Holding On to Hope

Plans for rehabilitation of a former 10 Most Endangered site suffered a setback with a fire at Bedford’s historic Elks Lodge in the early morning hours of September 20.

Designed by Indianapolis architect Elmer Dunlap and dedicated in 1917, the imposing, Renaissance Revival-style lodge landed on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most list in 2015 when declining membership prompted the fraternal organization to vacate the building.

Last fall, development partners 1930s Group and Allied Argenta acquired the lodge and the nearby Krenke-Goff Building with plans to rehabilitate both as a mixed-use development.

“Our initial, immediate goal was to ensure the Elks Lodge would not be demolished and to transfer it into safe hands,” Adrian Scott Fine, Bedford native and partner in the 1930s Group, said in a press release announcing the sale. “It is too important to the community and its history to be lost, and its revitalization is part of a larger effort to activate the historic square business district.”

The fire was centered in the basement and most of the damage was contained there, with some smoke and water damage on upper levels. Many of the building’s historic windows were also damaged or destroyed, but its distinctive tile roof appears to be intact. Crews are securing the building while the property owners and city officials plan for next steps. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Indiana State Fire Marshal.

“I am confident that the developers of the property are committed to its rehabilitation,” says Greg Sekula, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Southern Regional Office. “While this is indeed a setback, local firefighters appear to have saved the building from total loss.”

This is the latest high-profile fire affecting a vacant historic building in Bedford. Last September the 1926 Monon passenger station – another previous entry on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered list – was gutted by fire, the cause of which remains undetermined. The walls of the depot remain standing, but its future remains in doubt.

“I don’t believe this is the lodge’s final chapter,” adds Sekula. “Given the catastrophic blows to Bedford’s landmark architecture recently, the anticipated rehabilitation of the Elks building will be an even sweeter preservation victory.”