas
were discovered in the county in 1887, and the city began a period of rapid growth. Described as the "future metropolis of Eastern Indiana", the city successfully used its railroad facilities and abundant natural gas resource as enticements for manufacturers to locate there, and became a boom town
. Hartford City was not alone with its good fortune — natural gas (and some oil) had also been discovered in adjacent counties. The entire East Central Indiana region was transformed during a fifteen to twenty-year period that became known as the Indiana Gas Boom
, as manufacturers moved to the area.
Upon examination of Hartford City's infrastructure, the Gas Boom's transformation of the city is apparent. The wooden buildings surrounding the courthouse prior to the Gas Boom were vulnerable to fire, and the District had at least three major fires between 1871 and 1881. During the Gas Boom, wooden buildings were torn down and replaced with brick buildings. The courthouse was replaced with a magnificent stone and brick structure (see recent photo herein). Eventually, an interurban
rail line ran by the east side of the courthouse square, providing easy access to the courthouse square commercial district and adding to the two rail lines that already served the city. The Gas Boom's economic transformation of the city is also apparent when examining the city's population. By 1900, the city had grown to a population of 5,912. Over 1,200 people worked in manufacturing in Hartford City in 1902 — and this was in addition to the bankers, merchants, physicians, and lawyers necessary for a growing population. These population and manufacturing figures are considerably larger than the pre-Gas Boom figures for 1880.
The gas and oil became depleted in the early 20th century, and the Gas Boom era came to an end. However, Hartford City was permanently changed. The city's infrastructure
was vastly improved. Buildings in the commercial district surrounding the courthouse square were made of brick
and stone instead of wood. A municipal waterworks was built in 1894. Telephones became available to Hartford City's surrounding rural areas in 1903. By 1914, 98 percent of the houses in Hartford City were wired for electricity. Roads were being paved, and the interurban line made it easier to travel to/from other cities. While some of the manufacturing
facilities that depended on a low-cost source of fuel were closed after the boom, others remained in the city because they did not have a better alternative. A city that had very few manufacturing jobs now had a supply of skilled manufacturing personnel. Some of this skilled workforce
remained in the city after the boom, while some found new occupations in the automobile and auto parts manufacturing facilities that were beginning to be located in nearby cities.
, Renaissance Revival, and Romanesque Revival
. A few examples of the Queen Anne
style can also be found. Grouped together, these styles are called Victorian architecture
, and buildings constructed in these styles during the 19th century are more likely to have decorative ornamentation
(such as the face-like object from the east side of the Weiler Building shown herein) than buildings constructed later in the 20th century. Because many of the District's buildings were constructed during the Gas Boom
era (between 1885 and 1905), these styles of architecture
are more prevalent than the styles that became popular later in the 20th century. However, additional architecture styles are also represented. An outstanding example of the Art Deco
style can be found in the district's Scheidler Theatre, and the Post Office is the single outstanding example of the Neoclassical
style. The commercial building at 210 East Washington Street is the District's sole representative of the Art Moderne style of architecture.
Romanesque Revival architecture was very popular in Hartford City, and at least 7 of the District's contributing buildings were built using this style. This style of architecture is known for round arches in many of the openings. Smooth surfaces, sometimes with belt course
s are also typical. A variation of the Romanesque Revival architectural style known as Richardsonian Romanesque
was popular in America near the end of the 19th century, when much of the construction around Hartford City's courthouse took place. The courthouse and Presbyterian Church are outstanding examples of Henry Hobson Richardson's
variation in Romanesque Revival style. (See photos herein.) A corner tower, arched windows, recessed entrances, steeply pitched roofs, and multiple exterior textures (rustication
) are typical of this style of architecture. The Richardsonian Romanesque buildings differ from the original Romanesque Revival buildings by having rough-textured exterior surfaces instead of all-smooth surfaces. The Hotel Ingram, Kirshbaum, and Weiler buildings were built in Romanesque Revival style with arched windows and multiple exterior textures, but they were not identified in the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form as Richardsonian (see photos of all three buildings herein.)
ted using the Public Land Survey System
typical of Northwest Ordinance
communities — with rectangular blocks, and streets running north-south and east-west. Hartford City's layout of a courthouse surrounded by an open area was a common design in the "Midwest"
of the United States. The Courthouse Square Historic District includes the courthouse and surrounding blocks. Franklin Street is the northern most street in the district, and Water Street borders part of the southern part of the district. The west side is past High Street almost to Walnut Street, and the east side reaches half a block past Monroe Street toward Mulberry Street.
