NEWS
Blockheads Rejoice at Owen Block Restoration
A historic building in downtown Evansville once slated for the wrecking ball reopened August 5, restored to its original elegance.
A Red-Ribbon Day
On Friday, August 5, Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, Michael Martin of Architectural Renovators and Indiana Landmarks President Marsh Davis gathered in front of Evansville’s historic Owen Block to cut a bright red ribbon. The snip marked the celebratory opening of a landmark many believed was doomed, and the remarkable community effort that saved it.
The 1882 structure was slated for demolition in 2015 until Indiana Landmarks led a fundraising campaign, aided by a significant contribution from the city of Evansville and clever “Blockheads” social media campaign, to rescue the Second-Empire style rowhouse. In March 2015, Indiana Landmarks purchased the building, convinced the Evansville Building Commission to rescind its demolition order, and sold the structure to Architectural Renovators. The city of Evansville supplied $50,000 in Urban Development Action Grant funds for stabilization and an equal amount for infrastructure improvements, replacing curbs and sidewalks around the property.
The $1.25 million restoration transformed the structure into 15 one-bedroom apartments with modern features such as granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The apartments rent for $800-900 per month.
Located at the corner of S.E. Second and Chestnut streets in the Riverside Historic District, the nineteenth-century rowhouse had been in Indiana Landmarks’ sights for a few years. Its style is rare, and its location on the edge of the historic district made it an important structure to save.
“Indiana Landmarks’ mission is saving special places, and the Owen Block certainly fits that description,” says Davis. “And who says Victorian is out of style? People of all ages and walks of life love this building. Contributors made donations, several in large amounts, so that Indiana Landmarks could rescue the Owen Block for the Riverside neighborhood and the city,” he notes.
“So many forces converged to make the save possible—the city, Indiana Landmarks board and especially our local board members Christine Keck, Kristen Tucker, Gene Warren, and Randy Shepard (a local in absentia), generous donors, neighbors, and the army who enlisted in the Blockheads social media campaign,” Davis adds.
“The mansard roof, the slated turrets, the enormous windows, the corbelled chimneys—they pulled at our heartstrings knowing that it would be such a loss to Evansville if this building was simply demolished,” says Mike Martin of Architectural Renovators, the contractor and owner/developer of the Owen Block.
“We already have deposits on 11 of the 15 units, before the project is complete and before any advertising. This is proof that people are seeking this kind of living environment here in Evansville, and it shows that the architectural fabric of downtown Evansville is important and worthy of investment. We have real momentum in Evansville right now, and it’s so exciting to be a part of it!” Martin adds.
Indiana Landmarks presented a preservation award to Mayor Winnecke and the City of Evansville to honor their extraordinary support in saving the Owen Block as well as the rare Art Moderne-style Greyhound Bus Station, and the one-of-a-kind Peters-Margedant House. We also gave awards to Jesika Ellis, Kristin Forrest, and, Phillip Hooper for creating the Blockheads social media campaign, and to Mike Martin, owner of Architectural Renovators, for his outstanding restoration of the Owen Block.
Later in the evening, crowds gathered in the street for pizza, music and tours of two restored Owen Block apartments during the Owen Block Block Party.
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