Market
0Q[\WZQK 4IVLUIZS 7ЄMZ[ =VQY]M ;PWXXQVO IVL -I\MZQM[
16,1)6)8741; +1<A 5):3-<" ) +76<16=16/ TRADITION
A
s the state of Indiana commemorates its bicentennial, one landmark in the capital city continues to be enjoyed and celebrated by both locals and visitors. Housed in a stately European-style building, the Indianapolis City Market has been a constant during years of changes in the metropolitan center. Today, with the resurgence of residential living in the downtown area, it continues to be a colorful and vibrant destination for entertainment and shopping. Indianapolis has the distinction of being a planned city and the original blueprint insured there was space for a public market. When Alexander Ralston, who also assisted in designing Washington, DC, divided the land into a grid in 1821, he designated the south side of plat 43 as the location for the City Market. For the first years of its existence, it was primarily agrarian. Open-sided stalls provided shelter to merchants who sold hay, grain, wood and tools.
44
edible INDY spring 2016
BY JULIE YATES
It wasn’t until 1886 that the existing building was designed and built. Designed by German-born architect Diedrich A. Bohlen, it replaced the outdoor booths that had occupied the property since the 1830s. The brick structure featured twin-flanking towers and rounded archways that still exist today. Around the same time, Tomlinson Hall was erected on the spot where the west wing is today. Also designed by Bohlen, the exposition center complemented the City Market both in appearance and utility. In its prime, Tomlinson Hall was host to presidential rallies, John Philip Sousa band concerts and one of the first basketball games in the Midwest. The hall had retail space on the street level, and while the City Market sold produce, the Tomlinson vendors peddled meat. Immediately following World War II, Indianapolis was home to busy families with smaller refrigerators than the ones of today. Many housewives visited the City Market several times a week to purchase
Photography courtesy of Indianapolis City Market
City Market ,1908