The adjacent diagram shows the district and its buildings. (The buildings may not be exactly to scale.) The property locations shown in orange are the sites of outstanding buildings of historic and/or architectural significance. Two of these buildings, the Blackford County Courthouse and the First Presbyterian Church
, are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The locations shown in bright green are for buildings considered notable in historic or architectural significance, and the buildings sites (and one monument) denoted in pale green contribute to the continuity of the district. The dark gray locations are for properties that do not contribute to the historic district. At least two contributing buildings have been torn down since the Courthouse Square District was added to the National Register. Two additional Gas Boom era buildings located nearby and often mentioned in Hartford City history, the Van Cleve Block and the Cooley Block, were gone by the time the District was nominated for the National Register.
.
. The county's original courthouse was condemned in 1893, and removed to enable the construction of a new all-stone structure. The courthouse was built by Christian Boseker & Son in 1894. Designed by Arthur LaBelle and Burt L. French (of Marion, Indiana
), the courthouse features the Richardsonian Romanesque
style of architecture. (See adjacent photo.) The building has two main entrances (north side and south side) that both open into a main hall. The walls feature marble paneling
, and the ceilings are covered with paneled steel. (Fireproofing was an important consideration for the courthouse construction plan.) The magnificence in architecture and size of the courthouse dominates downtown Hartford City. The Blackford County Courthouse reflects the wealth of the city during the Gas Boom, and could be considered a monument to that era. Continuing the "monument" theme, the grounds of the courthouse are the location for American war memorial
s, including structures commemorating the Revolutionary War
, World War I
, World War II
, Korean War
, and Vietnam War
. A Civil War
monument was added in 2006.
style. Another monumental building built during the Indiana Gas Boom
, construction of the church building started in 1892, and was completed in 1893. The church is the oldest church building in Hartford City. Located at the corner of Franklin and High Streets, the structure features huge stained-glass windows that were installed by local glass workers. (See photo herein.) The chapel
contains features a pipe organ
that was partially funded by a donation made by businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
. With only one major addition to the original structure, the exterior of the building looks almost the same as it did in the 1890s.
The terminology used to describe the buildings of the Gas Boom era is slightly different from that used today. The term "block" was often used to describe the group of offices or stores located in a building instead of referring to the building. As can be seen in the boundaries diagram and descriptions herein, these "block" buildings did not occupy an entire city block, but they often had multiple storefronts or offices with multiple occupants. For example, the New York Times article from 1899 (see below) refers to the "Briscoe Block" instead of the Briscoe Building. The article also lists multiple businesses that occupied the building. Another example can be found in a business directory from the Gas Boom Era. Some of the attorneys (and other businesses too) listed their address as part of a "block" such as "Campbell Block" or "Tyner Block". Most of the building names used herein rely on the building names found in either National Register forms or publications from the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.
, and the Indiana Gas Boom
. The district is the historic center of Blackford County's
commercial, social, and governmental activity. As county seat, the courthouse and nearby offices became the focus of Blackford County
government. In the late 1880s, the Indiana Gas Boom brought major growth and prosperity to the region, resulting in the construction of numerous commercial, retail, and social facilities in the area surrounding the courthouse. Later, during the 1920s, the courthouse square was the site for events involving the Ku Klux Klan
.
The second reason the district is significant is its collection of buildings and their architectural styles (Criterion C). Most of these buildings were constructed during the Indiana Gas Boom in the late 19th century or early 20th century, and have many of their original features. Three styles of architecture, Italianate
, Renaissance Revival, and Romanesque Revival
are all well represented, and additional styles can also be found.
Hartford City, Indiana
Hartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community experienced a 15-year “boom” beginning in the late 1880s...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Hartford City has a population of about 7,000 and is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Blackford County
Blackford County, Indiana
Blackford County is located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. The county is named for Judge Isaac Blackford, who was the first speaker of the Indiana General Assembly and a long-time chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. Created in 1838, Blackford County is divided...
and the site of the county courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
. The National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
of the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
added the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 21, 2006 — meaning the buildings and objects that contribute to the continuity of the district are worthy of preservation because of their historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and architectural
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
significance. The District has over 60 resources, including over 40 contributing buildings, over 10 non-contributing buildings, 1 contributing object (a World War I statue), 8 non-contributing objects, and two other buildings that are listed separately in the National Register.
Much of the District's
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
significance relates to the discovery of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
in the east central
East Central Indiana
East Central Indiana is a region in Indiana east of Indianapolis, Indiana, and borders the Ohio state line.- Counties :*Blackford*Delaware*Hancock*Henry*Jay*Madison*Randolph*Wayne- County seats :*Anderson, Indiana-Madison...
region of Indiana. The discovery led to a regional economic boom known as the Indiana Gas Boom
Indiana Gas Boom
The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....
. Beginning in the late 1880s and lasting for about 15 years, the Gas Boom changed the economy and the appearance of the region. The Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District is situated in what was the center of Hartford City in the 19th and 20th centuries, and most of the buildings within the District were constructed during the Gas Boom era. The buildings within the District were built in several architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
s, including Commercial Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
, Renaissance Revival, and others. Many of the buildings' exteriors have not been changed from their original appearance.
