List of properties in Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District

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This is a list of properties contained within the boundaries of the federal government designated Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District in Hartford City, Indiana, United States. The District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 2006.[1] Over 40 contributing properties, including two buildings that are also in the National Register for their own significance, are included in the list.

Most information was retrieved from two major sources: Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana's Blackford County Interim Report (Interim Report) and the National Register of Historic Places Nomination form for the Hartford City Courthouse Square District (National Register). The National Register was the final source to decide which properties contribute to the historic district. There are some instances where the sources disagree. For example, the Interim Report listed all of the monuments on the courthouse lawn as contributing properties, while National Register listed only the World War I monument. Any additional sources, which were used exclusively in the notes column with one exception, are footnoted.[2]

The list contains information on each property, including its common name. If the building doesn't have a common name that can be attributed to a reliable source, then it is described simply as a "Commercial Building". The address is listed for each structure because it provides a general reference point to navigate the properties of the historic district. Some addresses may change slightly over time as storefronts are altered. Where the two major sources disagree on a street address, the current address of the building was used. Four of the categories of information can be sorted. The list's default sort orders the properties alphabetically by street, and then north-to-south or east-to-west. Linked information on each building's major architectural themes is also listed where available. Images and brief notes, where available, are listed in the last section.

Contributing properties[edit]

These properties are contributing properties to the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District. In general this means that they add to the historic character of the historic district. In the case of this historic district, the property is associated with architecture, commerce, politics, government, or social history.

