This Indianapolis mansion sparked a crusade that saved thousands of historic buildings in the USA

Eli Lilly’s Rescue of the Morris-Butler House

In 1959, Indianapolis was losing its past to new highways.

The 1865 Morris-Butler House stood next in line for the wrecking ball when drug maker Eli Lilly stepped in. He knew the house well, having lived nearby in the 1920s.

Lilly paid $22,500 to save the brick Victorian mansion from Interstate 70 construction. Then he backed a new group called Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana to fix it up.

What started with one man’s fight for one old house grew into America’s largest statewide preservation group.

Today you can walk through the rooms where this movement began and see the Victorian treasures Lilly helped preserve.

Bulldozers Threatened Indy’s Old Buildings in the 1950s

Bulldozers roared through downtown Indianapolis in the late 1950s.

The federal government poured millions into new highways, cutting through city centers across America. In Indianapolis, crews tore down hundreds of old buildings to make way for I-65 and I-70.

Whole neighborhoods disappeared. Beautiful buildings from the Civil War era fell to wrecking balls.

Many locals watched in horror as their city’s history vanished block by block.

Calvin Hamilton Gathered Worried Citizens in 1959

Calvin Hamilton, who ran the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Department, worried about the destruction of the city’s historic buildings.

In 1959, he brought together a group of community leaders to talk about the problem. They met downtown to think up solutions.

Hamilton knew they needed people with influence to fight the demolition craze.

Business owners, architects, historians, and community members joined in, all worried that Indianapolis was losing its unique character too quickly.

Pharmaceutical Giant Answered the Call to Action

Eli Lilly, head of the famous drug company, showed up at Hamilton’s meeting. Lilly brought serious weight to the cause.

Architect Edward James came too and quickly brought in his employee H. Roll McLaughlin, who knew a lot about fixing up old buildings.

The group realized they needed to form an official organization to be effective. They planned a new foundation focused on saving historic buildings throughout Indiana.

A Powerful New Organization Launched in 1960

The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana started in 1960 with an impressive list of founders. Eli Lilly and Herman Krannert, who started Inland Container Corporation, served as the first co-chairmen.

Their involvement gave the new group instant respect in business and government circles. The foundation set up shop in Indianapolis but aimed to protect historic buildings across the state.

They created a board with members from communities all over Indiana.

The Morris-Butler House Became Ground Zero for Preservation

The new foundation needed a flagship project to show what they stood for. They picked the Morris-Butler House, an 1865 mansion on North Park Avenue.

The once-beautiful home had fallen apart badly. Its fancy brickwork, special roof, and Victorian details showed exactly the kind of architecture being lost to bulldozers.

The house stood right where Interstate 70 would soon cut through. The foundation saw saving this building as their chance to prove preservation could work.

Lilly Remembered the House from His Childhood

Eli Lilly felt connected to the Morris-Butler House. He lived nearby in the 1920s when the area was still nice.

Lilly knew Florence Butler, whose family owned the house for years after the original Morris family. He remembered visiting the home when it looked good and thought it was an important building.

The Butler family kept many original features even as the neighborhood got worse. The house showed what upper-middle-class Victorian life in Indianapolis looked like.

A Quick Cash Deal Saved the House from Demolition

When Interstate 70 threatened the Morris-Butler House, Eli Lilly stepped in with his wallet. In 1964, he personally paid $22,500 to buy the crumbling building.

The foundation moved fast to beat the highway department’s demolition schedule. Lilly’s quick action stopped the house from being torn down.

The purchase included not just the building but enough land around it to create a proper setting for the fixed-up mansion.

Architects Tackled a Five-Year Restoration Challenge

H. Roll McLaughlin took over the big restoration project.

His team faced many problems in the run-down structure. They fixed warped and rotting floors throughout the house.

Workers carefully cleaned decades of dirt from the fancy brickwork. The team put on a new slate roof matching the original design.

McLaughlin researched the right paint colors, wallpapers, and fixtures for the time period. Craftspeople rebuilt Victorian details that had been lost over time.

Visitors Flocked to See Victorian Splendor in 1969

The Morris-Butler House opened to the public in May 1969 as a museum of Victorian arts. Visitors walked through rooms filled with real items from the 1860s and 1870s.

The foundation trained guides to explain Victorian customs to modern visitors. School groups toured the house to learn about 19th-century Indianapolis.

The restored mansion quickly became popular, drawing tourists and locals curious about life in post-Civil War America.

Money Talks: Lilly Created a Financial Foundation

Beyond the Morris-Butler House, Eli Lilly secured the future of the Historic Landmarks Foundation through generous financial support.

He established an endowment that allowed the organization to grow beyond a single project. The Lilly Endowment provided grants for additional preservation efforts across Indiana.

This financial backing gave the foundation staying power many similar organizations lacked. Lilly understood that sustainable preservation required ongoing funding, not just one-time donations.

His business acumen helped create a model for financially viable historic preservation.

One House Sparked a Movement Across Indiana

The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana grew into America’s largest private statewide preservation organization.

By 2023, it counted nearly 6,000 members and managed a $67.8 million endowment. The organization changed its name to Indiana Landmarks but kept its original mission.

From that single house rescue in the 1960s, the group went on to save thousands of historic properties across Indiana. They established regional offices throughout the state to address local preservation needs.

The Morris-Butler House still stands today, a testament to what began when a handful of concerned citizens met in 1959.

Visiting Morris-Butler House, Indiana

The Morris-Butler House at 1204 North Park Avenue in Indianapolis is where Eli Lilly’s preservation efforts began in 1960, creating America’s largest statewide historic preservation organization.

This 1865 Second Empire style home no longer offers daily tours but hosts private events and Indiana Landmarks programs. Check their website for public events.

The first floor is wheelchair accessible through an elevette from the parking court, and on-site parking is available.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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