History
Hartford City began in the late 1830s as a few log cabins near a creek in East Central IndianaEast Central Indiana
East Central Indiana is a region in Indiana east of Indianapolis, Indiana, and borders the Ohio state line.- Counties :*Blackford*Delaware*Hancock*Henry*Jay*Madison*Randolph*Wayne- County seats :*Anderson, Indiana-Madison...
. The community was originally named Hartford. This was later changed to "Hartford City" after it was discovered that another "Hartford" already existed elsewhere in Indiana. The East Central Indiana version of Hartford was named county seat of Blackford County early in its existence, thereby ensuring its importance. It took over 40 years for the rural community to grow to a population of nearly 1,500. During that time, community planners had the foresight to plan for railroads
Rail transport in the United States
Presently, most rail transport in the United States is based on freight train shipments. The U.S. rail industry has experienced repeated convulsions due to changing U.S. economic needs and the rise of automobile, bus, and air transport....
, which linked the community to other cities, beginning in the 1860s. With a focus on agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, the entire county had only 171 people working in manufacturing as of June, 1880.
Hartford City Gas and Oil Company was formed in February 1887, and the company found natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
in March of the same year. Surnames of some of the directors of this company can be found on the District's buildings today — Campbell, Smith, Dowell, and Weiler. Both oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
were discovered in the county in 1887, and the city began a period of rapid growth. Described as the "future metropolis of Eastern Indiana", the city successfully used its railroad facilities and abundant natural gas resource as enticements for manufacturers to locate there, and became a boom town
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
. Hartford City was not alone with its good fortune — natural gas (and some oil) had also been discovered in adjacent counties. The entire East Central Indiana region was transformed during a fifteen to twenty-year period that became known as the Indiana Gas Boom
Indiana Gas Boom
The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....
, as manufacturers moved to the area.
Upon examination of Hartford City's infrastructure, the Gas Boom's transformation of the city is apparent. The wooden buildings surrounding the courthouse prior to the Gas Boom were vulnerable to fire, and the District had at least three major fires between 1871 and 1881. During the Gas Boom, wooden buildings were torn down and replaced with brick buildings. The courthouse was replaced with a magnificent stone and brick structure (see recent photo herein). Eventually, an interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
rail line ran by the east side of the courthouse square, providing easy access to the courthouse square commercial district and adding to the two rail lines that already served the city. The Gas Boom's economic transformation of the city is also apparent when examining the city's population. By 1900, the city had grown to a population of 5,912. Over 1,200 people worked in manufacturing in Hartford City in 1902 — and this was in addition to the bankers, merchants, physicians, and lawyers necessary for a growing population. These population and manufacturing figures are considerably larger than the pre-Gas Boom figures for 1880.
The gas and oil became depleted in the early 20th century, and the Gas Boom era came to an end. However, Hartford City was permanently changed. The city's infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
was vastly improved. Buildings in the commercial district surrounding the courthouse square were made of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and stone instead of wood. A municipal waterworks was built in 1894. Telephones became available to Hartford City's surrounding rural areas in 1903. By 1914, 98 percent of the houses in Hartford City were wired for electricity. Roads were being paved, and the interurban line made it easier to travel to/from other cities. While some of the manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
facilities that depended on a low-cost source of fuel were closed after the boom, others remained in the city because they did not have a better alternative. A city that had very few manufacturing jobs now had a supply of skilled manufacturing personnel. Some of this skilled workforce
Workforce
The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc. The term generally excludes the employers or management, and implies those involved in...
remained in the city after the boom, while some found new occupations in the automobile and auto parts manufacturing facilities that were beginning to be located in nearby cities.
Architecture
Three styles of architecture are well represented in the collection of buildings that are part of the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District: Commercial ItalianateItalianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, Renaissance Revival, and Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
. A few examples of the Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
style can also be found. Grouped together, these styles are called Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, and buildings constructed in these styles during the 19th century are more likely to have decorative ornamentation
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
(such as the face-like object from the east side of the Weiler Building shown herein) than buildings constructed later in the 20th century. Because many of the District's buildings were constructed during the Gas Boom
Indiana Gas Boom
The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....
era (between 1885 and 1905), these styles of architecture
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
are more prevalent than the styles that became popular later in the 20th century. However, additional architecture styles are also represented. An outstanding example of the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style can be found in the district's Scheidler Theatre, and the Post Office is the single outstanding example of the Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style. The commercial building at 210 East Washington Street is the District's sole representative of the Art Moderne style of architecture.
