The old city building . . . why is it important to this community?

When this building and the rest of the uptown buildings were erected the town of Elwood was one of the wealthiest in the state because of the "Gas Belt."  Dr Jim Glass, a professor at Ball State, has written several articles regarding this period of time and why Elwood was so important. In fact, Elwood was known as the "Buckle of the Gas Belt." Many who live or who have lived in this community would benefit from reading his words.

When a group of us worked with the Sesquicentennial Committee to put together a book regarding the history of Elwood, we were struck by some of the photos we found. Take a look at the first part of the book called A View Through The Ages. Except for the first picture of the unpaved Anderson Street, it is difficult to see many differences in the rest of the pictures in this segment. They were all taken from the same general spot, the intersection of South B and Anderson Streets and the dates range from 1899 to the last one that was taken from the same spot by Joe Overdorff in 2002.

As Elwood went the way of so many small towns throughout this country, the the owners of these buildings did not feel they could afford the improvements that were needed to maintain these historic buildings. The fact that so many of the buildings are still standing is a monument to the quality of work that was put into these structures. The 2 buildings that were destroyed by fire and collapse (?) were found to be structurally sound by Indiana Historic Landmarks representative in the month prior to the demise of the structures. In fact, a group from the city was talking to landmarks about an emergency program they have to purchase buildings for rehab. This is what was done with the hotel in southern Indiana, Baden Springs Spa and Hotel.

With the work, contacts and grants that the Elwood Main Street, Indiana Historic Landmarks the Madison County Foundation and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have done for this community it is important for the people to know the improvements that have benefited us have not come from taxes we all pay. True, the people who own the buildings can receive tax credit from the Federal Government should they decide to follow the guide lines for improvement that are offered simply by the fact that the town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an Historic Commercial District. The buildings that are owned by non-profit organizations such as the Elwood-Pipecreek Historical Society, or others, are eligible for grants. This is also true for cities. Jerry Bridges who is the director of the Madison County Council of Governments, is responsible for the grants that afforded this town the amenities that accompanied the road work on State Road 13. This same grant will provide the money for the work on State Road 28. I t may be surprising to all of you to know that when the Elwood Main Street first contacted the DNR they were told that the agency had wondered why Elwood had never applied for a grant and if they ever would.

If the old city building is preserved it will be done by private sector and not by the city of Elwood. This is something that so many here in the community are not understanding. There will be no tax money involved in this preservation. As to why the preservation of this building is considered important; there were so few city buildings that were built in the style used for this building which is that of the Chicago City Building. Most of the city buildings with domes were in the large towns and there may have been as few as 25 that were constructed. The architectural history alone is priceless especially for a town the size of Elwood. The Elwood Heritage Preservation Group here in Elwood received grants from the Indiana Historic Landmarks and the Citizens Gas Company to pay for a feasibility study regarding rehabbing the old building. Most of you know of this group from the small wooden buildings they sell at the glass festival and other events. With the rehab of this building, Elwood will once again be first among small towns across the country in the architectural prizes within its commercial boundaries. How many of you are aware that even our post office is considered an architectural masterpiece? The old library, the churches that are uptown, the post office, the old city building and the opera house are all considered contributing structures of great significance to this community.

There are many companies across the country that are looking for places of historic significance and convenient locations. The City of Elwood is on the verge of becoming an Historic High Tech Community. The introduction of the I-light broad band Internet Service Provider that will be following the I-69 corridor from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne and bisects Madison County from the southwest corner to the northeast corner is a tremendous appeal to the high tech companies that are looking for a place that is close to the hub of big city (Indianapolis), the airports (Indianapolis and Fort Wayne) and major routes ( I-69, 32, 37, 28 and 13) can be courted by this community if all will work together. Why Elwood? Because Elwood is the only community with the status of being on the National Register in this part of the county.

 Someone told me a while back that they were sick and tired of "new people" coming to Elwood and trying to make these improvements that were far too expensive for a town like this. Well, I strongly disagree! These things can be done without costing the citizens of Elwood and this community can be made much better by doing so. I am not a new person to this community. I was born, raised and went to school here in Elwood. I was fortunate enough to live in places that did work very hard to improve themselves and I learned many things by working with the people in these places. I learned pride for myself, my dwelling and my community through reading, researching and learning about what is available for communities to make these improvements. As I drive around town I am appalled at the many places that obviously show a  lack of pride. This is something no volunteer group, grant money or other assistance can do. This is something within, or lacking within, the individuals who do not want to live better. Keeping a residence looking neat should be an obligation people feel the need to do. New side walks, trees, street lights or any other kind of improvements will not mean a thing if they are overshadowed by the littered lawns and drives of the residents. There is a BIG difference between living with less and living like trash. It is my opinion that there is no improvement that is too expensive or expansive for this small town of Elwood. If so many improvements have been brought about by so few people working together can you imagine what could happen if there were many more who would offer their help. It doesn't take money, just a small bit of time.

With all this community has to offer I wonder why there are so many pessimists who keep saying it can't be done. This was being said when I moved back here in 1996 and just look at what has been done since then. This was being said about the uptown, the homes, the park the schools and many other things. All one has to do is open their eyes and look around. Maybe they then can open their minds and understand what can happen. Make it happen! The number of people who are becoming aware is increasing. This shows in the work they are doing for their own property. I hope with all of my being that those who do not see what can and must be done will start opening their eyes and minds to the rest of this town.