Downtown

Platted in 1825 by trader William Digby, the original town was only sixteen square blocks. Thanks to its location at the northernmost navigable point on the Wabash River, and its transportation ties to the Wabash and Erie Canal and multiple rail lines the small town grew rapidly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Lafayette has a diverse and unique collection of buildings dating from the mid 1800s to contemporary time. Examples of remaining early architecture include the John Purdue Block located at 6-12 2nd Street. John Purdue, the namesake of Purdue University, built the original row of twelve units for his business block in 1845. Four of the original twelve bays remain and now house a popular downtown bar and several office suites. The large arched windows on the west side of the building were used to load and unload merchandise on the Wabash & Erie Canal.

Other notable buildings in the downtown area include 536 Main Street (Built in the late 1860s, the second empire style building has served as the location of McCord’s Candies since 1912), 330 Main Street (Built in 1877, and featuring a cast iron façade, the former location of the Perrin Hardware Company has ties to the Perrin neighborhood – both bear the same family name) and the Big Four Depot, constructed in 1902 and moved to its current location at Riehle Plaza in 1994.

The most spectacular and imposing piece of downtown architecture is the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. Built between 1881 and 1884, courthouse is actually the third built on the same location. The building style is Eclectic with a strong Second Empire influence.

Downtown Fountain

Red Door Family on Bridge

Downtown and the courthouse square host a variety of activities and festivals throughout the year including Dancing in the Streets, the Taste of Tippecanoe, Downtown Gallery Walks, Round the Fountain Art Fair, Uptown Jazz & Blues Fest, Art on the Wabash Fair, Octoberfest, Dickens of a Christmas, OUTfest and Mosey Down Main Street to name a few. Full a listing of downtown events, venues and festivities, visit
www.ReadySetGoDowntown.com xxx• xxxwww.lafcal.com xxx• xxxwww.tippecanoearts.org

explore the Downtown’s Plaque Properties

name	address	built	plaqued
Alward—Lafayette Conservatory of Music— Fitzgerald House	717 Columbia Street	1863
Ankeny—McCuaig House	904 South Street	1882	1997
Ball Building	527-533 Main Street	1867	1994
Big Four Depot	200 N. 2nd Street	1902	1991
Brown—Feuer (O.L. Clark) Building	426-430 Main Street	1837	1999
Carnahan—Ross—Kaplan Building	622 Main Street	1892	1991
Christian Emdee House	712-714 South Street	1854	1999
Clark—Clawson Building	434-436 Main Street	1858	1998
Coleman—Stallard & Schuh Building	301 Columbia Street	1872	1991
David E. Ross Building	308 Main Street	1918	1991
Douglas—Lafayette Street Railway— Madison Building	901 Main Street	1869
Earl & Hatcher Block	8 N. 3rd Street	1865	1995
Falley Townhouses	620-622 South Street	1892	1993
First Merchants National Bank— Girardot, Strauch & Co. Building	316 Main Street	1918	1992
Fowler National Bank— Lafayette National Bank—INB National Bank	337 Columbia Street	1926	1992
Gaylord—Reifers House	12 N. 8th Street	1916	1999
Handly—Sharp—DRTW Building	117 N. 4th Street	1875	1991
Heath—Pearlman Building	210-216 N. 5th Street	1863	1996
John Purdue Block	14 N. 2nd Street	1845	1990
Lafayette Life Building	300 Main Street	1918	1990
Lafayette Printing Company	511 Ferry Street	1921	1991
Lafayette Theater	600 Main Street	1938	2007
Mars Theatre— Long Center for the Performing Arts	111 N. 6th Street	1921	1991
McHugh—Trueblood Building	424 Columbia Street	1876	1991
Orpheum Theater	638 Main Street	1914	1998
Painters & Decorators Building	217 N. 6th Street	1920	1991
Perrin Building	330 Main Street	1877	1990
Ruger—Dewenter—IDC Building	416 Main Street	1862	1991
Second National Bank— Heath—Henderson—Ross—Cole Building	848 Main Street	1873	1998
Second Presbyterian Church— Central Presbyterian Church	701 Columbia Street	1895
Sharp Block	514-518 Main Street		2003
Sportsman—Hirsch Brothers— Shook Agency Building	427 Main Street	1923
Spring, Emerson & Co. Building	14 N. 3rd Street	1878	2000
The Cracker Factory	216 N. 6th Street	1888	2007
The Rapp Co.—Vancalin—Duffy Building	309 Columbia Street	1881	1993
Tippecanoe County Courthouse	305 Main Street	1882	1992
Thomas Duncan Memorial Hall	619 Ferry Street	1930	1992
Vater—Wilmes Building	10 N. 4th Street	1866-1879	1991
Weigle Townhouse	927 Main Street	1899	1995
Wells Medicine Building	120 N. 3rd Street	1872	1991

Downtown

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