Romanesque Revival architecture was very popular in Hartford City, and at least 7 of the District's contributing buildings were built using this style. This style of architecture is known for round arches in many of the openings. Smooth surfaces, sometimes with belt course
Belt course
A belt course is a continuous row or layer of stones, tile, brick, shingles, etc. in a wall. The Romanesque style of architecture is notable for the use of belt courses. Similar to a belt course is an entablature which runs along the top of a row columns instead of along a wall....
s are also typical. A variation of the Romanesque Revival architectural style known as Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
was popular in America near the end of the 19th century, when much of the construction around Hartford City's courthouse took place. The courthouse and Presbyterian Church are outstanding examples of Henry Hobson Richardson's
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
variation in Romanesque Revival style. (See photos herein.) A corner tower, arched windows, recessed entrances, steeply pitched roofs, and multiple exterior textures (rustication
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
) are typical of this style of architecture. The Richardsonian Romanesque buildings differ from the original Romanesque Revival buildings by having rough-textured exterior surfaces instead of all-smooth surfaces. The Hotel Ingram, Kirshbaum, and Weiler buildings were built in Romanesque Revival style with arched windows and multiple exterior textures, but they were not identified in the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form as Richardsonian (see photos of all three buildings herein.)
Boundaries
Located in the original center of the community, the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District includes significant portions of the city's historic commercial district. The town was platPlat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted using the Public Land Survey System
Public Land Survey System
The Public Land Survey System is a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels, particularly for titles and deeds of rural, wild or undeveloped land. Its basic units of area are the township and section. It is sometimes referred to as the rectangular survey system,...
typical of Northwest Ordinance
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed July 13, 1787...
communities — with rectangular blocks, and streets running north-south and east-west. Hartford City's layout of a courthouse surrounded by an open area was a common design in the "Midwest"
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
of the United States. The Courthouse Square Historic District includes the courthouse and surrounding blocks. Franklin Street is the northern most street in the district, and Water Street borders part of the southern part of the district. The west side is past High Street almost to Walnut Street, and the east side reaches half a block past Monroe Street toward Mulberry Street.
The adjacent diagram shows the district and its buildings. (The buildings may not be exactly to scale.) The property locations shown in orange are the sites of outstanding buildings of historic and/or architectural significance. Two of these buildings, the Blackford County Courthouse and the First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church (Hartford City, Indiana)
The First Presbyterian Church of Hartford City is an American church located in Hartford City, Indiana. The edifice is the oldest church building in a small city that at one time was a bustling community with as many as ten glass factories – and over 20 saloons...
, are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The locations shown in bright green are for buildings considered notable in historic or architectural significance, and the buildings sites (and one monument) denoted in pale green contribute to the continuity of the district. The dark gray locations are for properties that do not contribute to the historic district. At least two contributing buildings have been torn down since the Courthouse Square District was added to the National Register. Two additional Gas Boom era buildings located nearby and often mentioned in Hartford City history, the Van Cleve Block and the Cooley Block, were gone by the time the District was nominated for the National Register.
Outstanding properties
The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, which has since been renamed Indiana Landmarks, identified seven properties within the Courthouse Square Historic District that have enough historic or architectural significance to potentially be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These properties have been assigned a rating of "outstanding", which is the top rating. The properties are assessed for their historic significance, architectural merit, environment, and integrity. All seven of the outstanding properties listed here are contributing properties to the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District, and two have already been listed in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places listings in Blackford County, Indiana
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Blackford County, Indiana.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Blackford County, Indiana, United States...
.
Blackford County Courthouse
The Blackford County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 11, 1980. Like most of the other buildings in the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District, the Blackford County Courthouse was built during the Indiana Gas BoomIndiana Gas Boom
The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....
. The county's original courthouse was condemned in 1893, and removed to enable the construction of a new all-stone structure. The courthouse was built by Christian Boseker & Son in 1894. Designed by Arthur LaBelle and Burt L. French (of Marion, Indiana
Marion, Indiana
Marion is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,948 as of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Grant County...
), the courthouse features the Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
style of architecture. (See adjacent photo.) The building has two main entrances (north side and south side) that both open into a main hall. The walls feature marble paneling
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
, and the ceilings are covered with paneled steel. (Fireproofing was an important consideration for the courthouse construction plan.) The magnificence in architecture and size of the courthouse dominates downtown Hartford City. The Blackford County Courthouse reflects the wealth of the city during the Gas Boom, and could be considered a monument to that era. Continuing the "monument" theme, the grounds of the courthouse are the location for American war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
s, including structures commemorating the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. A Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
monument was added in 2006.
First Presbyterian Church
Hartford City's First Presbyterian Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1986. The building was designed by local architect Alec Gable, and built in the Richardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
style. Another monumental building built during the Indiana Gas Boom
Indiana Gas Boom
The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....
