10 Most Endangered - Indiana Landmarks

Every day, all year long, Indiana Landmarks works to revitalize historic structures that give our communities visible connections to their past and lend irreplaceable visual character to the streetscape. Once a year, we announce the 10 Most Endangered, a list of historic places on the brink of extinction and too important to lose. Our 2020 entries include two schools that provided unprecedented learning opportunities to African Americans, a train depot, a Carnegie library, an artfully designed jail and sheriff’s residence, two churches, and more. These places shape lives, and when they’re gone, they leave a void that can’t be filled.

Elwood Carnegie Library

124 N. 16th St., Elwood

Neglect and deferred maintenance in the hands of an absentee owner increasingly threaten Elwood’s historic Carnegie library.

Falley-O’Gara-Pyke House

1014 South Street, Lafayette

Demolition threatens a standout Italianate-style house in Lafayette’s National Register-listed St. Mary Historic District.

Gary Roosevelt High School

730 West 25th Street, Gary

One of only three Indiana high schools built exclusively for African Americans, Gary’s Roosevelt High School already suffered declining enrollment and financial hardship when burst pipes forced students to move out.

Tipton County Jail & Sheriff’s Residence

203 S. West Street, Tipton

The clock is ticking for Tipton County’s vacant 1895 jail and sheriff’s residence, targeted for demolition if a reuse cannot be found quickly.

Romweber House

507 North Walnut, Batesville

Batesville’s Romweber House needs significant investment, but it’s on the market at a price too high to attract most preservation-minded buyers.

Union Literary Institute

8605 E 600 S., Union City

The remains of an 1860 schoolhouse are all that’s left of Union Literary Institute, one of the state’s first schools to offer higher-level education to all students, regardless of race or gender.

Monon Station

1221 J Street, Bedford

Bedford’s vacant Monon Station urgently needs repair to halt deterioration before finding a reuse becomes even more difficult.

Church of the Holy Cross

1401 East Ohio Street, Indianapolis

In Indianapolis, the historic Holy Cross neighborhood is in danger of losing its signature landmark, closed after the building’s arched portico collapsed in 2015.

Downtown Attica

Roughly bounded by Perry, Main and Mill Streets, Attica

Vacancy, deferred maintenance and demolition by neglect threaten several buildings in Attica’s National Register-listed Downtown Historic District.

Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church

1004 North A Street, Richmond

With stained-glass windows and furnishings by New York’s Tiffany Studios, Reid Memorial is a work of art. But the building has been empty since 2017, its future unclear.

Act Now to Save These Places

Saving threatened buildings takes teamwork. You can be a part of that team. Reach out to local leaders. Let them know these buildings are important to you. And support state and local preservation groups.

TAKE ACTION