Building collapse signals preservation code blue

2/13/2013

A portion of the wall behind 207 S. Perry Street in Attica collapsed last year. Supporters hope the building, and two other seriously neglected structures, can be saved.

The partial collapse of a building in downtown Attica has spurred efforts to find a preservation solution for three seriously neglected historic structures. A $2,000 grant from Indiana Landmarks will help Attica’s local preservation group, Fountain County Landmarks, fund a structural assessment, while supporters keep fingers crossed the buildings can still be saved.

The three c.1880s buildings at 106, 201-203 and 207 South Perry Street are in the heart of Attica’s downtown, an area that has seen substantial investment in recent years. A façade improvement program funded by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) transformed 14 historic commercial buildings along Perry Street. Grants from Indiana Main Street and the Indiana Division of Historic and Preservation and Archaeology have encouraged additional façade improvements and restoration projects. The loss of the three buildings in the corridor would create a hole in this picture of revitalization.

Fountain County Landmarks applied for the grant from Indiana Landmarks’ Endangered Places Fund on behalf of the City of Attica. The nonprofit group is providing matching funds and is working with the city to identify redevelopment possibilities for the endangered buildings.

To learn more, contact Tommy Kleckner, director of Indiana Landmark’s Western Regional Office, 812-232-4534, tkleckner@indianalandmarks.org. Learn more about our Endangered Places Grant program here.