, construction of the church building started in 1892, and was completed in 1893. The church is the oldest church building in Hartford City. Located at the corner of Franklin and High Streets, the structure features huge stained-glass windows that were installed by local glass workers. (See photo herein.) The chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
contains features a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
that was partially funded by a donation made by businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. With only one major addition to the original structure, the exterior of the building looks almost the same as it did in the 1890s.
Other outstanding properties
- Blackford County Jail The Blackford County Jail was completed in 1879, and it is considered an outstanding example of the ItalianateItalianate architectureThe Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style of architecture. It is located at 120 East Main Street. The jail is the Courthouse District's oldest contributing building still in existence. T. G. Tolan and Son was the architectural firm, and the firm of Hinkley and Norris (of Indianapolis) was the builder.
- Campbell Building The Campbell Building was built in the Renaissance Revival style in 1901. The two-story building is crowned with a large gableGableA gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
that bears a limestone tablet that reads "1901 Campbell". This building has the addresses of 207 through 211 West Washington Street. This building was originally an officeOfficeAn office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
building, and some of the occupants in the early 1900s were an attorney, a dentist, insurance agents, a physician, a realtor, and a steamship agent.
- Ervin Building The Ervin Building was built in the Queen AnneQueen Anne Style architectureThe Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
style around 1890. It occupies the addresses of 201 through 205 West Washington Street. The facade of this corner building features three oriel windowOriel windowOriel windows are a form of bay window commonly found in Gothic architecture, which project from the main wall of the building but do not reach to the ground. Corbels or brackets are often used to support this kind of window. They are seen in combination with the Tudor arch. This type of window was...
s. The name "Ervin" appears in stained-glass in the center of the building. The Campbell & Ervin dry goodsDry goodsDry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
store was housed in this building in the 1890s and early 1900s. The store sold clothing, hats, and shoes. (See 2010 photo herein)
- Kirshbaum Building The Kirshbaum Building was built in the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architectureRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style in 1893. It is located on the corner of High and Washington Streets, with an address of 123 W. Washington Street. An early occupant was the city's First National Bank, and its name is engraved in limestone on the building. The engraving "1893 Kirshbaum" is located centrally atop the cornice. (See 2010 photo of Briscoe Block and Kirshbaum Building, Kirshbaum Building is corner building on far right.) Raphael Kirshbaum (also spelled "Kirschbaum" in earlier years) was the builder of this building. Another building constructed for Kirshbaum in nearby Randolph CountyRandolph County, IndianaRandolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 26,171. The county seat is Winchester.-History:...
is listed in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places listings in Randolph County, IndianaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Randolph County, Indiana.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Randolph County, Indiana, United States...
. Kirshbaum was a German merchant that sold goods in PortlandPortland, Indiana-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,437 people, 2,739 households, and 1,750 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,566.8 people per square mile . There were 2,928 housing units at an average density of 712.7 per square mile...
, Union CityUnion City, IndianaUnion City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 3,584.Union City was a stop along the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, a forerunner of the Pennsylvania Railroad that connected Pittsburgh to...
, and Hartford City (all in Indiana). At one time, he partnered with Adolph Weiler in Hartford City. (See also section on Weiler's Building.) Eventually, Mr. Kirshbaum settled in Indianapolis, and was the key contributor for the Kirshbaum Center in that city.
- United States Post Office Hartford City's Post Office is one of the few buildings in the Courthouse District built during a period other than the Indiana Gas Boom. Built during the Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the project was Federal Public Works Number 207. Construction began in 1934, and was finished in 1935. Designed by Louis A. Simon, the Post Office is the only example of the NeoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style of architecture in the Courthouse District. It is located at 123 South High Street.
Notable properties
The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana has also identified five properties within the Courthouse Square Historic District that are above average in importance. After further research, these properties may have enough historic or architectural significance to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These properties have been assigned a rating of "notable", which is just below the top rating. The properties are assessed for their historic significance, architectural merit, environment, and integrity. All five of the notable properties listed here are contributing properties to the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District.- 210 East Washington Street Commercial Building This building was constructed around 1940 using the Art ModernStreamline ModerneStreamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
style of architecture that evolved from Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
. This architectural styleArchitectural styleArchitectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
is not found elsewhere in the Courthouse District.
- Hotel Ingram A three-story building built in the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architectureRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. This corner building occupies addresses of 118 through 122 North Jefferson Street, and is located at the corner of Jefferson and Main streets, which is the northeast corner of the courthouse square. (See photo herein) Hotel Ingram is written in limestone on the second story of the building's facade. The building was constructed in 1893, and opened to the public on January 9, 1894. The hotel originally had 45 guest rooms, and featured a large dining room with excellent food. The hotel building included a saloon known as the Ingram Bar. The Hotel Ingram's grand opening included a dinner for about 150 guests, plus entertainment provided by the Montani Brothers' orchestra. W. F. Crist was the hotel's original proprietor. During the hotel's first month in existence, it had 1,200 "arrivals". The building was also the site of the Ingram grocery. The hotel became known as the Hartford Hotel in 1922. George D. Stevens, a local business executive and one of the community's leading citizens, lived in a room at this hotel for many years during the first half of the 20th century. Stevens, who was described as "one of the richest men in Hartford City", made news after his death when it was discovered that he was a blackBlack peopleThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
man living as a whiteWhite peopleWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
man in a town that had become all white.
