Tour of Historical Downtown Evansville Indiana

Downtown Evansville, Indiana has a mixture of building types and designs that provide an eclectic landscape and interest of tourists and residents alike. Rather than just tearing down buildings that are part of our history and culture; these buildings are being refurbished and repurposed to provide homes for businesses who want to be located downtown and like the character and archtecture of the older buildings.

Many of the more ornate buildings are owned by the City of Evansville or Vanderburgh County and have been listed as having historical significance which protects them from being demolished and the area being developed into something modern that wouldn't evoke the same feelings or interest of the existing buildings.

Founded in 1891, the Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse is listed in the US National Register of Historic Places. Louisville, Kentucky architect Henry W Wolters designed the building in the German baroque style. It was built by Charles Pearce and Co from Indianapolis, Indiana. Each of the four sides of the building has beautiful carvings made of Indiana limestone. Franz Englemann created the 14 main statues of human figures.

The bell tower of the Old Courthouse is the highest point of the building at 216 ft. The bell itself weighs 4,500 pounds. There is a clock facing each of the four sides and each clock face measure 7 ½ ft in diameter. The clock and bell are both in working order and can be seen and heard from some distance away.

The Old Courthouse is still being used today but not as a courthouse. There are offices and even a café inside the building. Utilizing this historical place for the current times has been very important in keeping the area alive and making sure it is preserved for future generations.

There are a couple of monuments at different corners of the city block where the Old Courthouse sits. One is the Service Star Legion War Mothers Gresham Chapter. The marker was erected in 1926 in memory of Vanderburgh Co. boys who gave their lives in service of the World War, 1917-1918. Listed be on the monument is the names of all from Vanderburgh County who were killed in WWI. Since the monument was erected before WWII, the war on the monument is just referred to as World War.

The other monument has a brass eagle clutching an olive branch and two arrows in his talons and below that it says ‘Dedicated to the Heroes of Vanderburgh County of World War II. Below that is four long brass pieces that have a scroll carved in them and the names are attached to the monument.

The Sheriff’s Residence and Jail were the work of architect Henry W Wolters and build by Charles Pearce and Co and completed in 1890. The photo above shows the Lichtenstein Castle in Germany compared to the Sheriff's House and Jail. The jail was enclosed by 1 ½ ft thick limestone walls. There were 24 ‘cages’ containing a wash basin and water closet with bunks for 4 men. The middle of the room contained a two tier cell block made of chrome steel bars where the prisoners were quartered. An underground tunnel connected the jail to the courthouse so that prisoners could be transported without fear of escape.

The Sheriff’s Residence had 2 two main floors, an attic and an English style basement. The upper floor held 4 bedrooms. The first floor contained two parlors and a reception area and the basement held the family dining room and kitchen.

Currently, with some irony, a law office has leased the Sheriff's Residence and Jail. The lawyer's are using the space without making significant changes. One example of that is the jail cell that greets potential clients when they first enter.

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum was built in 1916 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Until newer venues were built the Coliseum was the place for concerts, religious events and political speeches.

The building is still utilized for weddings, some sporting events, some meetings, clubs, small concerts and other events. It’s location is just across Court St from the Old Courthouse and would have been one of the more popular buildings to hold events for citizens and government officials during the first half of the 20^th century.

Construction started in 1873 and the Old Post Office and Customs House was completed in 1879.  The Old Post Office was designed by A.B. Mullett & Company in the Richardsonian Romanesque style; featuring round arches, stone masonry, and towers. This building, like many of the other historical downtown buildings was built by Charles Pearce & Company. In 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Today the building is home to businesses, organizations, retail and even restaurants. The beauty of the building and history involved is not lost on the tenants of the building. Residents and visitors both enjoy the beautiful structure and feelings of a simpler time.

The Pagoda/Visitor’s Center

Based on the design of a model displayed at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, the Pagoda on Evansville’s Riverfront was built in 1912 and restored in 1995. It retains that original Japanese architectural design. Today it’s used as a visitor’s center with brochures about local events and lodgings.

Four Freedoms Monument

The Four Freedoms Monument on Evansville Indiana’s riverfront was first unveiled in 1976 in celebration of the Bicentennial. In 1941 President Roosevelt gave a speech that included freedom of speech and religion, and the freedom from fear and oppression. These are the four freedoms represented by the columns of the monument designed by Rupert Condict. The 50 short slabs surrounding the monument represent the 50 states in the union. The monument was partially made from the parts salvaged from an old railway station.

Korean War Monument

The Korean War Monument was created by sculptor Stephen Shields of Hopkinsville Kentucky. The dedication of the beautiful monument was August 19, 1992. It is located at the south end of the river front esplanade at the Ohio River. Fundraising for the project was directed by a local Marine Reserve Unit which had served with the 1^st Marine Division in Korea.