Latest Structures Page 65

Cataract Covered Bridge, Cataract Indiana

Cataract Covered Bridge, Cataract Indiana

The Cataract Covered Bridge built in 1876, it is the only surviving covered bridge in Owen County, and one of only six Smith trusses in Indiana. This late 19th Century bridge type was patented by Robert W. Smith and built by his company. The Cataract Covered Bridge is generally regarded as being the country's best and most intact remaining example of this truss type. As its name suggests, the community at Cataract, Indiana, has been intimately linked to the falls in Mill Creek, originally known as Eel River. Early settler Isaac Teal built a mill about 1820 near the lower falls. Theodore Jennings, for whom Jennings Township would be named, was apparently attracted to the beauty of the falls and their

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Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital, Los Angeles California

Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital, Los Angeles California

Railroads were one of the first industries to organize a system to respond to the accidents and illnesses of their labor force. The hospitals and physicians associated with railroads helped develop the field of industrial medicine and the concept of pre-paid health care. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company was one of several railroads to establish their own system of hospitals. The Santa Fe Coast Lines Hospital is one of only two hospitals constructed by the company that still survives. The company continued to own the hospital through the mid-1980s. The only other remaining railroad hospitals in California is the Southern Pacific Railroad Hospital in San Francisco and the Western Pacific Railroad Hospital in Portola. In the early and

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Moscow Covered Bridge, Moscow Indiana

Moscow Covered Bridge, Moscow Indiana

The Moscow Bridge is the longest covered bridge ever constructed in Rush County, and is the longest Kennedy bridge extant in the state. It is also the state's only surviving multi-span Kennedy bridge; nine others were built but they have all been demolished. This bridge is particularly interesting in the way that it demonstrates Emmett Kennedy's engineering expertise, as he devised a variation of the Burr arch truss to cross a 330-foot gap in only two spans. Various technical problems, most notably the weight factor, prevented him from building a traditional Burr arch truss in a length exceeding 155 feet; therefore, he divided each truss in the center and inserted a ten foot long Queenpost truss section. This novel solution proved

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Sears, Roebuck & Company Mail Order Building, Los Angeles California

Sears, Roebuck & Company Mail Order Building, Los Angeles California

Historic Sears Catalog Warehouse Distribution Center and Store Building Abandoned in 2021

Originally constructed in 1927, the Los Angeles building housed Sears, Roebuck & Company's warehouse, distribution, and merchandising facilities for the entire southwestern United States, as well as one of the company's early retail stores. As such, the Los Angeles building played a critical role in the success of the company. Sears, Roebuck & Company was synonymous with the surge in the mass consumer market in America during the early and mid-twentieth century. Established in 1886 by Richard Sears, the company became one of the largest mail-order businesses in the country and the seventh-largest corporation in the world. By 1927, Sears provided goods to eleven million customers, equaling one out of every three American families, and distributed over seventy-five million catalogs per

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Wigwam Motel - Wigwam Village No. 7, San Bernardino California

Wigwam Motel - Wigwam Village No. 7, San Bernardino California

Wigwam Village No. 7 is located along the main route of U.S. Highway 66 and was constructed between 1947 and 1950 in direct response to the post-World War II boom in automobile tourism along U.S. Highway 66, providing tourist accommodations as a commercial property. In 1958, this segment of U.S. Highway 66 was bypassed by the Foothill Freeway, likely marking a decline in traffic and the end of the heyday of use for this portion of the route. U.S. Highway 66 served as a major corridor for tourists coming to California beginning in the 1920s. Unprecedented numbers of tourists used U.S. Highway 66 in the years following World War I. After the long period of war-time rationing and restricted travel, Americans

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Medora Covered Bridge, Medora Indiana

Medora Covered Bridge, Medora Indiana

Medora Covered Bridge at 460', is the longest surviving historic wooden covered bridge in the United States, and is representative of the work of master builder J.J. Daniels of Parke County, Indiana. It is unique in its use of metal components and a combination of kingpost and Burr arch building technologies. It connected the western third of Jackson County to its market towns and railroad towns of Vallonia, Brownstown (county seat), and Seymour. The bridge continued to serve its purpose well into the twentieth century, until it was bypassed in 1970. The bridge also handled traffic for major U.S. and State Routes in its years of active service. Medora Bridge is representative of the early nineteenth-century patented bridge models, which were

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Maennerchor Building, Indianapolis Indiana

Maennerchor Building, Indianapolis Indiana

The Maennerchor Society had it origins among the Germans who had come to the United States after the revolutions of 1848 in Europe. Among the ways that they sought to retain the culture of the country they had left was to sing the old songs and accustom themselves to American beer. In June, of 1854 a small group formalized their relationship and formed the Maennerchor. They gave their first concert on May 28th, 1855. During the rest of the nineteenth century the Maennerchor occupied several buildings in the downtown Indianapolis. The decision to allow non-participating members in the organization resulted in an increase in membership and wealth for the Maennerchor. They used this new ability to finance the Maennerchor Building; a