- Knights of Pythias/Tyner Building Designed by A. W. Maxwell and constructed around 1900, the building's architecture is a mixture of RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
, ClassicalClassical architectureClassical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
, and Queen AnneQueen Anne Style architectureThe Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
, and it is located at 204–210 West Main Street. (See photo herein) The three-story building also has decorative limestone elements that resemble flames — possibly in tribute to the Gas Boom. "K of P" can be found on a western tablet, while "W.H. Tyner" can be found in the eastern panel. Among the offices in this Main Street building in the early 1900s were a confectioner, a doctor, and an attorney. The Knights of PythiasKnights of PythiasThe Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded at Washington, DC, on 19 February 1864.The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been...
, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and Maccabees all held meetings in this building in the early 1900s. During a tumultuous period in the 1920s, the Ku Kux Klan had an office on the third floor of the building. Three events helped drive the Klan out of Hartford City — including one that happened in the Tyner building, and one that happened about four blocks away. First, a disturbing murder caseMadge OberholtzerMadge Augustine Oberholtzer was an American schoolteacher who worked and lived in Indianapolis. Kidnapped and raped by D.C. Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan, she died of a staph infection from wounds inflicted upon her by Stephenson...
against the state Klan leaderD. C. StephensonDavid Curtiss "Steve" Stephenson was an American Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in the U.S. state of Indiana and 22 other Northern states. He is considered to have been one of the most successful Klan leaders up until his downfall after his conviction for murder...
disgusted many members. (Charles E. CoxCharles E. CoxCharles E. Cox was an American lawyer and judge who became the 55th justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, serving from 1911 to 1917. Elected as a Democrat in the Fall of 1910, he was Chief Justice by the end of his six-year term...
, uncle of local newsman and Cox Building owner Edward E. CoxEdward Everett CoxEdward Everett Cox was an American newspaper publisher who started Blackford County’s first daily newspaper in Hartford City, Indiana. He is “considered one of the most influential forces in journalism” in Blackford County, and was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party...
, assisted in the prosecution of this case.) Second, a safe in the Tyner Building was broken into, and the names of local Klan members were revealed. Third, violence that occurred at an event a few blocks from the courthouse caused the Hartford City mayor to order the local Klan leader out of town in 1926.
- Rosenbush Building The Renaissance Revival building was built around 1890. Located at 110 West Main Street, the name Rosenbush can be found on the two-story building, written on a limestone tablet. The building has terra cottaTerra cottaTerracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
star-like patterns on the brick above the windows. TailorTailorA tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
Aaron W. Rosenbush ran his business from this building in the early 1900s. The Rosenbush building was also the site of Rosenbush's Royal Theatre, where silent moviesSilent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
were shown accompanied by pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Years later, when the theater was closed, the building was the home of a tavern.
- Scheidler Theater First owned by Matt Scheidler, this "very elegant and beautifully decorated" building was originally called the Hartford Theatre. Unlike most of the buildings in the district, this building was built after the Gas Boom, in 1947. Its architectural style is Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
. The structure is located at 122 East Washington Street.
Other properties
Other properties, in addition to those listed as outstanding or notable, contribute to the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District. Many of these were also built during the Gas Boom. Some of the contributors are listed below.The terminology used to describe the buildings of the Gas Boom era is slightly different from that used today. The term "block" was often used to describe the group of offices or stores located in a building instead of referring to the building. As can be seen in the boundaries diagram and descriptions herein, these "block" buildings did not occupy an entire city block, but they often had multiple storefronts or offices with multiple occupants. For example, the New York Times article from 1899 (see below) refers to the "Briscoe Block" instead of the Briscoe Building. The article also lists multiple businesses that occupied the building. Another example can be found in a business directory from the Gas Boom Era. Some of the attorneys (and other businesses too) listed their address as part of a "block" such as "Campbell Block" or "Tyner Block". Most of the building names used herein rely on the building names found in either National Register forms or publications from the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.
- Bank Block This two-story building was constructed in the Commercial Italianate style in the 1880s. In the early 1900s, Citizen's State Bank was located at the 102 North Jefferson Street address. A law firm and barber also listed "Bank Block" as their addresses. The southern portion of the original building still has much of its original appearance. It is located at the corner of Jefferson and Washington streets, with an address of 100 North Jefferson Street. However, the northern portion has been substantially remodeled, and is now considered a separate building. The words "Bank Block" are on the northern portion that occupies addresses of 102 and 104 North Jefferson Street. All of the north building's Commercial Italianate features are now removed. The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana's Blackford County Interim Report has a picture, on page 63, of the entire magnificent building circa 1900.
