04 September 2010

Cabin or gas station?

Marion County's only original log cabin, and the only known log cabin along the historic Michigan Road is in jeopardy of being demolished to build a gas station/convenience store in the following days. Yes, we do need yet another gas station....in a residential area......to take the place of one of the most important landmarks along Indiana's most important historical road. I mean, what could the cabin offer that BP couldn't? Besides gas and big gulps?Evidently rumors and a 2005 article in the Indianapolis Business Journal of the building's covered structure wasn't enough to put the building at 51st and Michigan on Indianapolis' radar for protection of the historic structure. Nor did it make it to the Historic Sites and Structures list for Marion County-which in my experience is the all too often fallible record by which the state and communities gauge the importance of historic structures.

But there is no denying the building's historic structure now as a photo shot from outside the building clearly shows its log construction. The cabin was estimated to be built ca. 1830. Based on the development of Marion County and the founding of the new state capital of Indianapolis, the cabin could easily date to the 1820s.

The owner of the property has pulled permits and has a $400k land contract agreement with the future gas station's owners. Crews plan to be on-site next week to pull down this last bit of Hoosier roots.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

As a resident of that lives directly near by coming horror, it breaks me heart. The worse of it, being they tried to do it under the radar, doing the damage while the sewer or in guise of the sewers that are soon to be put in. There was no announcement, it was only by chance that my neighbor's inquiry did any of this get exposed.

This peaceful street doesn't need a gas station nor is there room nor road enough for even more cars. Worse yet, to destroy and remove the tree cover and a historical building on top of it, is criminal.

They picked the wrong community to try to hoodwink. Even though they are already planned to start the destruction Tuesday, the day before they are going to meet with the community, we shall fight them all the way against this injustice.

And know this, we won't ever stop to shop at this "gas station." They already lost their business of this community by the very acts of destroying the last cabin on Michigan Road, which in turn is destroying a piece of history and a step destroying the peacefulness of this community with unneeded traffic.

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