Piecing Together a Plan

The Richmond, Indiana, architectural firm I.N. Drury & Krider designed the Marion train station in 1895, skillfully blending Romanesque and Queen Anne elements to give the small station the sense of grandeur usually reserved for its larger cousins. The building sits on carved Indiana limestone topped by glazed brick. Scroll-sawn brackets support the wide overhangs so typical of railroad stations. The remaining window sashes and one original door feature small delicate panes set with caramel-colored glass.

After the last passenger train pulled out of the station in 1956, the structure became a liquor store. In spite of unsightly alterations – boarded windows, black paint on the limestone foundation, fluorescent signage, and rusted steel barricades around the parking lot – the building’s proud historic character remained evident.

The nonprofit Quilters Hall of Fame honors people who have made outstanding contributions to the world of quilting. Since 1994, the organization has occupied a restored Classic Revival home that originally belonged to Marie Webster, an internationally known quilter whose work was featured in Ladies Home Journal and other periodicals. Her work elevated quilting from a frugal necessity to an art form.

The Quilters Hall of Fame restored her house, now a National Historic Landmark, for displays, office space, a workshop, and gift shop. With operations bulging at the seams, the group hit upon a plan to rehabilitate the nearby depot into space for archives, a research library, and classrooms.

Early on, the group found a willing partner in Indiana Landmarks. A loan from our Efroymson Family Endangered Places Fund allowed the Quilters Hall of Fame to buy and begin repairing the vacant depot. The group is also using a grant from our Partners in Preservation program to nominate the station to the National Register of Historic Places – status will expand grant opportunities in the future.

Halstead Architects of Marion has steered the group in removing many modern alterations that marred the historic interior — a dropped acoustical tile ceiling came down to reveal a grand vaulted ceiling, and liquor store displays were demolished to display a massive brick fireplace. The Quilters Hall of Fame hopes the building will be usable again by summer 2018. For more information about the group or the depot project, contact Deb Geyer, Executive Director, 765-664-9333, or visit quilterhalloffame.com.