A House of Worship Reborn

As a historic house of worship, Phillips Temple C.M.E Church in Indianapolis has faced its fair share of challenges — abandonment, deterioration and – more than once – the threat of demolition. Knowing how close the landmark came to being lost, celebrating its $3.8 million rehabilitation and adaptive reuse by Van Rooy Properties is even more meaningful.

Located at 1226 N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street in the National Register-listed Flanner House Homes Historic District, Phillips Temple was constructed in 1924 to house an African American congregation, one that eventually grew to include 2,000 members. The building’s main facade is defined by a grand classical portico, with a gabled pediment supported by four elegant columns. A gilded dome at the center of the roof originally crowned the spacious sanctuary.

The church held services at Phillips Temple until 1992, when it sold the building to another congregation. In 2011, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) bought the building and allowed the congregation to remove stained glass windows and original pews, diminishing the structure’s character and design.

In 2013, IPS announced plans to raze Phillips Temple to expand a parking lot at Crispus Attucks High School across the street. The threat earned the building a spot on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered List. With support from allies including City-County Councillor Vop Osili and neighborhood advocate Disa Watson Summers, we intervened to stop demolition and called on IPS to find a preservation-minded buyer who could return the property to the tax rolls and restore it to productive use.