The History of Justice in Terre Haute

Located on third street, in between Wabash Avenue and Ohio Street, sits the Court House of Terre Haute. This large building consists of four floors and has a chandelier hanging in the center of the building right above the fourth floor. To enter this cornerstone of Terre Haute legislation, you must go through the west doors. Upon entering, you will be greeted by a metal detector and the police officer that operates it. Today, I decided to visit the Court House. After passing the detector and being deemed safe, I made my way around the first floor. I was able to gather some information about the Court House from a clerk who worked down on the first floor and discovered that there have been three Court Houses in Terre Haute history. The first one was built in 1818 in the same location as the Court House that people know today. The current Court House was built in 1888. At the center of every floor, except the first, is a little guard rail. This is to prevent people from falling as the look up and down at the other floors. Even if you don't have a court date at this destination, I implore anybody who appreciates good architecture to visit this building.

Fairbanks Memorial Library

The Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library is located at 222 N. 7th street. This beautifully classical building is structured in the Beaux Arts style and was named after Emeline Fairbanks (The mother of the famous Crawford Fairbanks). It was build in 1906 and is made of limestone. The unversity gained possession of this local treasure in 1978. In 1984, the university decided to get it remodeled. The building now is quite different than the building shown here. However, it still maintains it's integrity. Most of the rooms inside are now utilized as classrooms. Upon entering the main doors, you are instantly caught in awe as you look up. Above the inside center of the building is a dome that has several paintings of famous people in a huge circle. As a walked through a door to access a full view, I noticed that I had walked into a student art gallery. In a complete 360 degrees around me, I was swarmed with artistic expression curtesy of the talented students that go to ISU. Feeling almost overwhelmed, I jolted my head back and forth, from one piece of art to another. However, I never escaped the ever present pull to look up. Finally, after viewing all the artwork around me, I tilted my head toward the heavens for a more in depth look at the doom. I noticed some of the names of the famous people paintings including Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and even Mark Twain. This building is a must for any person who has an appreciation for art, history, or who is of the belief that Terre Haute has nothing of interest to offer it's people.

German Catholicism

The Saint Benedict Parish is located at the corner of 9th street and Ohio. The church was build in 1865 and was originally a catholic church for people of german origin. Today, the building still stands and is accompanied by three other buildings. There is the Parish Office across the street from the church. Then, to the right of the church there stands the house in which the priest lives. Next to the priest house is the German Catholic School. Every weekday from 11 to 12, the school has a soup kitchen for anyone who is hungry and doesn't have the financial assistance to alleviate the problem. I knocked on the door of the Parish Office and informed a woman who was working there that I was interested in the church. Then I requested permission to enter the church. I had assumed that I would be given a brief tour by a church official. Instead, the woman handing my a set of keys and reminded me to lock up when I was done. So, I unlocked one of the three main doors and entered the lobby of the church. On the right side of the lobby, stood a statue. It was a beautiful representation of Mary holding Jesus' wounded body as he lay dying. Then, I went into the main area of the church. A long line of wooden pews to the right and left of me travelled forward toward a pulpit. Above the pulpit, hung a crucifix. At the right and left sides of the room stood confessional booths. The ceiling contained beautiful paintings and gave an incredible spatial relationship to the floor below. At the tops of the walls were several stained-glass windows containing pictures. The light from outside gave live to the colorful windows and even though the inside of the building was dark, one could obtain a small feeling of peace looking up toward such an amazing work of art. The St. Benedict Parish is an incredibly representation of the types of cathedrals that one would find in Europe. I am so glad that Terre Haute has not managed to uphold tradition and demolish this wonderful part of it's history.