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Newport Covered Bridge, Newport Indiana

Newport Covered Bridge, Newport Indiana

The Newport Covered Bridge is one of 57 remaining Burr Arch timber bridges in Indiana. With a span of 180 feet, it is one of the longest Burr Arch covered bridges in the state. It is one of four existing covered bridges in Vermillion County. From 1885 to the present it has been in continuous service on a main road in agricultural central Vermillion County, connecting Newport, the county seat, with Quaker, Dana, and the area's farms. It was petitioned to be built by the Township Trustee, and the Commissioners decided in June of 1883 to construct a bridge, but the county found no funds and ordered it to be constructed as soon as means provide. It was specified to be

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Booker T. Washington School, Rushville Indiana

Booker T. Washington School, Rushville Indiana

The Booker T. Washington School was the focal point for the black community of Rushville, Indiana. Besides being a source of pride, it was also an educational, cultural, political, social, and fraternal center for the town's black citizens. The building was designed so that it not only served as a school, but also as a community center, having a large room upstairs which was used for social and political meetings. The district school system was established by provisions in the 1852 state constitution, although it was during the period of 1867-1900 that the system grew rapidly. Legislation passed in 1869 specifically called for the state to provide for the education of blacks. As in many states, it seemed that the best

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Forsythe Covered Bridge, Moscow Indiana

Forsythe Covered Bridge, Moscow Indiana

The Forsythe Bridge derives its name from Asa Forsythe, who operated a gristmill in the area from 1870 to 1884. The Forsythe Bridge is thought to be the longest single span bridge ever attempted by the Kennedy Firm, and at 186 feet is more than twice as long as the Offutt Bridge. The portal facades feature typical Kennedy detailing, including scroll-sawn trim and paired cornice brackets. This was the only bridge erected by the Kennedy firm in 1888, as iron bridges were proving to be strong competition for the Kennedys and others in their trade. Only four more bridges would be constructed by the Kennedy family before this tradition came to an end. Local bridge builder Emmett L. Kennedy and his

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Henry P. Coburn Public School No. 66, Indianapolis Indiana

Henry P. Coburn Public School No. 66, Indianapolis Indiana

Indianapolis rapidly expanded northward after 1900, encouraged by the extended streetcar lines. In his annual report of October 25th, 1910, Superintendent of Schools Calvin Kendall recommended that the School Board investigate purchasing a lot north and east of P.S. #60. The new P.S. #43 [completed that year] will provide for the western part of the territory north of 34th, but I believe it will be necessary to erect another building somewhere in the vicinity of Central Avenue to provide for the eastern part of the same rapidly growing district.. In November 1912, land was purchased on which to build a new school that would serve to relieve the brimming School 60 about a mile to the southwest. In February 1914, Rubush

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Offutt Covered Bridge, Rushville Indiana

Offutt Covered Bridge, Rushville Indiana

The Offutt Bridge was erected in 1884 by Emmett and Charles Kennedy; Archibald Kennedy had, by this time, begun his political career and had turned the business over to his sons. The bridge is a premier example of the Kennedys' style, employing the Burr arch truss and featuring rounded arch portals, pilastered corner boards, scrollwork, a plain frieze, and ornate cornice brackets used in pairs. The period from 1881 to 1884 marked the peak of the Kennedys' bridge-building efforts, with a total of 23 bridges constructed during this time. Ten of these 23 were in Rush County; this is the sole survivor of this peak period in the county. Bridge Description The Offutt Bridge, which crosses the Little Blue River northwest

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East Ohio Gas Company Building, Cleveland Ohio

East Ohio Gas Company Building, Cleveland Ohio

The East Ohio Gas Company was formed by Standard Oil Company to bring natural gas from West Virginia to Akron in 1898. It moved into the Cleveland market in 1902. By 1910 it had absorbed the older artificial gas companies in the city. East Ohio provided cheaper, more efficient fuel for home heating and light than the artificial gas companies could offer. The company thrived and continues in business today. In 1915, the East Ohio Gas Company Building on East 6th Street was the earliest private sector response to the 1903 Group Plan concept and it set a precedent for the other private sector buildings that followed near it on the east border of the Mall. The only other major urban

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City Mills Building - Sun Produce Building, Mansfield Ohio

City Mills Building - Sun Produce Building, Mansfield Ohio

Founded by Frank and Andrus Gilbert in 1865, Gilbert, Waugh & Co. was one of two flour mills which operated in Mansfield during the late 19th century. Mansfield Mills, later known as Brown, Hicks & Co., was established before 1858 but a third mill, J.C. Lantz & Son, was not established until about 1900. The mill was originally located in a smaller, three-story building immediately south of the existing structure. This earlier mill was built in 1847 as a warehouse on the newly built Sandusky and Mansfield Railroad line. It was adapted for use as a flour mill by Burger and Brubaker during the 1850s, and was purchased in 1865 by Gilbert & Brother. In 1870, J. M. Waugh was admitted

