List of National Historic Landmarks in Indiana facts for kids
National Historic Landmarks in Indiana are special places that show us important parts of Indiana's past. These landmarks tell stories from the time of Native Americans, to early European settlers, and even about motor racing. Indiana has 44 of these amazing sites, found in 23 of its 92 counties.
These landmarks highlight Indiana's history in many ways, like its factories, unique buildings, famous battles, circuses, and schools. For example, some are important because of military history, many show different building styles, some are linked to famous people, and one is an ancient archaeological site. Interestingly, two of these special landmarks were once ships in Indiana but later moved to other states.
Contents
What are National Historic Landmarks?
The National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages the National Historic Landmark Program. They decide which places are important enough to become NHLs. They suggest nominations after telling the owners. Then, the Secretary of the Interior reviews these suggestions. Based on certain rules, they decide if a place gets the NHL title.
Both public and private properties can become NHLs. This special title helps protect these historic places. It offers things like tax benefits, grants, and monitoring to keep them safe. Sometimes, owners might not want their property to be an NHL. If that happens, the Secretary of the Interior can only say the site is "eligible" for the title, but not officially designate it.
Why are these places important?
All National Historic Landmarks are also part of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This is a list of historic places the National Park Service believes are worth saving. The main difference is that NHLs are important to the entire country. Other NRHP places are important at a local or state level.
In Indiana, NHLs make up about 2% of the 1,656 historic places on the National Register of Historic Places. These landmarks are among the most important historic sites in the state. The George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is another very important site recognized by the U.S. government.
Where are Indiana's Landmarks?
Marion County, where Indiana's capital city Indianapolis is located, has the most NHLs with ten. Bartholomew County comes next with seven, and Jefferson County has four. Twenty other counties have one NHL each, while the remaining 69 counties in Indiana do not have any.
Indiana's very first NHL was recognized on October 9, 1960. Some famous architects designed multiple NHLs in Indiana. These include Francis Costigan, William Dentzel, and Eero Saarinen.
Eight of Indiana's Historic Landmarks are actually National Historic Landmark Districts. This means they cover a large area with many buildings, not just one single building. For example, the Lanier Mansion and Charles L. Shrewsbury House are both inside the larger Madison Historic District.
National Historic Landmarks in Indiana
| Landmark name | Image | Date designated | Location | County | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akima Pinšiwa Awiiki (Chief Jean-Baptiste de Richardville House) |
 |
(#97000595) |
Fort Wayne 41°01′53″N 85°09′52″W / 41.0314°N 85.1644°W |
Allen | This house is a rare example of a "treaty house." It was built as part of the 1826 Treaty of Mississinewas between the Miami people and the United States. It is linked to Pinšiwa, who was the civil chief of the Miami. |
| 2 | Allen County Courthouse |
 |
(#76000031) |
Fort Wayne 41°04′47″N 85°08′22″W / 41.0797°N 85.1394°W |
Allen | Built in 1902, this Beaux-Arts-style building is a beautiful mix of art, sculptures, and architecture. |
| 3 | Angel Mounds |
 |
(#66000124) |
Evansville 37°56′31″N 87°27′19″W / 37.9419°N 87.4553°W |
Warrick, Vanderburgh | From AD 1000 to 1600, a town on this site was home to people of the Middle Mississippian culture. They built many mounds at this 100-acre community. |
| 4 | Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus) |
 |
(#73000032) |
Indianapolis 39°46′24″N 86°09′01″W / 39.7733°N 86.1503°W |
Marion | This building was home to the Normal College of the North American Gymnastic Union for 63 years. It is the nation’s oldest, continuously active school for physical education. |
5 |
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Facility |
 |
(#78000029) |
Auburn 41°21′21″N 85°03′25″W / 41.3558°N 85.057°W |
DeKalb | The three buildings of the Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg car factory show different steps in how cars were made. This is one of the few car companies left that made cars by hand, not on a mass production line. The site includes an Art Deco showroom, an administration building, and a service department. |
| 6 |
Joseph Bailly Homestead |
 |
(#66000005) |
Porter 41°37′23″N 87°05′39″W / 41.6231°N 87.0942°W |
