NEWS

Indiana Landmarks awards more than $6 million to save meaningful places

Grants will support architectural assessments, repairs, workshops, videos, and programming promoting preservation and heritage.

In 2024, Indiana Landmarks awarded more than $6 million to help nonprofits and cities around Indiana save meaningful places. Drawing from a variety of funds, these grants support efforts ranging from architectural assessments and repairs at historic structures, to programs, workshops, videos, and digital walking tours promoting preservation and heritage.

“Indiana Landmarks offers grants to help spark community revitalization and bolster preservation projects around the state,” says Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks. “We’re extremely grateful that with the support of many generous donors we’re able to offer this critical funding to local groups and others engaged in preserving the state’s meaningful places.”

Black Heritage Preservation Program Grants
Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program awards grants to help preserve and raise awareness of sites important to Black history in Indiana. In 2024, the group made 29 grants totaling $211,382:

Abundant Life Ministries Community Church, Indianapolis: $10,000 to replace heating and cooling systems in the 1968 church.
Arda, Chicago: $7,750 for design work, visioning, and community engagement exploring reuse options for the 1930 Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary.
Ball State Center for Historic Preservation, Muncie: $5,922 for a building assessment to prioritize repair needs of Banneker Community Center in Bloomington.
Beulah AME Church, Washington: $3,800 to prepare historical marker applications for the 1848 Beulah AME Church and 1875 Dunbar School.
Central Indiana Community Foundation/Colored Knights of Pythias, Indianapolis: $25,000 for roof and mortar repairs on the 1911 lodge used by the Colored Knights of Pythias.
Evansville African American Museum/Baptisttown: $3,200 to develop a walking tour of Baptisttown, a historic Black neighborhood in Evansville.
Evansville African American Museum: $5,000 for a community engagement session and to assist with costs of a historical marker at the McGary Burial Ground.
Fox Lake Preservation Foundation, Angola: $3,600 to expand the National Register-listed Fox Lake Historic District to include the 1960s Mar-Fran Motel and other areas at the historic Black resort community.
Friends of Lanier Mansion, Madison: $500 to support the organization’s Juneteenth Celebration.
Good Samaritan Baptist Church, Indianapolis: $25,000 for roof repairs on the 1920s building housing the church, established in 1929.
Indiana University Trustees, South Bend: $2,460 to help develop an augmented reality project for the Indiana University South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center about three sites with deep ties to the city’s African American history, including the Chalfant Heights neighborhood.
Kieser Consulting, Indianapolis: $5,100 to research the history of Indianapolis Public School 56 in preparation for nominating the building to the National Register of Historic Places and for a historical marker.
Kurt West Garner, Plymouth: $3,000 to research the 1884/1914/1961 Thomas Temple in Marion in preparation for nominating the church to the National Register of Historic Places.
Kurt West Garner, Plymouth: $4,000 to research Cabin Creek Settlement and Scott Corner Settlement in Randolph County in preparation for nominating both settlements’ historic Black cemeteries to the National Register of Historic Places.
League of Women Voters, Crawfordsville: $2,300 to research the 1881 Lincoln School for a historical marker.
Madam Walker Legacy Center, Indianapolis: $2,500 to develop walking tours of Indiana Avenue and the Madam Walker Legacy Center.
Madison Christian Health and Developmental Services, Hanover: $5,000 for design planning for a 1850s house in Madison’s Georgetown neighborhood.
Philips Temple CME Church, Indianapolis: $20,000 to replace the roof on the 1928 church.
Purdue University, West Lafayette: $5,000 to survey Black heritage sites in Lafayette.
Sandhill Cemetery, Princeton: $3,000 for improvements at the 1847 cemetery.
Scott United Methodist Church, Indianapolis: $15,000 for roof repairs and kitchen updates at the 1910 church.
Shaffer Chapel AME Church, Muncie: $10,000 to install a chair lift at the c.1893 building.
Smithfield Baptist Church, Rockport: $9,000 for a structural and building assessment of the historic church.
Springdale Cemetery Association, Madison: $500 for a grave marker honoring Rev. Chapman Harris, a local leader in the Underground Railroad.
Spruce Street AME Church, Terre Haute: $6,000 for a conditions assessment and a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the historic church.
St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Indianapolis: $5,000 to research the 1916 church for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places and for a historical marker.
Union Literary Institute Preservation Society, Inc., Lynn: $10,750 for brick repairs on the mid-nineteenth-century remains of Union Literary Institute.
University United Methodist Church, Indianapolis: $10,000 to install a display with history of the 1923 church, founded in 1874 as Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church.
Wayman AME Church, Lyles Station: $3,000 for a conditions assessment of the 1887 church building.

