Landmark Look At Historic Temple

Indiana Landmarks is opening the doors to Indy’s oldest synagogue Thursday night for a public tour of the building that is waiting for redevelopment.  

The Beth-El Temple has sat vacant for a decade and people attending a free Landmark Look Thursday night can expect to see a building that needs a lot of love says Mark Dollase, VP of preservation services at Indiana Landmarks.

"Both from a structural standpoint and financial standpoint, to get it completely restored at least according to our architects that’s going to cost in the  $1.5 to 2 million dollar range." said Dollase.

The 1925 Neo-Classical style synagogue at the corner of 34th and Ruckle St in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood recently got a new roof the help of a quarter million dollars in public/private funds. 

A newly formed non-profit group called the Temple Heritage Center and Indiana Landmarks wants the community to weigh in on how the old building should be used.  Some ideas already include a community center, event space or even a vocational training center where people could learn the preservation trade.

"To develop craftsmen who know how to do the various aspects of working on different buildings." said Dollase. The building is rundown, but Dollase says it has good bones and intact historical touches like original chandeliers. 

Indiana Landmarks often holds tours of significant Hoosier sites as a way of engaging the public and potential investors.  People can RSVP for the event at templelook.evenbrite.com.  The tour gets underway at 5 p.m. Thursday August 27th.