(Indianapolis, IN) – La Porte High School’s Kiwanis Field is back on an unenviable list of endangered places.
Every year Indiana Landmarks collects a Top-10 list of historic structures that are on the brink of extinction. For the second straight year, La Porte’s high school football facility made the list.
The fieldhouse, which was state-of-the-art when it was built in 1950, has seen better days and has been the center of save-it-or-replace-it discussions recently. Over 750 community members signed a petition in support of rehabbing the landmark and preserving it as the high school’s signature sports venue.
School officials have partnered with Indiana Landmarks and Preserve Historic La Porte to explore possibilities, commissioning a study to assess renovation options. The committee identified a plan to rehabilitate the existing fieldhouse and locker rooms. However, the school board must still approve the proposal and determine how it will be funded. Some school officials feel that building a new football stadium would be more cost effective than investing in repairs and updates to the aging facility.
Indiana Landmarks is a statewide non-profit organization that raises awareness and offers resources for historic preservation. Far from being a death sentence, a stint on their Top-10 list often helps spur redevelopment. Since the list was introduced in 1991, 105 places have been completely restored or are no longer endangered. One such local success story is the Old Republic, an 1860 New Carlisle residence that sat vacant for 30 years before a massive $1.4 million renovation saved it over 20 years ago.