Twelve Stories of History

Located at 19 South Sixth Street, stands what was once the tallest building between Indianapolis and St. Louis. The Sycamore Building was constructed in 1921 by the Hoggson Brothers of New York City. The building started off as a bank named Citizens Trust Company. The construction of the building cost $500,000 and features 12 floors. While driving on Wabash Avenue, I have past this building several times with the intention of stopping and taking a look. Now, I am very grateful that I did. Upon walking in the front entrance on the Sycamore Building, I made my way toward the front office. Inside, I spotted a rather large, circular vault. One of the women working in the office informed me about the Sycamore Building and its roots as a bank. She told me that it is the only building in Terre Haute that possesses a round vault. Then, I visited the basement, where I was informed about another vault down there that is now used as a storage closet. After the brief tour, I requested entrance to the top floor. The building is now used to office many lawyers, so a phone call was required before I made my ascent to the top floor. After being granted permission, I made my way to the up to the 12th floor. Although this floor was a law office, I was allowed to experience the view from the waiting room window. One window faced west while the other window faced south. Looking out, I got a much better sense of the history of Terre Haute. Through both windows, one can see many buildings and steeples. Homes and stores, stretched out until the influence of Terre Haute gives way to a vast treeline and finally breaks into the horizon.

Hotel Deming

Terre Haute's Tribune-Star named the Deming Hotel a historical treasure in a 2007 article. Roznowski mentions this local landmark many times in his book. Named after Demas Deming, the hotel now occupies the space that that was once the site of a church. According to the Tribune, The Terre Haute Coal and Lime company provided 4,450 cubic yards of gravel and sand. They also provided cement for the concrete that makes up much of the hotel and the surrounding sidewalk. The hotel opened officially on Oct. 20, 1914. The hotel was eventually bought by the university and used as a men's dormitory. Later, the hotel was sold again and in the 1970's, it was utilized as apartments for the elderly and the handicapped. This building has stood the tests of time and has a unique story to go along with it. It is certainly one aspect of Terre Haute that should be kept intact, so that future generations may have a better understanding of historical relevance.

Haunted History

A couple years ago, I was reading through a book about all the supposed haunted places in Indiana. One story that stayed with me was the story of a dog named Stiffy Green. According to some records, Stiffy Green was the constant companion of an elderly man by the name of John Heinl. They would walk the streets of Terre Haute and were well liked by the community. In 1920, John Heinl passed away. John was emtombed in a mausoleum at Terre Haute's Highland Cemetary. According to legend, Stiffy Green was taken care of by some of John's friends after he died. It wasn't long until the dog traveled back to the cemetary to sit outside the mausoleum and guard his master. Within a few months of John's death, his beloved dog came to greet him in eternity. Not wanting to simply dispose of the dog, the new owners decided to have him stuffed and placed next to his beloved companion in the mausoleum. It wasn't long before caretakers and visitors of the cemetary reported hearing barking coming from around the tomb. Some people even reported seeing an elderly figure walking the cemetary with a canine companion late at night. Eventually, the body of Stiffy Green was removed from the mausoleum due to the endless amount of late-night teenage visitors trying to catch a glimpse of the ghostly dog. Whether you believe the stories or not, the legend of Stiffy Green continues to appear in many books detailing the haunted sites of Indiana.

We Must Never Forget

Located on 1532 South 3rd street, there is a museum entitled the C.A.N.D.L.E. holocaust museum and education center. This museum tells of the terrible events of the holocaust. However, it centers around a woman named Eva Kor, who founded the museum in 1995. Eva Kor was an Auschwitz prisoner with her twin sister Miriam. Together they were subject to terrible experiments by Nazi doctors. While visiting, I saw a little room inside the museum that had various items that looked as if they had been burned. The man giving me a brief tour informed me that in 2003, someone had firebombed the original museum and destroyed most of the contents inside. Then he told me that the entire Terre Haute community gathered together to help rebuild the museum. This is an important statement about the people of Terre Haute. Not only are the people of Terre Haute not as apathetic as some may think, but they also have a sense of community value. With the help of the people in Terre Haute, Eva Kor rebuilt the museum and still teaches visitors about the atrocities of prejudice. One of the key philosophies that Eva discusses is the ability to forgive. I am told that she has forgiven the Nazis for their role in altering her life as a young child. However, as is stated on a painting inside the museum, forgiving is not forgetting.