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Danville Indiana and the

Historic Courthouse Square District

The town of Danville , organized on April 1, 1824, was founded to serve as the county seat of Hendricks County. The town was laid out by Thomas Hinton on October 20, 1824. Daniel Clark, Center Township's first justice of the peace, built the town's first log cabin I 1824. the first school opened in 1825. So afterwards religious congregations began organizing. The Danville post office opened on April 1,1825. The town was incorporated on January 24, 1835.

Danville's development was assured by it's designation as county seat, and many businesses and institutions flourished. The first Hendricks County Courthouse was constructed in 1830 of hickory logs south of where the present courthouse now stands.

The commercial district developed around the courthouse square and in 1885 Danville had ten grocers, six dry goods stores, five druggists, five wagon makers and blacksmiths, four barbers, a newspaper and various other commercial and small industrial establishments located near the square. The business portion of the town consisted of substantial two- and three-story brick blocks. Danville not only drew the business people to town but professional such as doctors, lawyers, and professors for the Central Normal College and Commercial Institute.

THE DANVILLE REPUBLICAN;

(between #2 and #3 on the map)

Hendricks County's oldest newspaper was started in 1847. the newspaper office is located within the Courthouse Square Historic District and has been at its 6 east Main street location ( just west of the Masonic Lodge) since 1897.

1. HENDRICKS COUNTY COURTHOUSE;

(Neoclassical)

The present courthouse is the fourth building erected to serve as the headquarters for county government. The first was a log building built in 1826 at a cost of $147.00 The second, more substantial building, was constructed of brick in1830. In 1859, a decision was made to build a larger courthouse. The onset of the Civil War hampered construction, and completion of the $60,000.00 building did not occur until 1863. In 1912, part of the roof collapsed and a decision was made to construct a new courthouse rather than repair the existing structure. The cornerstone for the present courthouse was laid in 1913. The building was completed in 1915 at a cost of $225,000.00 The Neoclassic style building is made of Indiana limestone. It's interior features marble wainscoting and a stained glass skylight.

2. MASONIC HALL

(Colonial Revival)

The original frame structure was erected in 1849 as the Presbyterian church. In 1884 the building was used by a number of groups as a meeting hall. In the late 1890's Danville High School was held in the building. In 1907, the People's Theater opened there, making it the first moving picture show hall in town. The building came under the ownership of the Knights of Pythias in the 1920's and was remodeled. The Masonic Lodge acquired the building in 1931.

3. THE BASKET SHOP;

(Italianate)

This brick structure, built in1872 by Jacob Moore was the first building in Danville with a decorative cast iron facade. Originally built to be a hardware store, it was sold in 1879 and became the Mammoth Grocery. In 1935 the grocery store sold to Noble Dinsmore, who added a variety of baskets to the inventory. In the 1970's he discontinued the grocery and concentrated the business on baskets and novelties.

4. ESTEP BUILDING;

(Italianate)

In the early 1830's, Col.C.C.Nave built the first brick business building in Danville on this site to serve as his law office. In the 1870's, W.S. Wooten, inventor of the popular Wooten desk, was contracted to build the Estep Hotel.

5. NAVE BUILDING;

(Nineteenth Century Functional/Italianate)

The brick buildings extending to the alley were built in 1859 by Col. Nave. In 1913, a fire damaged these building, as well as the Estep Hotel, Part of the facing of the middle building was replaced after the fire.

6. BEECHAM BUILDING;

(Twentieth Century Functional)

The one story building with Bedford stone veneer was erected by Marvin Beecham in 1953 for his department store.

7. PORTER BUILDING;

(Twentieth Century Functional)

This two story brick building was built by Charles Porter as a photography studio in 1946.

8. HAMRICK BUILDING;

(Queen Anne)

Built in the mid 1800's, the Hamrick and Estep buildings were damaged by a fire in 1901. The front two buildings were rebuilt to appear as one building. In the 1920's the Arc Theater was opened in the west half of the structure.

9. PARKER-CRABB BUILDING

(Nineteenth Century Functional)

Built in 1866, this building housed the Danville Cafeteria. It originally featured a third story mansard roof which was destroyed in the 1901 fire.

10. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH;

(Queen Anne)

This building was built in 1884 as the new home of the Presbyterian church.