Porter | Joseph Bailly bought this land in 1822 when the Calumet area was opened for settlement. He set up a trading post that was a meeting place for Native Americans and white settlers, and a stop for travelers. It is now part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. |
| 7 | Broad Ripple Park Carousel |
 |
(#87000839) |
Indianapolis 39°48′39″N 86°09′25″W / 39.8108°N 86.15708°W |
Marion | This carousel was first in Broad Ripple Village. It came to Indiana in 1917. It is one of only three surviving carousels made by Dentzel that feature many different animals. Its animals were made before 1900. It is now at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. |
| 8 | Duck Creek Aqueduct |
 |
(#14000922) |
Spanning Duck Creek at Whitewater Canal 39°26′46″N 85°07′48″W / 39.4462°N 85.13°W |
Franklin | Built in 1846, this is the only remaining covered bridge aqueduct in the United States. An aqueduct is like a bridge that carries water. |
| 9 | Butler Fieldhouse |
 |
(#83003573) |
Indianapolis 39°50′36″N 86°10′02″W / 39.84342°N 86.1673°W |
Marion | This building is at Butler University and is now called Hinkle Fieldhouse. It is the sixth-oldest basketball arena still in use. It was once the largest in the United States. It hosted the Indiana high school basketball tournament until 1971. |
| 10 | Cannelton Cotton Mill |
 |
(#75000011) |
Cannelton 37°54′41″N 86°44′44″W / 37.9113°N 86.7456°W |
Perry | The Cannelton mill, located by the Ohio River, made thread and cloth for over 100 years, from 1851 to 1954. Its smart design used steam power and cotton from the South. It tried to make Southern Indiana an important industrial area. |
| 11 | Levi Coffin House |
 |
(#66000009) |
Fountain City 39°57′23″N 84°55′03″W / 39.9563°N 84.9174°W |
Wayne | Levi Coffin lived in this house from 1827 to 1847. He helped as many as 2,000 enslaved people escape to freedom. The house was known as the "Union Depot" of the Underground Railroad. It had secret doors to hide people seeking freedom. |
| 12 | Eugene V. Debs Home |
 |
(#66000008) |
Terre Haute 39°28′18″N 87°24′20″W / 39.4717°N 87.4056°W |
Vigo | Eugene V. Debs, who started the Industrial Workers of the World and the American Railway Union, lived in this home from 1890 until he passed away in 1926. He ran for President five times as a Socialist candidate. |
| 13 | Eleutherian College Classroom and Chapel Building |
 |
(#93001410) |
Lancaster 38°49′51″N 85°30′59″W / 38.8308°N 85.5164°W |
Jefferson | Founded in 1848 by Baptist Church members who were against slavery (abolitionists), Eleutherian College was the first college in Indiana to accept students no matter their race or gender. The Chapel building was finished in 1854 and is the only building left. |
| 14 | First Baptist Church |
 |
(#00000707) |
Columbus 39°14′01″N 85°52′20″W / 39.2336°N 85.8722°W |
Bartholomew | Completed in 1965, the First Baptist Church is a great example of modern architecture in Columbus. It was designed by architect Harry Weese. |
| 15 | First Christian Church |
 |
(#01000067) |
Columbus 39°12′11″N 85°55′08″W / 39.2031°N 85.9189°W |
Bartholomew | Designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen in 1942, the First Christian Church was one of the first modern-style churches in America. |
| 16 | Fort Ouiatenon Archeological District |
 |
(#100006239) |
Along River Rd. and the Wabash River, west of the Purdue University Airport 40°24′23″N 86°57′50″W / 40.4064°N 86.9639°W |
Tippecanoe | This is an archaeological site of the first colonial fort in Indiana. |
| 17 | Thomas Gaff House (Hillforest) |
.jpg) |
(#71000005) |
Aurora 39°03′14″N 84°54′06″W / 39.0539°N 84.9017°W |
Dearborn | Located above the Ohio River, Hillforest was built in 1855 in the Italian Renaissance style. Designed by Isaiah Rogers, its wide front porch looks like the deck of a steamboat. |
| 18 | Grouseland |
 |
(#66000018) |
Vincennes 38°41′08″N 87°31′34″W / 38.6856°N 87.5261°W |
Knox | Grouseland was the home of William Henry Harrison from 1804 to 1812. During this time, he was the Governor of the Indiana Territory. He met with Native American leaders here, including Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Harrison later became the 9th U.S. President. |
| 19 | Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site |
 |
(#66000010) |
Indianapolis 39°47′02″N 86°09′15″W / 39.7839°N 86.1542°W |
Marion | Benjamin Harrison lived in this Italianate house from 1875 until he passed away in 1901. He was away from 1889 to 1893 while he was the 23rd U.S. President. He also served as a Senator from Indiana. Harrison accepted the Republican nomination for President in 1888 and ran his campaign from his front porch here. |
| 20 |
Indiana War Memorial Plaza |
 |
(#89001404) |
Indianapolis 39°46′25″N 86°09′25″W / 39.7736°N 86.1569°W |
