Evansville Lost: Landmarks Recalled

Buildings serve as a reflection of the ever-changing attitudes and needs of people as pertains to their physical surroundings. Since the founding of Evansville, the citizens of the city have witnessed the construction and razing of many structures. This blog recalls three interesting buildings from the city's past with the hope that this will stir memories of these structures and of others and promote further consideration of our built environment. Whether one believes that Evansville has progressed architecturally since the time of these historic structures or that the city has lost meaningful links to the past, these buildings provide a reminder of key segments of our community's heritage.

Tom Lonnberg

Chief Curator & Curator of History

Louisville & Nashville Union

For nearly seven decades the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Union Depot served people traveling by train to and from Evansville. Located on Fulton Avenue near Ohio Street, ground was broken for this structure on January 2, 1902, and this limestone structure was completed within the year. From the early to mid-20th century, the depot was a hub of activity. This was especially true during the first and second World Wars as thousands of service people travelled through the city. 

As a union station—serving other railroads in addition to the L&N, the depot became even more central to passenger rail activity in the city with the closing of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Depot at Eighth and Main Streets in 1935. In the period following World War II with increased competition from the airlines and automobiles, the L&N Depot, and passenger rail service across the country, struggled to remain economically viable and use of the facility decreased. In 1971, the last passenger train serviced the venerable station. Though several ideas were put forth for the use of the depot, none reached fruition and it was razed in  February of 1985.  

City Hall

Evansville’s City Hall stood at the northeast corner of Third and Walnut streets from 1887 until 1971. Built in the Tuscan Revival style, it housed Evansville’s city offices until 1969. With the construction of the Civic Center complex, City Hall was abandoned, and the building demolished in 1971—the top portion of the building’s tower had been removed in the 1920s for safety reasons. Just prior to the the razing of structure, it was reported that three of the four clock faces from the building had been stolen. It was later learned that local history enthusiasts—including two history professors from today’s University of Southern Indiana—had removed the clock faces and parts for their preservation. These were later donated to the Evansville Museum and, today, one of the faces keeps time in the tower of the Evansville Museum Transportation Center. 

Central High School

Yesterday marked a new and important era in the history of Evansville. The magnificent High School building just completed was occupied for the first time by the pupils of the High School, for whose benefit and convenience it was erected. It is, beyond question, the handsomest and one of the most substantial school buildings in the State, and will for many generations, stand a proud and beautiful monument to the liberality of our citizens towards the cause of education. 

These were the words used by F. M. Thayer, editor of the Evansville Journal newspaper, to describe the new building occupied by Evansville High School (later renamed Central High School) on Monday, September 7, 1868. This marked the first time since the school’s founding in 1854 that Evansville High School had a building solely dedicated for its use. The structure was located on the west side of Seventh Street (today’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) between Court and Vine Streets. In 1897 and 1912, additions were made to the structure and, in 1927, a gymnasium that later served as part of the YMCA, was completed. These buildings served Central High School until it moved to north First Avenue in the fall of 1971 and all but the gym were razed in 1973.  

Do any these buildings evoke memories for you?  

What lost buildings have a special place in your memory?