Property name Address Built Architecture Image Notes
1 Blackford County Courthouse Courthouse Square 1894 Romanesque Revival Richardsonian Romanesque Focal point of town. Outstanding historic or architectural significance. Outstanding example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.
2 World War I Memorial Courthouse Square 1921 Sculpture Twenty foot high bronze sculpture created by Ernest Moore Viquesney and known as the Spirit of the American Doughboy. Unveiled September 28, 1921.
3 First Presbyterian Church 220 N. High St. 1893 Romanesque Revival Richardsonian Romanesque Also uses 117 W. Franklin Street as address. Oldest church building in town. Outstanding example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. Listed in National Register of Historic Places. Outstanding stained glass windows and history with city's glass industry.[3]
4 Commercial Building 211 N. High St. circa 1910 Two-part commercial block listed as 213-215 N. High in National Register, current address for building is 211 N. High, Interim Report lists as 211 N. High. Taller building with mini-van parked in front in photo. Peoples Gas and Oil Company had an office at the 213 North High Street address in 1903.[4]
5 Commercial Building 209 N. High St. circa 1910 Smaller building to right of white building in left half of photo.
6 Commercial Building 111 N. High St. circa 1900 Italianate Listed as 109 N. High in National Register. Building has been torn down.
7 Commercial Building 114 S. High St. circa 1900 Listed as 118 S. High Street in National Register.
8 Commercial Building 116-120 S. High St. circa 1900 The Model Steam Laundry operated at the 120 address during the early 1900s.[5]
9 United States Post Office 123 S. High St. 1934 Neoclassical Outstanding historic or architectural significance. Federal Public Works Number 207 constructed during the Great Depression as a project of the Public Works Administration.[6]
10 Commercial Building 124 S. High St. circa 1890 National Register identifies this as contributing, while Interim Report says non-contributing. Around 1911, agricultural implements, buggies, and carriages were sold from this address.[7]
11 Cox Building 217 N. Jefferson St. circa 1915 Craftsman Original version of building built c. 1895. Photo shows building in 2010. Housed E.E. Cox's newspaper and printing business.[8] Torn down April 26, 2016.[9]
12 Hotel Ingram 118-122 N. Jefferson St. circa 1900 Romanesque Revival Notable historic or architectural significance. Hotel had fine dining and the Ingram Bar.[10] Later became known as the Hartford Hotel, and was the home of George Stevens, one of the city's leading citizens and philanthropists.[11]
13 Commercial Building 114-116 N. Jefferson St. circa 1899 Romanesque Revival Home Restaurant occupied 114 N. Jefferson, and Abbott & Saxon (saloon) occupied 116 N. Jefferson in the early 1900s.[10]
14 Commercial Building 108-110 N. Jefferson St. circa 1900
15 Former Bank Block Building 102-104 N. Jefferson St. circa 1889 Originally northern part of Bank Block. Southern building (which retains original features) on corner at right of 2010 photo, while Northern building (which has had original features removed) on left. Commercial Italianate features removed by the 1960s.
16 Bank Block 100 N. Jefferson St. circa 1889 Italianate Southern portion of original Bank Block. Building is on corner of street, right side of photo taken in 2010. Southern portion retains most of original features.
17 Blackford County Jail 120 E. Main St. 1879 Italianate Oldest contributing building in district. Outstanding historic or architectural significance.
18 Weiler's Building 104 W. Main St. 1896 Romanesque Revival Once one of the largest department stores in Indiana.[12]
19 Rosenbush Building 110 W. Main St. circa 1890 Renaissance Revival Notable historic or architectural significance. Rosenbush was a tailer that worked at this site during the early 1900s.[13]
20 Patterson Building 112 W. Main St. 1896 Romanesque Revival Listed in Interim Report simply as "Commercial Building", this building was built by S. R. Patterson. Plans for the building were discussed in 1892, as demand for office space was strong at that time.[14] In 1895, architects were submitting plans for the building, and it was thought that Blackford County Bank would occupy the front of the first floor.[15] W. J. Fulton dry goods and notions sold at this location in the early 1900s.[4]
21 Sage Building 114-116 W. Main St. 1894 or 1895 Building is in center of photo. 1890s office of Dr. John W. Sage, popular physician and Civil War veteran.[16] Sage built on the site of his office and home.[14] The building was near completion by January 1895, and it included twelve office rooms.[17] In the early 1900s, the Mecca saloon was located at this address.[18]
22 W.H. Gable Block 118-122 W. Main St. 1891 Italianate William H. Gable eventually built on land that was his first real estate investment after two years of participation in the California Gold Rush.[19]
23 Sowers & Gough Drugstore 200 W. Main St. 1940 Art Deco Originally built c. 1910. Cecil R. Gough ran this drugstore and popular gathering place during the 1930s and 1940s. The store had a soda fountain and seating. It was later run by Merit Tams and then Pat Mehling.[20]
24 Knights of Pythias / Tyner Building 204-210 W. Main St. 1900 Queen Anne Has mixture of architectural features including Romanesque, Classical, and Renaissance Revival in addition to Queen Anne. Notable historic or architectural significance. The Hartford City Times operated from the 210 W. Main address during the early 1900s.[21] For a brief "turbulent" period during the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan had an office in this building.[22]
25 Commercial Building 214 W. Main St. circa 1890 Schisler shoemaker and repair operated here in the early 1900s.[23] Also home office of Byron Snell, a salesman for Mail Pouch Tobacco. Snell married a Schisler, and the B. Snell & Son business was still thriving in Hartford City in the 1980s.[24]
26 Commercial Building 220 W. Main St. circa 1910 Identified as 218 W. Main in National Register, current address is 220 W. Main and Interim Report identifies as 220 W. Main.
27 Commercial Building 210 E. Washington St. circa 1940 Art Moderne Notable historic or architectural significance. Rare (in Hartford City) example of Art Moderne style of architecture.
