Monday, December 18, 2017

Northeast Corner Changes

In 1824, Samuel Moore constructed his general store on the northeast corner of the intersection of Indiana and Main Streets in downtown Mooresville.  Let's see how that corner has changed over the years.

Situated on the northeast corner were the following:

  • Samuel Moore's general store (1824-1869);
  • First I.O.O.F. building (1869-1881);
  • Second I.O.O.F. building (1881-1989);
  • Paul Hadley memorial park (1990-2017);
  • Mooresville Bicentennial Park (2017-    )
Let's see some images, courtesy of the Indiana Room at Mooresville Public Library.

Original Plat of Mooresville, Indiana (1824)
(showing the northeast corner of Indiana and Main Streets)
(Section B4, Lots 1-2 & 15-16)
(Recorded February 21, 1825, Morgan County Recorder's Office)

After the fire (July 8, 1881) that destroyed
the first I.O.O.F. building (photo by J. P. Calvert)
(photo donated to MPL by Ernest L. Hadley [1891-1972])

Back of 1881 photo
MPL photo report for 1881 picture


I.O.O.F. Morgan Lodge #211 members parade in front of
the second I.O.O.F. building (circa 1885)
(photo by J. P. Calvert)

Second I.O.O.F. building is in the upper center
of this photo (circa 1885) by J. P. Calvert

East Main Street (circa 1890)
(Second I.O.O.F. building is at front left)
(photo by J. P. Calvert)

Second I.O.O.F. building (July 18, 1920)
(photo by Manley Brown)

(second I.O.O.F. building in background)
from the Mooresville Times, January 22, 1976)

2-22-22 celebration
(original photograph by Manley Brown)

Demolition of Hundley building
(just east of the second I.O.O.F. building)
(Mooresville Times, October 24, 1963)

Removal of top floor of second I.O.O.F. building
(Mooresville Times, July 23, 1964)


The second I.O.O.F. building's demolition began in 1964, with the top floor being removed; the entire second floor was removed, leaving a first-floor "sliver" remaining, so that Citizens Bank could extend its new building's parking lot in 1965-66.  The article headline (above) declares the Odd Fellows building to be 105 years old (in 1964), but that's mistaken.  The second I.O.O.F. building (built 1881) was 83 years old in 1964.  Even if the reporter had been dating to the first I.O.O.F. building (built 1869, burned down in 1881), the age would only have been 95 years old.  The reporter's error arose from the I.O.O.F. capstone (dated 1859), which was installed atop the first Odd Fellows building in 1869, and subsequently placed upon the second Odd Fellows building in 1881.  The capstone commemorated the establishment of Mooresville's I.O.O.F. chapter (Morgan Lodge #211), which was founded on July 7, 1859.  The capstone was being removed during the 1964 upper-story dismantlement, and the reporter had incorrectly assumed that the capstone's 1859 date corresponded with the building's age.

After the Odd Fellows capstone was removed in 1964, it was housed at Citizens Bank for a number of years. Some time later, it was kept at the Academy School Museum on North Monroe Street.  Since 2017, the capstone has been part of a wall in Mooresville Bicentennial Park (on the site of the Odd Fellows buildings).

I.O.O.F. Capstone
Mooresville-Decatur Times
October 21, 2017



Last day of the second I.O.O.F. remnant (April, 1989)
(photo by Jack Broyer)

Planning Paul Hadley mini-park (1989)
(Mooresville Times, July 21, 1999)



Janet (Griffin) Buckley sits atop the
"founder's stone" in Paul Hadley mini-park
during Mooresville's Victorian Christmas
(December 3, 2011)
(photo by William R. Buckley)

State historical marker commemorating Paul Hadley
& the Indiana State Flag being unveiled
(August 6, 2016)
(photo by William R. Buckley)

Mooresville Bicentennial Park
(December 5, 2017)
(photo by William R. Buckley)



Sunday, December 17, 2017

New Local History Video Series

Mooresville Public Library has begun a new video series (see playlist) called Mooresville Moments: Our Local History, based upon its collection of local history postcards and flashcards.  The title is borrowed from the popular newspaper column, "Mooresville Moments" (1999), written by town historian Wanda Potts (1921-2012), who served as MPL's Indiana Room librarian from 1966 to 2002.

In this first installment, we feature the official Mooresville Town Banner, designed by Bonita Marley, who served as library director from 1961 to 1984. The flag commemorated the 150th anniversary of the town's founding. You can see it flying downtown in Bicentennial Park.

Mooresville's Town Banner (video)
(Mooresville Moments #1)
by Mooresville Public Library

Thanks to Wanda and Bonita, the library has an extensive local history collection preserved to share with the public. We hope this new video series does justice to their treasure trove of Mooresville history.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Downtown Mooresville's New Bicentennial Park

Mooresville's new Bicentennial Park is now substantially completed and open to the public.  The park is downtown on the northeast corner of Main and Indiana Streets, where Samuel Moore's general store was situated (built in 1824), and where the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) buildings were located (the first was built in 1869, replacing Moore's wood-frame/brick structure; the second in 1881).  The I.O.O.F. capstone (dated 1859) has been incorporated into the new park (see photo below).  (As always, click the images to enlarge them.)  The capstone commemorated the founding of I.O.O.F. Morgan Lodge #211 in 1859, NOT the date the first building was constructed, but the capstone was incorporated into the structure in 1869 when the first building was erected.


The park's sculpture reminds us of the flames atop the torch shown on the Indiana State Flag.



Alongside the American and Indiana flags flying in the park is Mooresville's official town banner, designed in 1974 as part of the town's sesquicentennial celebration by Bonita Marley (1906-2002), director of Mooresville Public Library (1961-1984).
  



The state historical marker commemorating Paul Hadley and the Indiana State Flag was relocated a few feet north of its original location.
 






Landscaping and final touches will be completed in Spring 2018, according to an article in the Mooresville-Decatur Times, Saturday, December 2, 2017, pages A1-A6.

New street lights, brick sidewalks, and signage surround downtown on Main and Indiana Streets, as can be seen in the photos above and below.