Efroymson Family Endangered Places Grants
The Efroymson Family Endangered Places fund honors the Efroymson family’s significant support of Indiana Landmarks’ endangered places programs through grants for architectural and structural assessments, rehab cost analyses, reuse studies, and fundraising planning. In 2024, Indiana Landmarks made 18 grants totaling $62,575.

12 Points Revitalization Initiative, Terre Haute: $4,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1939 Garfield Theater.
Batesville Main Street, Inc.: $5,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1875 Ward School.
City of Wabash: $1,800 for an engineering study of the 1870 Wilkinson Lumber Company building.
Covered Bridge Art Association, Rockville: $4,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of an 1877 historic lodge used as a community art gallery and educational center.
Heritage Preservation Society of Putnam County, Greencastle: $3,100 for an exterior restoration plan for the 1894 Vandalia Freight Depot.
Heritage Preservation Society of Putnam County, Greencastle: $4,000 for a conditions assessment and rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1908 Big Four Passenger Depot.
Miami County Economic Development Authority, Peru: $4,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of a c.1890/1915 commercial building on Broadway Street.
Prairie Preservation Guild, Fowler: $4,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1876 Benton County Sheriff’s Residence and Jail.
Richmond Art Museum: $4,000 for an architectural assessment of McGuire Memorial Hall for expanded use by the Richmond Art Museum.
The Ruthmere Foundation, Inc., Elkhart: $3,000 for historic structures reports on the 1848 Havilah Beardsley House and 1910 Ruthmere Mansion.
Sisters of St. Benedict, Ferdinand: $4,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1905 Annex and 1950 Kordes Hall.
Seymour Main Street: $4,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of a historic commercial building at 120 W. Second Street.
St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, Whiting: $4,000 for a facilities study to help establish rehabilitation priorities at the 1917 church.
Synergy Community Development Corporation, Bedford: $4,000 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the fire-damaged Elks Lodge in Bedford.
Terre Haute Parks Department: $4,000 for a structural assessment of the 1937 Chauncey Rose Memorial.
Town of Mount Ayr: $2,800 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of a c.1895 church.
Wesley United Methodist Church, Union City: $2,500 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1869/1909 church.
Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum Preservation Society, Hagerstown: $375 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1860 birthplace of the aviation pioneer.

Historic Preservation Education Grants
Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Humanities jointly award grants to nonprofits for programs and materials educating the public about historic places. In 2024, the organizations awarded a total of $50,350 to 18 projects:

ARCH, Inc., Fort Wayne: $2,350 for a series of free preservation lectures.
Calumet Heritage Partnership, Chesterton: $2,900 to create a video series highlighting significant historic structures.
Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives, Columbus: $2,600 for four public programs exploring the construction and history of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century downtown buildings along Washington Street.
Crown Hill Heritage Foundation, Indianapolis: $3,000 for student field trips with preservation programming.
Downtown Princeton Inc., Princeton: $500 for educational events sharing the value of historic preservation and National Register of Historic Places designation in the community.
Fountain Fletcher District Association, Indianapolis: $3,000 to create a digital tour highlighting history and architecture in the city’s Fountain Square and Fletcher Place neighborhoods.
Friends of the Frankfort Public Library, Frankfort: $3,000 to develop an exhibit about historic barns, a talk on the work of the Indiana Barn Foundation, and tours of two local barns repurposed for new uses.
Great Towns, Inc., Indianapolis: $3,000 for an essay contest open to Tipton High School students on the background and reuse of the town’s historic buildings.
Indiana Lincoln Highway Association, Granger: $3,000 to support presentations and guided bus tours highlighting history along the historic highway in conjunction with the 30th annual national Lincoln Highway Association conference in Elkhart.
Indiana University Press, Bloomington: $3,000 for publication of volume 2 of Architecture of Indianapolis by Dr. James A. Glass, examining the evolution of the city’s architecture from 1900 to 1920.
Land Stewards of Indianapolis, Indianapolis: $3,000 to digitize George Kessler’s plans for several of Terre Haute’s parks, and to develop a related gallery exhibit and virtual reality program.
Main Street Plainfield, Plainfield: $3,000 to update the organization’s website with timelines, articles, and multimedia content exploring the evolution of downtown.
Newburgh Museum Foundation Corporation, Newburgh: $3,000 to create signage with QR codes throughout downtown Newburgh sharing history and historic photos.
Reitz Home Preservation Society and Museum, Evansville: $3,000 to expand educational programming for elementary students on the 1871 home’s history, architecture, and the Victorian era.
Richmond Neighborhood Restoration, Richmond: $3,000 for a series of renovation workshops covering common historic building repairs.
Robert and Ellen Haan Museum of Indiana Art, Lafayette: $3,000 to develop a learning kit on architecture and historic preservation at the museum, a historic mansion that served as the Connecticut pavilion at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair before being moved to Indiana.
Ruthmere Foundation, Elkhart: $3,000 to develop a video for children on the history and preservation of the 1910 Ruthmere Mansion and 1858 Havilah Beardsley House.
Still Waters Adult Day Center, Indianapolis: $3,000 to develop programming in collaboration with the Indiana State Museum to make virtual tours of state historic sites available to the center’s clients.