Marion | The Indiana World War Memorial was started in 1926 and finished in 1965. It honors veterans of World War I and II. It is 210 feet tall and made of Indiana limestone. It looks like the ancient Mausoleum of Mausolus. Inside, there is a military museum. The Plaza also has the American Legion headquarters, a square with a monument, an obelisk, and fountains. |
| 21 |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
 |
(#75000044) |
Speedway 39°47′46″N 86°14′05″W / 39.796°N 86.2347°W |
Marion | The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is famous for the Indianapolis 500 race, which first happened in 1911. The track, built in 1909, is the world's oldest car race course that has been used continuously. The Indy 500 is the biggest single-day sports event in the world by attendance. With seating for over 250,000 people, it is also the world's largest sports facility. |
| 22 | Irwin Union Bank and Trust |
 |
(#00000704) |
Columbus 39°12′13″N 85°55′17″W / 39.2036°N 85.9214°W |
Bartholomew | Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1954, the Irwin Bank was made to feel welcoming. It was one of the first banks with open glass walls. It has a glass pavilion inspired by Mies van der Rohe and influenced how later banks were designed. |
| 23 | Lanier Mansion |
 |
(#94001191) |
Madison 38°44′06″N 85°23′14″W / 38.735°N 85.3872°W |
Jefferson | Banker and international financier James Lanier lived in this home, built in the early 1840s, for seven years. It is a great example of Greek Revival style, designed by architect Francis Costigan. It is now a museum. |
24 |
Lincoln Boyhood Home |
 |
(#66000012) |
Lincoln City 38°07′13″N 86°59′49″W / 38.1203°N 86.9969°W |
Spencer | The 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln grew up here from 1816 to 1830. The site shows the foundation of his original cabin, a replica farm house, the grave of Lincoln's mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln, and a memorial building. |
| 25 |
Madison Historic District |
 |
(#73000020) |
Madison 38°44′32″N 85°22′38″W / 38.7422°N 85.3772°W |
Jefferson | The Madison Historic District shows off architecture from 1817 to 1939. It has many buildings in Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate styles. Old buildings and houses from the 19th century remain, linked to leaders of the Underground Railroad. |
| 26 | Mabel McDowell Elementary School |
 |
(#01000068) |
Columbus 39°12′07″N 85°53′31″W / 39.2019°N 85.8919°W |
Bartholomew | Architect John Carl Warnecke designed this building as part of a plan to improve the quality of life in Columbus through great architecture. This school, in the modern style, has five separate one-story buildings connected by courtyards and covered walkways. Four classroom buildings surround a central area with the cafeteria and offices. It is now an adult education center. |
| 27 | Miller House |
 |
(#00000706) |
Columbus 39°13′38″N 85°55′23″W / 39.2272°N 85.9231°W |
Bartholomew | The Miller House is linked to Cummins founder J. Irwin Miller. It is a work by Eero Saarinen and shows the International style of architecture. The building fits perfectly with the modern landscape designed by Dan Kiley. |
| 28 | Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff's Residence |
 |
(#100009823) |
Crawfordsville 40°02′38″N 86°54′06″W / 40.043889°N 86.901667°W |
Montgomery | This historic site includes the jail and the sheriff's home. |
| 29 |
New Harmony Historic District |
 |
(#66000006) |
New Harmony 38°07′48″N 87°56′08″W / 38.13°N 87.9356°W |
Posey | New Harmony was started in 1815 by a group called Rappites. In 1825, Robert Owen tried to create a perfect society (a utopia) here. Many original buildings from the Harmony Society still stand. |
| 30 | North Christian Church |
 |
(#00000705) |
Columbus 39°13′48″N 85°54′58″W / 39.2300°N 85.9161°W |
Bartholomew | Completed in 1964, this church was designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. It has a hexagonal shape with a raised hexagonal worship area in the center. The pews surround the altar. A 192-foot spire and cross rise from the roof, symbolizing Christianity growing from Judaism. |
| 31 |
Oldfields (J. K. Lilly House) |
 |
(#00000676) |
Indianapolis 39°49′42″N 86°11′07″W / 39.8283°N 86.1854°W |
Marion | On the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Oldfields is a 26-acre estate. The 22-room mansion was the home of Josiah K. Lilly Jr., a generous businessman. It was designed by Olmsted Brothers. |
| 32 | The Republic |
 |
(#12001015) |
Columbus 39°11′59″N 85°55′18″W / 39.1997°N 85.9217°W |
Bartholomew | Myron Goldsmith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the offices for this newspaper. It is the youngest architectural National Historic Landmark ever named. |
| 33 | James Whitcomb Riley House |
 |
(#66000799) |
Indianapolis 39°46′20″N 86°08′52″W / 39.7722°N 86.1478°W |
Marion | Located in the Lockerbie Square Historic District, this Victorian style building was the home of the famous Hoosier Poet James Whitcomb Riley for 23 years. |
