NEWS

Sighting Reuse for Downtown Birdseye Landmark

It’s like a scene from an Edward Hopper painting – a stately brick building sits quietly crumbling next to the railroad tracks in a small town. But in this case, the building is not fictional, and Indiana Landmarks is stepping in to try to ensure its future.

Koerner Block in Birdseye, Indiana
Koerner Block in Birdseye, Indiana

A Building Once "The Finest in the Township"

Our Southern Regional Office recently secured an option on the Koerner Block, a large, Italianate-style structure that comprises a significant part of the commercial downtown in tiny Birdseye – a Dubois County hamlet best known for its one-room stone jail. The building was constructed in 1893 for William N. Koerner, a merchant who sold just about everything from dry goods, glassware, groceries and clothing to a line of farming implements. A contemporary account described the building as “the finest in the township.” Though deteriorated, it remains remarkably intact, with original storefronts, decorative metal cornice and window hoods, and an unusual and ornate wooden mezzanine and original cabinetry inside.

In recent years the building has primarily been used for storage. In 2013, a portion of the rear wall collapsed due in part to lack of water drainage, exacerbated by damage caused when a safe fell through the floor. Local preservationists contacted Indiana Landmarks, concerned that the building would be demolished, leaving a huge hole in downtown Birdseye. The owners want to see the building preserved and have agreed to donate it to Indiana Landmarks. We plan to sell the Koerner Block to a preservation-minded buyer able to repair and rehabilitate it.

In the meantime, we’re working with local and county officials to address delinquent taxes. We awarded a $2,500 Efroymson Family Endangered Places Grant to our local partner, Dubois County Landmarks Preservation, Inc., for a structural assessment of the building. The study, currently underway by architect Adam Green and structural engineer James Morley of Morley and Associates, both of Newburgh, will identify stabilization needs and costs, information that will be available to the buyer.

Interested in saving and rehabbing this Birdseye landmark or helping with volunteer clean-up or stabilization? Contact Greg Sekula, director of our Southern Regional Office, 812-284-4534 or gsekula@indianalandmarks.org.

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