Indiana Automotive Grants
Indiana Automotive, an affinity group of Indiana Landmarks, awards grants that support preservation and help raise awareness of landmarks connected to the state’s automotive heritage.

South Bend TradeWorks: $7,500 for restoration of the nonprofit’s new space at South Bend’s Spenner Garage, built in 1926 as a Ford car service and sales building.

Indiana Modern Grants
Indiana Modern, an affinity group of Indiana Landmarks, awards planning and rehabilitation grants to help identify, promote, and preserve the best examples of twentieth-century architectural and landscape design.

Kurt West Garner, Plymouth: $1,200 to prepare a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the 1961 Harry Weese-designed Irwin Union Bank and Trust at Eastbrook Plaza in Columbus, Indiana.

Marion County Historic Preservation Fund
Indiana Landmarks and the Central Indiana Community Foundation jointly manage a fund created by contributions from each organization and private donors to award grants supporting preservation of landmarks in Marion County.

Englewood Community Development Corporation: $7,500 for emergency repairs to the smokestack at the historic P.R. Mallory campus.
Irvington Historical Society: $4,000 for window repairs to historic windows at the 1903 Bona Thompson Library.
Irvington Presbyterian Church: $2,500 for a rehabilitation feasibility study and historic preservation plan at the 1929 church.
Phi Kappa Psi Foundation: $3,000 to prepare a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the 1916 Laurel Hall.
Propylaeum Historic Foundation: $7,500 for masonry work at the 1890 Schmidt-Schaf House.
Psychic Science Spiritualist Church: $2,000 for a conditions assessment of the c.1909 Leiber House.
Rethink Coalition: $5,000 for operational support as the coalition administers a federal planning grant for progressive design of the I-65/I-70 corridor in downtown Indianapolis.
St. Peters Evangelical Lutheran Church: $2,500 for a rehabilitation feasibility study of the 1929 church.

Sacred Places Indiana Grants
Last year, Indiana Landmarks’ Sacred Places Indiana program provided $5,758,363 to 39 congregations, including grants from a substantial new program, the Sacred Places Indiana Fund, designed to help congregations address capital needs at their historic houses of worship. Other awards supported architectural, rehabilitation, and fundraising studies:

Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Indianapolis: $60,000 capital grant and $25,000 planning grant to restore stained glass at the 1927 Gothic Revival-style church.
Broadway United Methodist Church, Indianapolis: $400,000 to complete urgent restoration work on the bell tower and limestone façade of the 1927 church building. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant to conduct both a building conditions assessment and fundraising feasibility study.
Central Christian Church, Lebanon: $100,000 capital grant for exterior masonry repairs to brick and limestone façades on the 1903 sanctuary and 1963 education wing.
First Christian Church, Bloomington: $14,300 planning grant for a fundraising feasibility study and HVAC engineering report to prepare the congregation to launch a capital campaign for preservation of its 1917 Gothic Revival-style church. The congregation also received a $250,000 capital grant to replace the building’s aging HVAC boiler system.
First Christian Church, Lafayette: $23,106 capital grant to carry out HVAC repairs and exterior painting on the 1914 church.
First Christian Church, Martinsville: $75,000 capital grant to replace a membrane roof on the 1928 education wing.
First Christian Church, New Castle: $125,000 for repairs to the 1958 church’s bell tower. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant.
First Presbyterian Church, Richmond: $15,000 planning grant to conduct a conditions assessment at the 1886 Richardson Romanesque-style church.
First United Church, Bloomington: $54,785 capital grant to replace a membrane roof on the sanctuary of the 1956 Mid-Century Modern-style building.
First United Methodist Church, Plymouth: $17,760 for a fundraising feasibility study and conditions assessment of the 1915 Neoclassical Revival-style church.
Friedens United Church of Christ, Indianapolis: $25,000 for a fundraising feasibility study and property assessment of the 1964 Mid-Century Modern-style church.
Gobin United Methodist Church, Greencastle: $260,000 to replace the original slate roof on the 1928 church. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant to update its building conditions assessment and for a fundraising feasibility study to guide an upcoming capital campaign.
Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Franklin: $64,667 for masonry repairs on the south parapet wall of the 1902 Gothic Revival-style church’s education wing.
Irvington Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis: $180,000 to repair exterior masonry and heating and cooling systems at the 1929 church. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant.
Meridian Street United Methodist Church, Indianapolis: $40,000 to remove and repair an exterior ramp and reconstruct limestone steps and iron handrails at the church built in 1951-52. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant to conduct a building conditions assessment and fundraising feasibility study.
Mount Zion Baptist Church, Indianapolis: $18,500 for a conditions assessment of the 1957 Gothic Revival/Art Deco-style church. The congregation also received a $100,000 capital grant for HVAC and roofing systems repairs.
New Circle Church, Indianapolis: $24,000 to conduct a property assessment of the 1921 Gothic Revival-style church and its 1950s/1960s additions. The congregation also received a $50,000 capital grant to repair masonry and roofing systems.
North United Methodist Church, Indianapolis: $250,000 for masonry repairs to halt water infiltration into the 1925-31 church’s sanctuary and 1951 education wing. The congregation was also received a $25,000 planning grant to update a building conditions assessment and support architectural renderings for the masonry project.
Park Place Church of God, Anderson: $300,000 for masonry repairs on the church steeple, the first phase of a broader restoration planned for the 1958-60 building. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant to complete a building conditions assessment and capital campaign marketing materials.
Plainfield Friends/Western Yearly Meeting House, Plainfield: $60,850 capital grant to replace an asphalt-shingle roof on the 1913 meeting house.
Roberts Park United Methodist Church, Indianapolis: $25,000 for a conditions assessment of the 1876 Romanesque Revival-style church. The congregation also received a $75,000 capital grant for masonry repairs to halt water infiltration into the building.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Parish, Indianapolis: $9,600 to support a fundraising campaign study for future capital work at the 1890 Gothic Revival-style parish.
Saint Adalbert Catholic Church, South Bend: $400,000 for a total roof replacement on the 1926 Gothic Revival-style church. The parish also received a $15,000 planning grant for architectural drawings to support the capital project.
Saint Benedict Cathedral, Evansville: $300,000 to replace a heating and cooling systems air handler and improve accessibility in the 1927 church. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant for the project.
Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Poseyville: $15,000 to support restoration of the 1899 Gothic Revival-style Holy Angels Catholic Church in New Harmony.
Saint Joseph Catholic Parish, Mishawaka: $400,000 capital grant and a $25,000 planning grant to replace the original slate roof on the 1891 Gothic Revival-style church.
Saint Mark’s United Church of Christ, New Albany: $18,500 to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1957 Mid-Century Modern-style church and its 1968 education building. The congregation also received a $67,000 capital grant for masonry repairs to the education building.
Saint Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, Whiting: $90,000 capital grant to repair stained-glass windows in the 1917 church sanctuary.
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, New Albany: $25,000 for a fundraising feasibility study and property conditions assessment of the 1895 Gothic Revival-style church’s campus. The congregation also received a $70,000 capital grant for structural work on the building’s deteriorating foundation.
Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, Haysville: $135,000 for repairs to heating and cooling systems in the 1948 church. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant for the project.
Saint Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Indianapolis: $80,818 to rehabilitate the 1929 Gothic Revival-style church’s bell tower. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant to complete architectural renderings.
Saint Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Catholic Church, South Bend: $125,000 for structural repairs to choir loft supports under the 1900 Gothic Revival-style church’s sanctuary. The parish also received a $25,000 planning grant to contract architectural and engineering designs to guide the capital project.
Saint Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church, Michigan City: $400,000 to address urgently needed repairs to the 1916-26 Renaissance Revival-style church’s twin bell towers. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant for architectural design and planning services to support the capital project.
Saints Constantine and Elena Romanian Orthodox Church, Indianapolis: $17,000 for a conditions assessment of the 1949 Neo-Byzantine-style church.
Sisters of Providence, St. Mary-of-the-Woods: $150,000 to replace the fire suppression system in the 1891 Church of the Immaculate Conception at the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods campus. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant for the project.
Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Wayne: $275,000 for masonry and structural repairs, exterior painting, and a fire alarm upgrade at the 1866 church. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant for the project.
Trinity United Methodist Church, Lafayette: $100,000 to restore the 1872 church’s stained-glass windows. The congregation also received a $25,000 planning grant for the project.
West Street Christian Church, Tipton: $24,067 for a building conditions assessment of the 1908 Romanesque Revival-style church building.
Zion United Church of Christ, Indianapolis: $8,410 capital grant to repair and restore sanctuary doors on the 1941 church and to replace a broken HVAC unit.

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Indiana Landmarks revitalizes communities, strengthens connections to our diverse heritage, and saves meaningful places. With nine offices located throughout the state, Indiana Landmarks helps people rescue endangered landmarks and restore historic neighborhoods and downtowns. People who join Indiana Landmarks receive its bimonthly magazine, Indiana Preservation. For more information on the not-for-profit organization, call 317-639-4534, 800-450-4534, or visit www.indianalandmarks.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Mindi Woolman, Director of Marketing and Communications, 317-639-4534, mwoolman@indianalandmarks.org
Mark Dollase, Vice President of Preservation Services, 317-639-4534, mdollase@indianalandmarks.org

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