Italianate and Second Empire in Indianapolis

Join preservation consultant and architectural historian Dr. James Glass for an illustrated talk tracing the origins and popularity of Italianate and Second Empire styles in Indianapolis’s architecture from 1850 to 1880. Based on research and writing from his recently published book, Architecture in Indianapolis, 1820-1900, Dr. Glass will highlight the city’s Italianate commercial and residential buildings, in addition to the more extravagant French Second Empire-style designs as they appear in Indianapolis’s commercial, public, and residential structures. He will also discuss the origins of each style in European architecture and American pattern books. A book signing with the author and opportunity to purchase Architecture in Indianapolis, 1820-1900, part of a two-volume series published by Indiana University Press, follows the presentation. Glass’s second volume, Architecture in Indianapolis, 1900-1920 is forthcoming in 2025.

The book has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Landmarks, Indiana Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Tickets are $10/general public, and free for Indiana Landmarks members. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. with the program beginning at 6 p.m. at Indiana Landmarks Center (which is accessible to all) or online via Zoom. Book sales will be available before and after the program.

Host or Publisher Indiana Landmarks