28 E. Smilack Building 203 E. Washington St. circa 1910 Craftsman Elbert Smilack was an immigrant from Russia that prospered in the United States, and owned numerous oil wells.[25] Smilack was also involved in coal, wood, second-hand pipe, old oil wells, and scrap metal.[26]
29 Commercial Building 201 E. Washington St. circa 1950
30 Commercial Building 200 E. Washington St. circa 1920
31 Commercial Building 125 E. Washington St. circa 1950 Interim Report describes this building as non-contributing, while National Register map shows as contributing.
32 Scheidler Theater 118 E. Washington St. 1947 Art Deco Notable historic or architectural significance. "Very elegant and beautifully decorated" theater built by Matt Scheidler.[27]
33 Commercial Building 110 E. Washington St. circa 1900 Italianate Building collapsed during March 2023[28]
34 Griffin Building 108 E. Washington St. circa 1900 Second of side-by-side Griffin buildings. Located on left in photo. Home of Russell Lewis saloon in the early 1900s.[29]
35 Griffin Building 106 E. Washington St. circa 1890 Renaissance Revival Located on right in photo. Described in National Register as "built with Romanesque Revival details", but has no arches (see photo). Interim Report describes as Renaissance Revival.
36 Dowell Building 107-109 W. Washington St. 1893 Italianate Frank P. Dowell maintained an office in rooms 5 and 6 in this building (which looks like two buildings), making loans and insuring property.[30] Frank's father, Jessie H. Dowell, was founder and president of Hartford City Natural Gas and Oil Company.[31]
37 Briscoe Building 113-119 W. Washington St. 1893 Renaissance Revival Described in National Register as "Romanesque Revival", but has no arches (see photo). Interim Report describes as Renaissance Revival. Longtime home of Hoover-Needler Furniture (known as J.L. Hoover at beginning of 20th century.[32] Also home of Kentucky Liquor Company and Western Union in the early 1900s.[33]
38 Kirshbaum Building 123 W. Washington St. 1893 Romanesque Revival Outstanding historic or architectural significance. Originally housed the First National Bank.
39 Ervin Building 201-205 W. Washington St. circa 1890 Queen Anne Outstanding historic or architectural significance. Originally housed Campbell & Ervin Dry Goods.
40 Commercial Building 208-210 W. Washington St. circa 1890 Two-part commercial block. This building has been torn down. Identified as 216 W. Washington Street in Interim Report. Hartford City Natural Gas and Oil Company had an office at the 210 West Washington Street address in 1903.[10]
41 Campbell Building 207-211 W. Washington St. 1901 Renaissance Revival Outstanding historic or architectural significance. Office building housed insurance agents, a dentist, and a physician in the early 1900s.[34]
42 Smith Building 213 W. Washington St. circa 1890 Renaissance Revival Office building during the early 1900s that housed attorneys and a dentist.[35]
43 Commercial Building 219 W. Washington St. circa 1890 Italianate O. R. Cantwell had one of the city's four pool and billiards parlors at this address in 1902.[36]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ National Register of Historic Places List of Actions Taken on Properties 6/19/06 through 6/23/06 web page. Archived May 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ The Cox Building was described as "Commercial Building" in both major sources, but additional sources provided enough information to identify the building by name.
  3. ^ First Presbyterian Church of Hartford City, Indiana National National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form
  4. ^ a b Dale, p. 111.
  5. ^ Dale, p. 113.
  6. ^ Hartford City Post Office web page Archived August 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine by the Indiana Historical Society.
  7. ^ Directory of Hartford City and Montpelier and Blackford County Gazetteer for the Years 1911-1912, pages 113 and 115.
  8. ^ Hartford City Illustrated, p. 10, discusses E.E. Cox and the Telegram newspaper. The original "Telegram News Block" is pictured on page 7 of the same publication.
  9. ^ "Former E. E. Cox building...". Blackford County Historical Society News. May 1, 2016. p. 4. Building was razed April 26, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Dale, p. 117.
  11. ^ A History of Blackford County...., p. 50.
  12. ^ House Furnishing review, p. 840.
  13. ^ Dale, p. 114.
  14. ^ a b Hartford City Telegram, page 1, March 31, 1892.
  15. ^ See Gas Belt Review, page 10, by the Blackford County Historical Society Archived 2009-04-27 at the Wayback Machine. The booklet contains original newspaper articles from the Hartford City area newspapers from 1893 to 1896. Among the local newspapers that existed in 1895 were the weekly Hartford City Telegram and the weekly Hartford City Times.
  16. ^ Brayton, p. 317.
  17. ^ See Gas Belt Review, page 9, by the Blackford County Historical Society Archived 2009-04-27 at the Wayback Machine. The booklet contains original newspaper articles from the Hartford City area newspapers from 1893 to 1896. Among the local newspapers that existed in 1895 were the weekly Hartford City Telegram and the weekly Hartford City Times.
  18. ^ Dale, p. 118
  19. ^ Shinn, p. 331.
  20. ^ A History of Blackford County...., pp. 56-57.
  21. ^ Dale, p. 115.
  22. ^ A History of Blackford County...., pp. 25-26
  23. ^ Dale, p. 87.
  24. ^ A History of Blackford County...., p. 80.
  25. ^ Blackford County (Indiana) biographies web page (scroll down) Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from Shinn's Blackford and Grant Counties....
  26. ^ Directory of Hartford City and Montpelier and Blackford County Gazetteer for the Years 1911-1912, pp. 4 & 8 of Hartford City Directory; p. 1 of Millgrove Directory.
  27. ^ A History of Blackford County...., p. 58.
  28. ^ Shaffer, Scott (March 15, 2023). "Another Hartford City Building Falls". Hartford City News Times. p. 1. The building at 110 East Washington Street across the alley from the Hester Hollis Concerns collapsed last week.
  29. ^ Dale, p. 118.
  30. ^ Dale, p. 104.
  31. ^ Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties...., p. 882. A section of this book has been reproduced on a web site (scroll down to Jessie H. Dowell). Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ A History of Blackford County...., p. 81.
  33. ^ Dale, p. 117-118.
  34. ^ Dale, p. 111, 113, and 116.
  35. ^ Dale, p. 108 and 111.
  36. ^ Dale, p. 116.

References[edit]

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