| 34 | Charles Shrewsbury House |
 |
(#94001190) |
Madison 38°44′05″N 85°22′58″W / 38.7347°N 85.3828°W |
Jefferson | Francis Costigan designed this Classical Revival house for merchant Charles L. Shrewsbury. It was finished in 1849 and is an example of Regency architecture. |
| 35 | Spencer Park Dentzel Carousel |
 |
(#87000838) |
Logansport 40°45′34″N 86°21′20″W / 40.7594°N 86.3556°W |
Cass | This is one of only three Dentzel carousels with many different animals that are still in good condition. It is also known as the Riverside Park Carousel. |
| 36 | Clement Studebaker House |
 |
(#73000044) |
South Bend 41°40′35″N 86°15′28″W / 41.6764°N 86.2578°W |
St. Joseph | Carriagemaker and founder of H & C Studebaker Company, Clement Studebaker, lived here from 1889 until he passed away in 1901. In the 1890s, his company was the world's largest maker of horse-drawn vehicles. Later, it started making cars. The mansion was named Tippecanoe Place and is now a restaurant. |
| 37 | Tippecanoe Battlefield |
 |
(#66000013) |
Battle Ground 40°28′08″N 86°50′43″W / 40.4689°N 86.8452°W |
Tippecanoe | In the Battle of Tippecanoe on November 7, 1811, Indiana Territory Governor William Henry Harrison and his 1,000 men defeated the Shawnee people and their leader Tenskwatawa. |
| 38 | Samara (John E Christian House) |
_Entrance.jpg) |
(#92000679) |
West Lafayette 40°26′19″N 86°54′59″W / 40.4386°N 86.9165°W |
Tippecanoe | Completed in 1956, Samara is a wonderful example of a Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in his later years (1941-1959). It has over 40 of Wright's design ideas. These include Usonian features like a modular design, connecting indoor and outdoor spaces, flat roofs, and open living areas for average families. |
| 39 | Wallace Circus Winter Headquarters |
 |
(#87000837) |
Peru 40°45′16″N 86°01′11″W / 40.7544°N 86.01972°W |
Miami | This building was used as a winter home for the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, the American Circus Corporation, and the Ringling Brothers Circus. It is now the Circus Hall of Fame and has many items from classic circuses. |
| 40 | General Lew Wallace Study |
 |
(#76000013) |
Crawfordsville 40°02′26″N 86°53′40″W / 40.0406°N 86.8944°W |
Montgomery | Lew Wallace was a Civil War general, a governor of the New Mexico Territory, and a minister to the Ottoman Empire. He is most famous for writing the book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. He used this building as his study from 1895 until he passed away in 1905. Wallace designed it himself, and it is now a museum. |
| 41 | Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company |
 |
(#80000062) |
Indianapolis 39°46′33″N 86°10′01″W / 39.7758°N 86.1669°W |
Marion | Madam C. J. Walker started a company that made hair care products and cosmetics for Black women. It was the most successful Black-owned business for many years. Finished in 1927, the building also served as a cultural center for the community. It has been restored and now hosts many performing arts and educational programs. |
| 42 | Marie Webster House |
 |
(#92000678) |
Marion 40°33′09″N 85°39′36″W / 40.5525°N 85.6600°W |
Grant | This was the home of quilter Marie Webster. She wrote an important book called Quilts: Their History and How to Make Them. It is now the home of the Quilters Hall of Fame. |
| 43 | West Baden Springs Hotel |
 |
(#74000016) |
West Baden Springs 38°34′02″N 86°37′05″W / 38.5672°N 86.6181°W |
Orange | West Baden Springs has many natural mineral water springs. This hotel was built in 1902. Its 200-foot glass dome was once the largest dome in the world. |
| 44 | West Union Covered Bridge |
 |
(#100000869) |
Montezuma 39°51′18″N 87°20′09″W / 39.8549°N 87.3358°W |
Parke | This is one of the best-preserved examples in the nation of a 19th-century Burr Truss covered bridge. |
National Historic Landmarks formerly in Indiana
These are two National Historic Landmarks that were once in Indiana but have since moved to other states.
| Landmark name | Image | Date listed | Locality | County | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Donald B (Towboat) |  |
December 20, 1989 | Bellaire | Belmont | The Donald B. was built in 1923. It is the only unchanged diesel sternwheel towboat from the 1920s left in the United States. It still moves barges on the Ohio River. After being near Vevay in Switzerland County for years, its home port moved to Bellaire, Ohio in 2012. |
| 2 | Milwaukee Clipper (Passenger Steamship) |  |
April 11, 1989 | Muskegon | Muskegon | The Milwaukee Clipper was a museum ship in Chicago, Illinois, when it became an NHL. In 1990, it moved to Hammond, Indiana. Then, in 1997, it moved to Muskegon, Michigan. |
See also
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List of National Historic Landmarks in Indiana Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.