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Spencerville Covered Bridge, Spencerville Indiana

Spencerville Covered Bridge, Spencerville Indiana

The Spencerville Covered Bridge is significant as the only surviving covered bridge in northeastern Indiana, and is one of only six remaining Smith trusses in the state. From 1820 to 1922, some 600 covered bridges were constructed in Indiana, of which only 98 remain. The Smith truss was one of the less common types, with only twenty ever constructed in Indiana. The most common were the Howe and Burr trusses. The Smith truss, a variation of the Howe, was patented by Robert W. Smith of the Smith Bridge Company (Toledo, Ohio) in 1867, and again with improvements in 1869. It is said that none of the bridges followed his patents exactly, as he continued to make improvements with each job. Bridges

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Cleveland Trust Company, Cleveland Ohio

Cleveland Trust Company, Cleveland Ohio

Throughout its history, the Cleveland Trust Company was a leader in the banking industry of Northeast Ohio. In the early twentieth century, the bank played a vital role in establishing Cleveland's downtown financial district and was a pioneer in the concept of the branch bank. After years of steady growth it emerged at the mid-century as the region's largest banking institution, and from this position the bank had a profound influence on Cleveland and Cuyahoga County through the 1970s. Most notably, the bank initiated a multi-million dollar expansion program in the late 1960s that signified the institution's commitment to the city and its optimism in the region's economy. The Tower component of the Cleveland Trust Company headquarters has enduring value as

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Smith Covered Bridge, Rushville Indiana

Smith Covered Bridge, Rushville Indiana

The Smith Bridge is a wood timber Burr arch truss bridge with a protective frame enclosure. The second oldest of the six covered bridges remaining in the county, this structure was erected by Archibald and Emmett Kennedy in 1877. Construction of this bridge marked the end of a two-year business slump for the Kennedys, for after building at least one bridge each year from 1870 to 1874, they had failed to win any contracts in 1875 and 1876. The building of the Smith Bridge reversed this trend and marked the beginning of the Kennedys' busiest decade. From 1877 to 1888 they won one or more contracts each year, and during this period ultimately constructed 40 bridges. Bridge Description The Smith Covered

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Westport Covered Bridge, Westport Indiana

Westport Covered Bridge, Westport Indiana

The Westport Covered Bridge is the only covered bridge in Decatur County, Indiana, and is one of the few remaining examples of the work of the A. M. Kennedy family, noted Indiana bridge builders. Archibald McMichael Kennedy was a carpenter who began constructing small bridges in Wabash County in 1853. His first major bridge project, in Union County, was completed in 1870. His son, Emmett, joined him in his work and the pair built many bridges together until 1884, when Archibald left the firm. From 1884 to 1886, Emmett and his brother, Charles, operated the firm as Kennedy Brothers, but in 1886 Charles left the firm and Emmett worked alone until 1914, when his own sons joined him. In all, the

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The Cleveland Hotel, Conneaut Ohio

The Cleveland Hotel, Conneaut Ohio

The Cleveland was built by Clifford Smith; the proprietors of the hotel were three partners, two were sons of a prominent Conneaut businessman, G. H. Cleveland; the third was a friend and a Passenger Conductor on the Nickel Plate Railroad. C.S. Cleveland and M. C. Cleveland were well-known and popular in Conneaut, as was G.H. Thornton. Mr. Thornton, the Nickel Plate Conductor, established his permanent residence within the Cleveland Hotel, even though his railroad duties required much traveling. Additionally, it appears that a local office for the Nickel Plate Railroad was established within the lobby of the Cleveland Hotel. This close connection between the Cleveland Hotel and the Nickel Plate Railroad continued into the 1940s as the Cleveland Hotel's fine dining

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Snow Hill Covered Bridge, Rockdale Indiana

Snow Hill Covered Bridge, Rockdale Indiana

Constructed in March of 1895, Snow Hill Covered Bridge is a fine example of a small-scale Howe Truss timber bridge. The Howe Truss was rarely used on Indiana wooden truss bridges; the more conservative Burr Arch type was the favorite of the most important builders. Only about 22 Howe Truss bridges are thought to stand in Indiana. Snow Hill Bridge was an important passageway to Johnson Fork Road, which leads eventually to the Cincinnati area, the biggest market for local farmers. Snow Hill Covered Bridge uses a Howe Truss to bear loads up to 12 tons (current rating). The concept of the Howe Truss was invented by William Howe in 1840. As was often the case with the empirical design process

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