11. THE COUNTY FAIR BUILDING;

(Commercial/Intermediate)

Originally a two story building, the County Fair Department Store was built in 1890. It was the largest store in the county. A fire destroyed the second story in 1935, and the building was remodeled as a one story structure. It was sold to Danners department store chain in 1952.

12. DANVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH;

(Neoclassical)

Built in 1914, the new building was a gift of Edgar W. Shirley in memory of his parents, John N. and Susan Hale Shirley.

13. NATIONAL CITY BANK;

(Commercial/Intermediate)

In the 1980's three of the buildings erected after the 1891 fire were combined under a common facade by the Mid State Bank.

14. THE DOWNARD AND TAYLOR BUILDING;

(Italianate)

Erected after the 1891 fire, this brick building has been used continuously as an abstract and title business.

15. HALL-LOCK BUILDING:

(Queen Anne)

Originally one story, this building was converted to two stories after a fire in 1909. Before the fire, this was the location of a movie theater called the GEM. After the building was remodeled, Ed Caldwell opened the first Royal Theater at this location.

16. TODD AND HOWELL:

(Nineteenth Century Functional)

Built in 1880, this two story brick building was the only building on the west side to survive the 1891 fire.

17. POST OFFICE;

(Twentieth Century Functional)

The first government owned post office was erected in 1936. Previously the post office was located in private business buildings at various locations around the square. This post office building cost $71,000.00 Carvings over the entrance depict the different models used to transport mail. Inside is a mural painted by Gail W. Martin in 1939.

18. GREEN HOTEL;

(ITALIANATE)

Erected by Rev. Nelson Green in 1866, the hotel was purchased in 1881 by L.S. Watts. He added a three story brick add a three story in brick additions to the east, combining the two into the largest hotel in the county. He renamed the building "The Normal Palace" and rented a number of rooms to students at Central Normal College.

19. COMMERCIAL BUILDING;

(Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Functional)

A row of one story brick business buildings were erected in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

20. SANDERS HOTEL;

(NINETEENTH CENTURY FUNCTIONAL)

The two story hotel on the corner was built in 1897, and was the first to be equipped with electric lights. In 1909, a moving picture theater called the vista opened on the first floor.

21. McCURDY BUILDING;

(Nineteenth Century Functional)

This two story brick was erected by the McCurdy brothers in 1903. It was rented to Joe Hess, who operated a department store. In 1935, the Baker Hardware store took occupancy.

22. HENDRICKS COUNTY JAIL AND SHERIFF'S RESIDENCE;

(Second Empire)

Built about 1870, this building is now the home of the Hendricks County Historical Society Museum. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

23. DANVILLE CARNEGIE LIBRARY;

(Neoclassical)

Built 1902-03, this was the first of four Carnegie libraries built in Hendricks County. The building was financed with a $10,000.00 gift from Andrew Carnegie.

24. INTERURBAN STATION;

(Twentieth Century Functional) Built in the early 1900's this building is representative of early transportation.

25. HENDRICKS BUILDING;

(Twentieth Century Functional)

Stanley Hendricks built this two story brick building for his clothing store in 1912. In 1961, Claude and James Raber acquired the building and renamed it the Lawyers Building.

26. COMMERCIAL BUILDING;

(Nineteenth Century Functional)

Erected in the 1880's, this building has housed a variety of businesses.

27. ROYAL THEATER

(Tudor Revival)

The north half of this building was erected by Ed Caldwell in 1914 for his Royal Theater. It was the first building put up for the purpose of showing moving pictures. In 1927,Thomas Barnett added on the South side and remodeled the front of the combined buildings in English Tudor Style.

28. CRAWFORD BUILDING

(Contemporary)

Erected in1829, this building has undergone extensive remodeling over the years. It was the location of the first post office in Danville. In 2000 it was converted to an Italian resturant called Frank's Place, which burned down in early 2001, and is now being rebuilt.

29. HENDRICKS COUNTY DEPARTMENT STORE;

(Neoclassical)

Erected in 1897 by Joseph Schwartz, this building housed one of the most successful businesses in the county.

30. FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING;

(Queen Anne)

This building was erected by the First National Bank in 1896. The bank which first opened in 1863 remained in this location until 1973.