I might be the only one excited about this, but here goes. Remember the great sign at the Polk Dairy Stables that I posted about in 2008?
The sign was removed in 2009, which was concerning:
I am happy to report that after a few years, the sign has been repaired. This is a good of a photo I could get with my phone in the dying light:
Wow. IPS actually repaired an aging historic landmark instead of knocking it down?
Don’t remember what the sign says; can’t make it out in the picture.
Would be nice to see horse drawn wagons delivering milk again.
@Jacqueline – the sign says “Stables” on the top line. “Polk Sanitary Milk Co” on the bottom line.
I ride past it often on my way downtown…didn’t know it had been removed and was being restored….great update for sure!
IPS owns that building?
According to Map Indy, they do.
Yes. It’s inside the fence of its Maintenance shops operation. Ever notice all that 8′ chain link with razor wire along the Monon?
Definitely not the only excited person. Glad to see the return. What a great building this is…IPS owns a bunch of buildings around this area that are great and have increasing value potentially for renovation/restoration and reuse for a variety of things.
Three in particular, of which this is one. There is also its “warehouse” on E. Washington, one building west of th Ivy Tech auto-repair facilities. (In its chain-link fenced front yard, you can see the limestone panels that formerly screened the IPS Ed Serv Center’s parking garage somewhat neatly stacked, awaiting…what?) Then there is the bus-yard, which is the former Coca-Cola plant/warehouse in the Mass Ave/10th/College triangle.
.
All prime redevelopment sites occupied by the now-far-too-large logistical operations of the remnants of IPS. Maybe they needed all that when they had 70,000 students. Now they have less than half that.
The “warehouse” on East Washington is an old Ford Motor Company factory, opened around 1910, closed in the 1930’s. At one time it manufactured 400 cars a day. It’s a freakin awesome place, and the building’s history is posted on the (unused) front door on Washington. It’s great to know that IPS respects history.
Glad they repaired the sign, but it looks like they altered that portion of the building, making it shorter, which seems to take away a bit from its grandeur.
I noticed that as well. Bummer.
Historically, if you look at the 2nd and 3rd levels on the North and South sides the small bricked in windows were horse stalls for the teams of horses that pulled the wagons stored on the first floor. There were large ramps from the 2nd and 3rd floor that allowed the houses to be brought down. Don’t know if they are still there. Fantastic Building! The actual milk processing facility was located on the NE corner of the now Frank and Judy O’Bannon Soccer Fields. There was a huge milk bottle with Polk Dairy on the front.
I was partially involved in a 20 mile urban hike on July 3, 2013, with my grandson Timmy. (He was having to do this walk for his Boy Scout achievements badge.) I was so surprised to see this building and its title on the facade. I wish I had taken a photo of it. Of course, my grandson ?listened to me talk about the Polk Milk Co. and how the milkman delivered milk to our house. Not by horse and wagon though, delivery was by truck. I read all the diff comments and so was surprised when the dating on this building was in the 1920’s.