Rudicel-Montgomery Polygonal Barn placed on 10 Most Endangered

Indiana Landmarks announced the 10 Most Endangered, an annual list of Hoosier landmarks in jeopardy.

A special site in Shelby County is among the most endangered in the state of Indiana.

Indiana Landmarks announced the 10 Most Endangered, an annual list of Hoosier landmarks in jeopardy. The list includes a beloved but deteriorating church; a rare polygonal barn; a historic Black social club; a picturesque one-room school; a rugged reminder of the industrial revolution; an early tribute to higher education; an architect-designed industrial building; a threatened Victorian neighborhood; historic fraternal lodge buildings; and a former movie palace.

Places that land on the 10 Most Endangered list often face a combination of problems rather than a single threat—abandonment, neglect, dilapidation, obsolete use, development pressure, or owners who simply lack money for repairs.

“Indiana Landmarks uses its 10 Most Endangered list in several ways. Sometimes it serves an educational role. It functions as an advocacy tool. And it can assist in raising funds needed to save a place,” says Marsh Davis, president of the nonprofit preservation organization. “Each endangered place tells a distinct story, and each faces its own set of challenges. In all cases, when an endangered place lands on our list, we commit to seeking solutions that lead to rescue and revitalization,” he adds.

The 10 Most Endangered in 2024 includes six new sites and four entries repeating from last year’s list:

• Bethlehem Healing Temple, Gary
• College Hall, Merom Camp & Retreat Center, Merom
• Rudicel-Montgomery Polygonal Barn, Waldron
• Sollman School, Snake Run (near Fort Branch)
• Sposeep & Sons Building, Wabash
• West Side Recreation Club, South Bend
• Historic Fraternal Lodges, Indianapolis and statewide (repeat entry from 2023)
• International Harvester Engineering Building, Fort Wayne (repeat entry from 2023)
• Starr Historic District, Richmond (repeat entry from 2023)
• State Theatre, Anderson (repeat entry from 2023)

The Indiana Barn Foundation with the Shelby County Tourism and Visitors Bureau is planning a handful of fun and fantastic barns to visit during the September 14 self-guided driving tour including the Rudicel-Montgomery Polygonal Barn, the location for this year's Learning Lab. Attendees will be able to learn the results of the recently completed assessment and laser scanning by Trillium Dell/Firmitas and better understand what it will take to save this community landmark.

Since the list was introduced in 1991, demolition has claimed only 20 of the 170 Most Endangered sites, while 105 places are completely restored or no longer endangered.

To find out more about each of the 10 Most Endangered, visit www.indianalandmarks.org/10-most-endangered or contact Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534 or 800-450-4534.

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