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August 2002
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HPC Meeting Minutes 2002
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August 2002
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South Bend HPC
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Minutes
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1001402
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1 ! <br />STAFF REPORT <br />CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A <br />CERTIFIATE OF APPROPRIATENESS <br />Application Number: 2002 -0717 <br />Property Location: 900 - 924 West Indiana Avenue, South Bend <br />Property Owner: St. Joseph County & City of South Bend <br />Landmark or District Designation: Local Historic Landmark, designated 1982 <br />Rating: S-12 <br />STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT <br />The oldest part of this building, the present West wing, was built in 1905. In 1922, architects Austin <br />and Shambleau designed and built the present building, incorporating the 1905 building into the much larger <br />structure. Thaddeus Nethercutt was the superintendent of construction for the architects, and H.G. Christman <br />was the contractor. The superintendent of the school corporation was W. W. Borden. In the twenties, Oliver <br />School was one of the most advanced intermediate school buildings in Indiana, offering learning facilities not <br />available in some colleges of the day. It was particularly known for its vocational arts facilities for art, sewing, <br />domestic science, machining, drafting, printing, carpentry, and — cutting edge in those days, but appropriate for <br />an automobile manufacturing town — auto repair. The auditorium has a seating capacity for 800, as does the <br />cafeteria, and there was an area of the building known as the "fresh air section" where the windows were to be <br />left open at all times. <br />The foundation is stone and concrete. The walls are dark red brick with decorative terra cotta trim, and <br />a terra cotta belt course above the second floor windows. There are projecting pavilions at the entrances and <br />pilasters between window groups. The windows, built tall enough to light classrooms without artificial lights, <br />are built in groups of three. The first floor windows were four over four double hung with elongated lower <br />panes, and the second floor windows were four over one double hung. Three leaded and stained glass transoms <br />with medallions are above each set of front entrance doors. The roof is flat, with a brick parapet and terra cotta <br />coping. <br />For 77 years, from 1905 until 1982, Oliver School was still considered one of the finest school <br />buildings in the Midwestern United States. Declining enrollment and shifting population patterns, and perhaps <br />some other factors, caused the school corporation to decide that the building was "excess to the school <br />corporation's needs" (See letter from Thos. Reidy, 4 -20- 1982). At that time, the roof was in need of some <br />routine maintenance and repair, but the corporation decided to give the building away essentially for free, <br />rather than to fix the roof and sell the building for money. Mr. Dwight Macon, doing business as the Michiana <br />Academy for Performing Arts, received the building from the school corporation, and has owned it for most of <br />the last twenty years. <br />During that time, there is no evidence of any repairs or maintenance being performed whatsoever. If <br />the owner has ever given consideration to the fact that his neighbors and the whole city are much greatly <br />harmed by the gradual "demolition by neglect" of this once lovely and majestic building that is not apparent in <br />the buildings present neglected and bedraggled state. At one time, houses built in view or easy walking <br />distance of Oliver School were more valuable because of being in Oliver's neighborhood; vacant and <br />neglected, the opposite has become true. Educators from around Indiana and neighboring states once toured <br />Oliver to study its excellent building design. Now months go by with no one entering it but thieves and <br />vandals. <br />The people of the City of South Bend, including the Olivers, reached into their pockets to build the city <br />school corporation one of the best buildings in the state, and the school corporation, neglecting even to keep it <br />in basic repair, when repair would have been cheap, not only threw away this magnificent building, but threw it <br />away in such fashion that the same city that built it now has to pay to clean up what was trashed. <br />
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