- Briscoe Building This two-story Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architectureRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
building was constructed in 1893, and occupies the addresses of 113 through 121 West Washington Street. Three colors of brick are found on the facade, effectively dividing the building into three sections. (Adjacent photo shows building in 2010.) While the county's new courthouse was being constructed in 1893 and 1894, Blackford County's courtroom and office of the county clerk were located in two rooms in this building. In 1899, this building, described as the "Briscoe Block", was originally thought to have been destroyed by fire. However, the fire destroyed the roof of the building, and the remaining portion of the building escaped significant damage. The damage to the building was repaired, and the Briscoe Building still stands today. Occupants at the time of the 1899 fire included Kentucky Liquors, Western UnionWestern UnionThe Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
, Central Telephone, a grocerGrocerA grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
, and the J. L. Hoover Furniture Company — which later became long-time local retailer Hoover-Needler Furniture.
- Cox Building Located at 217 North Jefferson Street (Jefferson and Franklin streets), the Cox Building is simply identified as "Commercial Building" in the District's National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. An industrial building originally used for printing newspapers such as Hartford City's Telegram, its architecture style has some CraftsmanAmerican CraftsmanThe American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
influences. The original building was designed by local architect P. J. Loney in 1895, and owned by newsman and prominent Democrat Edward E. CoxEdward Everett CoxEdward Everett Cox was an American newspaper publisher who started Blackford County’s first daily newspaper in Hartford City, Indiana. He is “considered one of the most influential forces in journalism” in Blackford County, and was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party...
. The Cox Building was expanded to its present size around 1915.
- Dowell Building Located at 107–109 West Washington Street, the Dowell building was constructed in 1893 using the Italianate style of architecture. Frank P. Dowell maintained an office in this building, conducting transactions related to real estate such as loans, mortgages, insurance, and titles. A notary publicNotary publicA notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
, he was also involved in buying, selling, and renting property. Frank Dowell's father is Jessie H. Dowell, founder and president of Hartford City Natural Gas and Oil Company. In 1887, this company drilled the city's first successful natural gas well. The Dowell building is located on the south side of the square, east of the adjacent Briscoe Block.
- W.H. Gable Block This two-story Commercial ItalianateItalianate architectureThe Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
building was constructed in 1891, and occupies the addresses of 118 through 122 West Main Street. Five brick pilasterPilasterA pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s divide it into three storefronts and a stairway to the upstairs offices. "W.H. Gable 1891" appears in the center of the corniceCorniceCornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. William H. Gable participated in the California Gold RushCalifornia Gold RushThe California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1850 through 1852, and returned with enough money to begin various business interests, including furniture, undertaking, and real estateReal estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
. The W. H. Gable business block was eventually built on land that was Gable's first real estate investment.
- Griffin Buildings Two Griffin buildings are located side by side with addresses of 106 and 108 East Washington Street. The name "Griffin" can be found on the cornice of both buildings. Both were constructed around 1900. The 106 East Washington Street building was built in the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architectureRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style, and a second source believes this building was constructed in the 1890s. The Russell Lewis saloon was located at the 108 East Washington address during the early 1900s.
- E. Smilack Building The E. Smilack Building is located at 203 East Washington Street. The building was constructed around 1910 using the CraftsmanCraftsmanCraftsman may refer to:* Craftsman , a brand of tools* Master craftsman, an artisan who practices a handicraft or trade* a style of architecture and furniture arising from the British Arts and crafts style...
style of architecture. A stone tablet above the second floor says “E. Smilack”. Elbert Smilack was a well-educated Russian, originally named Smilackoff, who immigrated to the United States in 1899. After brief stays in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Michigan, he found steady employment in Marion, Indiana. Smilack saved enough money to move to Hartford City with a horse and buggy – and 35 cents in his pocket. A friend loaned him five dollars to start a junk business. After about a decade in the business, Smilack was involved in scrap iron, metals, hides, fur, and wool. He also became a provider of coal and firewood. Smilack prospered enough that he was able to invest in land and oil wells. By 1914, he was considered one of the wealthier men in Blackford County. Smilack, along with other family members, was killed on July 22, 1922, when his automobile was struck by a passenger train.
- Sowers & Gough Drugstore This corner building, located at 200 West Main Street, was originally built around 1910, and remodeled using the Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style of architecture around 1940. The Sowers & Gough Drugstore was originally across the street, but Gough bought the building at the 200 West Main street address and moved the drugstore after Sowers' health failed. Cecil Gough's drugstore became a favored gathering place during the 1930s and 1940s, as the store had a soda fountainSoda fountainA soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores...
and seating. The drugstore was bought by Merrit Tams in 1947, and was later ran by Pat Mehling as Mehling's Drugstore. A 2010 photo of building, painted white and no longer a drugstore, is shown herein (notable properties section).
