Bloomington restaurant opens in downtown landmark

8/16/2012

Topo's 403 occupies the historic Millen-Chase,McCalla House on North Walnut Street in downtown Bloomington.

Preservationists and foodies alike can celebrate the delicious results of a project to adaptively reuse a Bloomington landmark. 

On August 5, the city’s newest restaurant opened in one of its oldest downtown buildings. Topo’s 403, an upscale Greek and Mediterranean restaurant, now occupies the historic Millen-Chase-McCalla House at 403 North Walnut Street. The restaurant is a venture of the Topolgus family, which has owned the property since 1947. 

The house’s eclectic appearance is the result of three distinct periods of construction spanning nearly a century. The building’s rear wing was constructed in 1844 as the home of William Millen, Sr. and his wife, Elizabeth. The front portion dates from 1854, built by Aaron & Deborah Chase and then renovated in the Italianate style around 1872 by John & Elizabeth McCalla – daughter of Dr. Andrew Wylie, first president of Indiana University. Sometime in the 1920s the home’s first floor was converted to commercial use.

In spite of its varied use over time, the house remains remarkably intact both inside and out, creating a wonderful historic atmosphere for the new restaurant. Using rehabilitation tax credits, the Topolgus family embarked on a year-long renovation project to prepare the house for its new use, guided by Bloomington-based preservation consultants Danielle Bachant-Bell and Cynthia Brubaker. The family paid equally close attention to the restaurant’s culinary development, consulting with chefs David Tallent and Jason Shoulders.

See photos of the historic Millen-Chase-McCalla House and learn more about Topo’s 403 by visiting the restaurant’s Facebook page here.  Tempt your taste buds with a look at the Topo’s 403 menu, http://www.topos403.com/.