Terminal Arcade
Encyclopedia
The Terminal Arcade, located on Wabash Avenue in downtown Terre Haute, Indiana
, is a Beaux-Arts building on the National Register of Historic Places
since June 30, 1983.
The building originally served as the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company
interurban station, opening in 1911. It was built on the grounds of the former J. S. Evans and Sons, a bicycle shop. The end of the interurban age came on January 11, 1940, when the track between Terre Haute and Indianapolis
was closed, largely the result of automobiles making interurbans superfluous. From December 1, 1949 until 1972 the Arcade served as the city's union bus station.
The Beaux-Arts building is made of terra cotta
and brick. It has identical facades on its north and south sides, constructed of limestone
and with granite
bases. Various designs carved upon the building include lions, garland
s, and fruits. The building itself was designed by Daniel H. Burnham of Chicago
; the facades were the work of Fred Edler and J. W. Quayle.
The other property in Terre Haute built by the Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Eastern Traction Company was a power house at the corner of Mulberry and North Water. It was built in 1907 to power the interurbans the Terminal Arcade served, and the 457 miles of track the interurban ran upon. The 1907 lease, under the name of the Terre Haute Traction & Light Company, called for 999 years; interurbans were no more by 1940.
There have been threats to the Terminal Arcade. While mayor of Terre Haute Pete Chalos proposed condemning the building. In 2004, during talks for building a new federal building in Terre Haute, one of the proposals would have included razing the Terminal Arcade and placing the new building on its site.
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, is a Beaux-Arts building on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since June 30, 1983.
The building originally served as the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company
Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company
The Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company, or THI&E, was the second largest interurban in the state of Indiana at the height of the "interurban era." This system included over 400 miles of track, with lines emanating from Indianapolis to the east, northwest, west and southwest as...
interurban station, opening in 1911. It was built on the grounds of the former J. S. Evans and Sons, a bicycle shop. The end of the interurban age came on January 11, 1940, when the track between Terre Haute and Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
was closed, largely the result of automobiles making interurbans superfluous. From December 1, 1949 until 1972 the Arcade served as the city's union bus station.
The Beaux-Arts building is made of terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
and brick. It has identical facades on its north and south sides, constructed of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and with granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
bases. Various designs carved upon the building include lions, garland
Garland
A garland is a class of decoration, of which there are many types.Garland may also refer to:-Places:*Garland, Arkansas, a town in Miller County*Garland County, Arkansas*Garland, Maine, a town in Penobscot County...
s, and fruits. The building itself was designed by Daniel H. Burnham of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; the facades were the work of Fred Edler and J. W. Quayle.
The other property in Terre Haute built by the Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Eastern Traction Company was a power house at the corner of Mulberry and North Water. It was built in 1907 to power the interurbans the Terminal Arcade served, and the 457 miles of track the interurban ran upon. The 1907 lease, under the name of the Terre Haute Traction & Light Company, called for 999 years; interurbans were no more by 1940.
There have been threats to the Terminal Arcade. While mayor of Terre Haute Pete Chalos proposed condemning the building. In 2004, during talks for building a new federal building in Terre Haute, one of the proposals would have included razing the Terminal Arcade and placing the new building on its site.