Cultural Resources Inventory
The Fort Wayne Cultural Resources Inventory Interim Report is a comprehensive source of information about Fort Wayne's cultural resources. This 300-page book documents 6,562 individual sites, including 23 listed or potential historic districts. It also provides accurate location maps of each survey sector in the city, offers historical background information, detailed descriptions of architectural styles and vernacular resource types, and biographical sketches of significant architects. The book features 300 photos and illustrations. The survey report provides individuals and organizations with direct access to historical and architectural data, compiled as a result of the project. This data is valuable in preservation planning, city and neighborhood planning, historical research, and compliance with federal regulations.
Published in an attractive, soft-bound, 8 1/2 x 11 format, the Fort Wayne Historic Sites and Structures Inventory Interim Report may be purchased for a limited time for $10 from the Fort Wayne Community Development Division, Citizens Square, 200 East Berry Street, Room 320, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802. For additional information call (260) 427-1127. Copies of the Fort Wayne Interim Report are also available at the Allen County Public Library.
The Fort Wayne Cultural Resources Inventory
In 1979, the City of Fort Wayne initiated a Cultural Resources Survey to identify, record, and photographically document its architectural, historical, and cultural resources. By 1986 this original data was sufficiently compromised by inevitable changes to the surveyed resources, such as demolition or alteration, that an update of the survey was needed to ensure an accurate and useable database. In addition, the original survey was not in compliance with the standards, forms, criteria, and methodology later developed by the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology and the National Park Service.
Undertaken by Historic Preservation staff of the Community Development Division and utilizing Department of the Interior grant funding administered through the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the survey update was carried out between 1986 and 1995.
Surveyors examined all buildings, structures, objects, and historic sites at least 40 years old, which possess the physical integrity to be recognized as products of time and place, located within the Fort Wayne city limits. Properties were evaluated to determine potential architectural or historical significance. Properties and districts found to meet the criteria of eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places were recorded in the update. Other buildings were included if they contributed to the historical character of the city. Among similar properties, rating determinations were based on extent of alterations, if any, retention of stylistic characteristics, amount of additional or unusual detailing, and quality of construction. Buildings were not excluded due to poor physical condition as long as historic, character-defining features remained intact.
Indiana historic inventory forms were completed for each property. The original forms are located in Indianapolis at the offices of the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology. Copies of all forms are also on file in the City of Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Office. Updating of this information is a continual process. Newly discovered data and the ongoing identification of significant properties and districts adds information to the survey files. Corrections to the survey information are welcomed. The inventory continues to serve as a valuable tool in identifying and evaluating properties with architectural and/or historical significance, and planning for their continued preservation.
Fort Wayne Historic Preservation staff encourages individuals with questions to call the Fort Wayne Department of Planning and Policy at (260) 427-1127. This is particularly important for environmental consultants due to the increasing age of the Interim Report data.
ARCH, INC. completed a survey of Allen County's historic and cultural resources in 1992. While the results of the county survey were not published, information on approximately 2,000 documented sites can also be obtained by contacting Indiana's Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Individuals may also contact ARCH, 437 E. Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, or call (260) 426-5117.
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