We made the headlines!

Indiana Landmarks awards Endangered Places Grants in northern Indiana

Projects in six cities receive Endangered Places grants

3/28/2012

Media Contact:

Todd Zeiger, Director, Indiana Landmarks Northern Regional Office 574-232-4534,tzeiger@indianalandmarks.org.

Indiana Landmarks recently awarded Endangered Places Grants to preservation projects in six cities, including Elkhart and Ligonier.

The Elkhart Redevelopment Commission received a $2,500 grant for a structural analysis of a vacant structure at 200 North Main Street on the city’s River Walk. Known as The Armory although never officially used as one, the building was constructed c.1885. In 1911, the structure was doubled in size with an addition designed by Elkhart architect E. Hill Turnock. The study will assess the cost of stabilization and the landmark’s viability for reuse. The grant will be matched by $500 from the Downtown TIF district.

A coalition of organizations in Ligonier are partnering to restore a landmark that represents the community’s Jewish heritage. The coalition, led by the Ligonier Public Library, received a $1,750 Endangered Places grant to develop renovation plans for the 1889 Ahavas Sholom Temple.

The coalition will use the grant to assess the landmark’s potential for adaptation as a museum honoring the community’s Jewish heritage, with interactive exhibits to promote respect and mutual understanding among the city’s diverse ethnic groups. Other partners in the project include the Future Ligonier Alliance, Ligonier Historical Society, and Noble County Visitors Bureau.

Indiana Landmarks makes Endangered Places matching grants to nonprofit organizations for feasibility studies and other activities related to saving landmarks and strengthening preservation groups. Other recent grant recipients include organizations in Indianapolis, Martinsville, New Albany and Seymour.

To learn more about The Armory project in Elkhart, contact Barkley Garrett, City Economic Development Manager, 574-294-5471, barkley.garrett@coei.org.  For information on the reuse of Ligonier’s Ahavas Sholom Temple, contact Wendy Fergusson, wendyfergusson@gmail.com.

For information on Indiana Landmarks’ grant programs, contact Todd Zeiger, director in Indiana Landmarks’ Northern Regional Office in South Bend, 574-232-4534,tzeiger@indianalandmarks.org.