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• STUDEBAKER PROVING GROUNDS CLUBHOUSE/BENDIX WOODS NATURE CENTER 32132 S.R.2 NEW CARLISLE, INDIANA RECOMMENDATION Based on the Historic Preservation Commission's Local Landmarks Criteria as adopted by the Common Council, the building at 32132 S.R. 2 has been recommended to the Historic Preservation Commission of St. Joseph County for designation as a Local Historic Landmark by commission's Landmarks Committee. The building meets the criteria in at least four areas: 1.) Its character, interest and value as part of the development , heritage, or culture of the city of South Bend, St. Joseph County, the state of Indiana , or the United States of America. 2.) Its embodiment of elements of architectural design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship which. represents an architectural characteristic or innovation. 3.) Its educational value. 4.) Its suitability for preservation. The building fulfills criteria #1 as representative of welfare capitalism in the early Twentieth Century whereby employers provided for comfort or improvement of employees which was neither a necessity nor required by law. The building fulfills criteria #2 as an example of Colonial Revival style. The building is rated Significant 11 in the Indiana Historic Sites and • Structures Inventory. The building fulfills criteria #3 by the integrity of its original design and environmental context. The building has been used principally for educational purposes since 1967. The building fulfills criteria #4 by the, integrity of its original construction with only minor exterior alterations. HISTORICAL CONTEXT This site was first purchased by Studebaker Corporation in 1926 for development of a proving grounds for experimentation and testing of motor cars. Development of the proving grounds was supervised by Maurice Thorne who had previously developed a similar facility for General Motors. The clubhouse was designed by Earnest W. Young, a South Bend architect noted for the introduction of Prairie style houses to that city. He had later followed the general trend to period revival styles in large houses and small institutional commissions. The clubhouse was constructed in 1926 in the Colonial Revival style in stark contrast to the functional industrial style of the garages and engineering building at the proving grounds. It resembled a large country house or country -club and provided a place for approximately 100 proving grounds employees to eat, relax in off hours, stay in bad weather and board if they so desired. Decline in activity due to the Great Depression resulted in limitation of the workforce at the proving grounds to the test drivers and a decline in activity • there. In 1938-39 The Studebaker Corporation provided the clubhouse to the Children's Dispensary and Hospital Association for use as a crippled children's camp for one month each summer.