Elwood City Building

Dates:

1899

Location: Elwood, Madison County, Indiana
Architects: J. F. Alexander & Son, of Lafayette, Indiana
Contractor: J. J. Wood
Cost: $35,000

The beautiful Elwood City Building is one of the largest surviving projects designed by J. F. Alexander & Son, and was designed at roughly the same time as the Eastern Indiana State Normal School in Muncie. The Elwood City Building was vacated by the City of Elwood in 2003 when it moved to a smaller new building two blocks away. The City of Elwood has little interest in the building, which it considered to be too expensive to maintain. A new tenant for the building has been found, but its future remains uncertain. The building contains a beautiful golden oak staircase and a spectacular third-floor auditorium in the base of the tower. The auditorium, unused since the mid-20th century, remains largely unchanged except for the c.1950s paint and water damage to part of the ceiling.

Elwood City Building, 1907 2003
West elevation West and South (alley) elevations
View along south wall East (alley) elevation
  North entrance
  Detail of north gable
  Cornerstone with "Architects: J. F. Alexander & Son" at bottom
Detail of main cornice Detail of balustrade on corner pavilions and limestone flat arch over windows
View into hall from west entrance, staircase on right Panel, tile, and column detail at west entrance
View of main hall from north entrance, with 1960s planter at left Main staircase at the first floor
   
Looking down stairwell from entrance to auditorium stairs City court room
City court room  
The city court room with desks and benches probably designed by J. F. Alexander & Son
Entrance to the city court, second floor Staircase leading to third-floor auditorium
General view of third floor auditorium in base of tower Detail of dentil-moulded cornice of arch and decorative foliate corbel in corner
One of the two side portions of the auditorium under the east and west gables Door to one of the entrance stairs at right
One of the two side areas beyond the arches Ladder leading into dome, note electric light sockets in plaster cove moulding
Detail of the proscenium Alcove at rear of auditorium (the stairs come up on either side, just off camera