Old News: The Catacombs of Tomlinson Hall
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Photo: Courtesy of Brandon Knapp/Indiana Landmarks
Welcome to Old News! A new series where we zoom in on Indianapolis' past to highlight the iconic events, entities and individuals that tell the Circle City's story.
Driving the (old) news: As the city prepares to redevelop City Market, we're taking you back in time to learn about the former public meeting hall that was consumed by flames more than 65 years ago.
Flashback: From 1886-1958, the northeast corner of Market and Delaware streets was home to Tomlinson Hall, a brick structure financed by and named in honor of local druggist Stephen D. Tomlinson.
- The facility housed an auditorium that could seat more than 3,500 people and hosted everything from music festivals to celebrations marking Indy's centennial.
- It went up in smoke when a fire broke out on the night of Jan. 30, 1958.
- Reports say the cold conditions transformed Market Street into an icy lake as firefighters worked to contain the flames and save the structure.
- But the damage was too extensive, and Tomlinson Hall was demolished later that year. An arch in the West Wing Plaza was the only thing left standing.
Fun fact: According to the Indianapolis Star, fire reports at the time blamed the blaze on a pigeon that picked up a smoldering cigarette butt and dropped it on the building.
Yes, but: Not all of Tomlinson Hall was lost.
- The building's basement was a 20,000-square-foot underground area, commonly known as the catacombs, that was used for things like storage, transport and drying meat.
- In the winter of 1911-1912, the catacombs were even used to shelter hundreds of homeless men during an event known as the "Mayor's Pajama Party."
- After the fire, the space was used as a shooting range by Indianapolis police in the 1960s, and for Halloween parties in the '80s and '90s.
State of play: Indiana Landmarks has given scores of locals the chance to see the catacombs up close via guided tours and soon the long-hidden ruin will get its moment in the sun.
What's next: The underground structure is a focal point of the ongoing City Market campus redevelopment, which includes transforming Market Center Square into a 20-story residential building with 354 units.
- The plan calls for a portion of the catacombs to be restored and exposed, creating an accessible pathway to the past that leads into a new outdoor plaza.
