INDIANAPOLIS: Historic Landmarks Office safe after 28 Million dollar fire next door

The Indianapolis Office of Historic Landmarks appears safe after a a fire engulfed a 28 million dollar luxury apartment building under construction next door. The 3 Alarm fire broke out about 3:30 this morning in the "Cosmopolitan on the Canal" apartments on Michigan. Fire Trucks zoomed past our House early this morning and I could see the light in the sky downtown from our house. I got in the car and was able to get around the area to the western side of the canal to snap this shot before they closed everything down around the area. On the left is the historic mansion which is the site of Historic Landmarks. Due to the urban nature of the area this fire was dangerously close and thanks to the work of local firefighters who responded quickly this structure was saved.

At this point it appears that the Historic landmarks offices building which is right next door to the Cosmopolitan may have suffered only some minor damage to the roof on the newer structure than was built behind the historic mansion which was moved to the site that house offices for the foundation.

The Charles J. Kuhn House, is a local landmark . Kuhn, a German immigrant who owned a successful meat-packing business, built the Italianate home for his family at 413 West Michigan Street in 1879. Landmarks moved the home from its original location and moved it to 340 West Michigan Street Back in 1985. The mansion had many years of rough use and many had suggested that it should be bulldozed. The home was restored as part of a 2.1 million dollar project that included the construction of the new addition that houses offices for the foundation. Few people remember that this house was actually moved to this location and it was quite a site to see it lumbering down the street back then.

The Cosmopolitan on the canal is a luxury mixed use building, a Flaherty & Collins Properties development, was under construction and expected to open this summer. Many streets downtown are closed to traffic.

Our home in Indianapolis is about 1 mile east of this development and from our house right now at 7:30 AM the downtown area is still covered in smoke. Fortunately the wind is blowing in the other direction! Cause of the fire is not yet known and the building was unoccupied.

Tornado Destroyed Moscow Bridge being salvaged

The Historic Moscow covered bridge is being salvaged. Beams are being pulled out of the water as as much salvageable timber is being saved. While it is not yet sure where the monies will come from, organizers of the covered bridge festival have planned to go ahead with the festival in the hope that monies can be raised.

Despite the severe damage many key timber and section are intact but were in the water.

A bridge burned by Arson a few years ago in another Indiana town was reconstructed.

Flood: Technical bulletin for historic homeowners

Many historic home owners throughout southern Indiana and Illinois are faced with the difficult talk of cleanup and recovery after the flood this week. The national parks service has a preservation brief that may assist owners of historic properties on how to properly dry them out and develop a strategy for restoration. This preservation brief is available at the link below:
http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief39.htm

Historic Covered Bridge Destroyed!

A tornado destroyed the Historic Moscow Covered Bridge which crossed Big Flatrock River , in Moscow, Rush County. This double span Burr Arch Truss structure had a length of 330 feet, or 346 feet including the 8-foot overhang at each end, with a portal clearance 15 feet 6 inches wide by 13 feet 6 inches high. Built in 1886 by Emmet L. Kennedy, this was the only double span bridge still standing which the Kennedy family constructed.

The F3 tornado with winds up to 150 MPH ripped through Rush County on Tuesday and destroyed several historic buildings in the town as well. This occurred just a few short weeks before the annual covered bridge festival. State and Federal authorities are still surveying the damage left by the tornado. It is unknown at this time if the bridge will be reconstructed.

Vote!!! On historic Preservation?

As you all probably know if you regularly read this blog, I am in Indiana and today is our primary. We all know the candidates positions on things like the war, gas prices and such but what do we know about their historic preservation positions? Clearly with the importance of this Election this is an "Off the Radar" issue but I thought Id just try to see what I could find out. Because it is such a "niche" issue I could find little out on the campaign sites. So I had to look at other resources.

Hillary Clinton: Save America’s Treasures is a program of the White House Millennium Council created in 1997 by the President and First Lady to celebrate the accomplishments of this American century, and to engage every sector of our society in giving "gifts to the future" that convey our rich heritage. Save America’s Treasures is a bipartisan partnership between the U.S. Government and private individuals, corporations, foundations and experts in the fields of architecture and historic preservation. Hillary Clinton was activly involved in the program. According to her Senate voting record she supported preservation issues 100 percent for all years available.

Barak Obama: Co-introduced legislation would designate Illinois' 17 southernmost counties as a National Heritage Area, qualifying the region for Interior Department grants for preservation, education and economic development related to tourism. According to project vote smart, Obama supported historic presrvation issues 100 percent for all years available.

John McCain: Supported efforts in 1999 regarding the National Parks Improvement Act. According to project vote smart John McCain scored a zero rating in 2005 and 2004. He did get a 60 percent rating in 2003.

In the interests of full disclosure I voted for Hillary Clinton in the Indiana Primary today