- Weiler's Building Completed in 1896 according to the engraving at the top of the building, the three-story structure was built in the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architectureRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. The Weiler name, written on a limestone tablet, can be found on the third story. The uppermost portion of the building above the windows features terracotta rosettesRosette (design)A rosette is a round, stylized flower design, used extensively in sculptural objects from antiquity. Appearing in Mesopotamia and used to decorate the funeral stele in Ancient Greece...
and faces of men. The building is located at 104 West Main Street. This building housed the Weiler Brothers department store, and later a Montgomery WardMontgomery WardMontgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
store. At one time, the Weiler Brothers store housed in this building was thought to be one of the largest department stores in Indiana. During construction, over 250 feet of glass cases were ordered, and the interior furniture was said to be "equal to that in any store in the large cities." The store employed 80 people during the "busy season" in the early 1900s. The Weiler brothers originally involved with the store at this location were German immigrants Abraham, Adolph R., and Meyer M. Weiler. Abraham Weiler was also on the board of directors of the Hartford City Gas and Oil Company that had the first gas well in town. Abraham Weiler became involved with dry goods when he moved to Union City, IndianaUnion City, IndianaUnion City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 3,584.Union City was a stop along the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, a forerunner of the Pennsylvania Railroad that connected Pittsburgh to...
, and worked with Raphael Kirshbaum. (See Kirshbaum Building, section above.) They later established Kirshbaum & Weiler in Hartford City, Indiana, and Weiler eventually purchased Kirshbaum's share of the business. The Weiler Brothers store was established in 1878, and moved to the Weiler's Building in 1896. Products sold included hardware, furniture, clothing, carpets, crockery, glassware, boots and shoes. Because of Ku Klux KlanIndiana KlanThe Indiana Klan was a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, a secret society in the United States that practiced racism and terrorism against minority ethnic and religious groups. The Indiana Klan rose to prominence beginning in the years after World War I when rising levels of eastern and southern European...
-led boycottBoycottA boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
s of JewishJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
merchants, Hartford City's Weiler store closed during the 1920s.
- World War I Memorial Hartford City's Blackford County courthouse lawn is the home of numerous war memorialMemorialA memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
s. The World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
memorial was the first of the four larger memorials to be located at the corners of the courthouse lawn. It was dedicated on September 28, 1921. James Taylor, president of Taylor UniversityTaylor UniversityTaylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian college located in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian colleges in America....
, was the dedication ceremony speaker. The sculptor was Ernest Moore ViquesneyE. M. ViquesneyErnest Moore Viquesney American sculptor best known for his very popular World War I monument Spirit of the American Doughboy, installed in front of many American city halls and courthouses and in public parks and cemeteries in the years 1920 through 1940...
. The sculpture is known as the "Spirit of the American DoughboySpirit of the American DoughboyThe Spirit of the American Doughboy is a pressed copper sculpture by E. M. Viquesney, designed to honor the veterans and casualties of World War I...
", and this particular version was the third one erected.
Significance
The Hartford City Courthouse Historic District is eligible for the National Register under two criteria. First, a number of events influenced the development of the area (Criterion A), most notable the establishment of Hartford City as the county seatCounty seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
, and the Indiana Gas Boom
Indiana Gas Boom
The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....
. The district is the historic center of Blackford County's
Blackford County, Indiana
Blackford County is located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. The county is named for Judge Isaac Blackford, who was the first speaker of the Indiana General Assembly and a long-time chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. Created in 1838, Blackford County is divided...
commercial, social, and governmental activity. As county seat, the courthouse and nearby offices became the focus of Blackford County
Blackford County, Indiana
Blackford County is located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. The county is named for Judge Isaac Blackford, who was the first speaker of the Indiana General Assembly and a long-time chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. Created in 1838, Blackford County is divided...
government. In the late 1880s, the Indiana Gas Boom brought major growth and prosperity to the region, resulting in the construction of numerous commercial, retail, and social facilities in the area surrounding the courthouse. Later, during the 1920s, the courthouse square was the site for events involving the Ku Klux Klan
Indiana Klan
The Indiana Klan was a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, a secret society in the United States that practiced racism and terrorism against minority ethnic and religious groups. The Indiana Klan rose to prominence beginning in the years after World War I when rising levels of eastern and southern European...
.
The second reason the district is significant is its collection of buildings and their architectural styles (Criterion C). Most of these buildings were constructed during the Indiana Gas Boom in the late 19th century or early 20th century, and have many of their original features. Three styles of architecture, Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, Renaissance Revival, and Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
are all well represented, and additional styles can also be found.