Tee Pee Restaurant facts for kids
|
Tee Pee Restaurant
|
|
|
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
|
|
 Location in Indianapolis
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 3820 Fall Creek Blvd., Indianapolis, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1939, 1952 |
| Architect | Thornton, Maurice; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003374 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | 1986 |
| Removed from NRHP | February 21, 1989 |
The Tee Pee Restaurant was a special drive-in restaurant in Indianapolis, Indiana. It first opened its doors in 1932. In 1939, the original building was replaced with a new one. This new building looked like a central stuccoed teepee with two matching sections on the sides. A cool roof that stuck out, called a cantilevered canopy, went all around the building. More parts were added to the side sections in 1952.
Later, two more Tee Pee restaurants opened in Indianapolis, one in 1954 and another in 1964. However, all three restaurants eventually closed down. They were torn down at different times between 1968 and 1988. The main Tee Pee building on Fall Creek was even added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1986. This is a list of important historical places. But it was removed from the list in 1989.
Contents
How the Tee Pee Restaurant Started
In July 1932, a man named Albert Ray McComb and his wife Dorothy, along with Ethel Hughes, started a company called Tee Pee, Inc. They opened their first drive-in restaurant at 3820 Fall Creek Boulevard in Indianapolis. This spot was on land they rented from the Indiana State Fair Board.
The very first restaurant looked like a teepee sitting right on the ground. It was only open during the summer months. There were no seats inside, so people ate in their cars. At first, it was just called "Albert R. McComb restaurant." But in 1936, it changed its name to "Tee Pee Cone Shop." Besides selling ice cream, it was the first drive-in in Indianapolis to offer sandwiches and other food items.
A New Building and More Food
In 1939, Mr. McComb built a bigger and better restaurant. This new building had a stuccoed teepee shape on its roof. It also had two matching sections on the north and south sides. This new Tee Pee Restaurant had indoor dining, so people could eat inside.
The architect for this new building was Maurice Thornton. Inside and outside, the restaurant had cool Native American designs. These designs were also on the menus and in their advertisements. In 1940, the restaurant officially became known as the "Tee Pee Restaurant."
The Tee Pee Restaurant was open seven days a week. They served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the 1940s, it became a very popular spot. Students from Butler University and many local high schools loved to go there. Schools like Arlington, Broad Ripple, and Shortridge had students who often visited.
Because so many people loved the Tee Pee, they made the kitchen bigger in 1952. They also added more space to the back of each wing of the building. Frank Schroeder was the architect for these additions, with help from Maurice Thornton. The basement was also made larger for more storage and work space.
More Locations and Famous Food
The first Tee Pee Restaurant was so successful that Mr. McComb decided to open a second one. In 1954, this new restaurant opened on the south side of Indianapolis. It looked similar to the first one but was a bit smaller.
Then, in 1964, a third Tee Pee restaurant opened in the Nora neighborhood. However, this third location closed pretty quickly in 1968. This might have been because Mr. McComb passed away in June 1964, right around the time the third restaurant was opening.
The Tee Pee was famous for its "Big Chief" and "Big Teep" hamburgers. People also loved their seafood, a special salad dressing, and their fresh, homemade pies.
The End of an Era
By the 1970s, drive-in restaurants were becoming less popular. More fast food places were opening, and teenagers had more money to spend. Dorothy McComb passed away in 1974. The restaurants then went to their son, Charles.
In 1978, Charles sold the Madison Avenue Tee Pee location to McDonald's. Within a few weeks, the old Tee Pee building was torn down. A new McDonald's restaurant was built in its place.
Charles McComb sold the original Fall Creek Tee Pee to Richard P. Turner in 1979. Mr. Turner wanted to make the restaurant popular again. But the Indiana State Fair Board, which owned the land, decided to end the lease in 1982. They wanted to tear down the building to make more parking space for the fair.
Groups like Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana tried to save the Tee Pee building for six years. They even managed to get it added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. But even with this special status, the restaurant was torn down in June 1988. It was then removed from the National Register of Historic Places on February 21, 1989.
Images for kids
-
State Fair parking lots where the original restaurant stood
