Rallying Cry

Once a hub of revitalization, Anderson’s West Central Historic District needs attention, and some residents think the City needs to do more to help.

The neighborhood originated in the 1880s during Indiana’s Gas Boom, when discovery of a 2,500-square-mile natural gas field in east central Indiana enticed entrepreneurs and industrialists to the area. Drawn by the promise of free gas and cheap land, they built factories producing everything from glass to automobiles. In formerly rural communities, populations swelled as workers flocked to new manufacturing jobs.

In Anderson, drillers tapped into one of the largest gas fields in 1887, and by the turn of the century the city was a major industrial center. Wealthy residents began building houses just west of downtown, creating a neighborhood of grand homes designed to showcase prosperity. Today, the West Central Historic District remains one of the city’s best collections of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century residential architecture, including Queen Anne, Italianate, Colonial Revival, and Classical Revival examples.

The boom was short-lived. By the 1930s, the gas wells had dried up, and the Great Depression pushed the neighborhood into decline as many of the large houses were divided into smaller units. Urban renewal efforts in the 1960s and ‘70s took a further toll with demolition of several neglected and vacant homes.

The area’s fortunes rebounded in the early 1980s, when the city established the Anderson Historical and Cultural Preservation Commission and designated the neighborhood as a local historic district. Property owners began renovation projects and beautification initiatives. The City installed a park and nominated the West Central Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places.

For nearly 40 years, the district enjoyed status as one of Anderson’s premier neighborhoods. But over past two years, the global pandemic has triggered a discouraging repeat of history. Economic downturn, supply issues, and slow permitting have prompted many owners to neglect or abandon their properties. Some residents hope to turn the tide by raising awareness of the area’s significance, and they want city leaders to do more to encourage improvement in the district.