Walking Tour Of Batesville Indiana
Beginning at the Batesville Memorial Public Library at 131 North Walnut Street:
Walk south on Walnut to Boehringer-101 N Walnut Street
John Gauck moved into his store building on the northwest corner of Boehringer and Walnut
Street in 1901 when it was vacated by Albert G. Zierer. Gauck had operated his drug store
further north on Walnut Street since the 1890s. In 1897 he had opened a prescription service
and when he moved to the Walnut/Boehringer Street location, he put in a line of drugs,
paints, glass, groceries, queens ware, woodenware, dry goods, notions and wallpaper, making
it a first class General Store.
Continue south to Pearl Street-9 East Pearl Street
The Park House Hotel on the northeast corner of East Pearl and North Walnut Street was
built in 1894 by Jacob Engel. It housed a hotel, saloon, beer garden and ice cream parlor. In
April 1922, Charles A. Pruiss purchased the ice cream parlor and established the "
Palace of
Sweets", a candy-making enterprise.
Turn right-4 West Pearl Street
John Lehmkuehler constructed this brick building on the northwest corner of West Pearl
and North Walnut in 1893. In 1926 an addition was built in the back extending to Boehringer
Street. At various times it has been the site of a cigar-manufacturing company, a Kroger
chain store, Eagle lodge, dry cleaning shop, harness and shoe shop, jewelry store and the
Herald-Tribune.
Continue west on West Pearl Street-104 West Pearl Street
HFE Schrader built this 3-story brick store room and apartment house in 1911. It contained
2 large store rooms and 6 apartments. For many years Reuben Schrader operated his tin shop
here. (Eagles Aerie #1130)
108 West Pearl Street
In 1887, Leo Kirschbaum operated a blacksmith and repair shop until his death in 1904. The
shop was taken over by Leonard and Cody Kirschbaum in 1906. Goyert & Wonning built a large
new brick garage and sales-building on the Kirschbaum site in 1920 marking the passing of
the old era of horse-drawn vehicles. Eventually it became the Ford Agency and Garage operated
by Harvey Cook. Today it houses the Hirt and Ellco Company.
208 West Pearl Street
St. Mark’s Church cornerstone was laid on August 15, 1897. The church seats 600 worshipers
and cost $7000 to build. The parsonage to the north was built in 1902.
Southwest corner of West Pearl and Vine Streets
H.H. Kramer was operating a dry goods store at this location on the southwest corner in
1892. The building had been built prior to 1876. In December 1908, a fire burned out almost
the entire stock of goods and damaged the whole interior of the store rooms. Montgomery
Ward operated a catalog store here for many years.
320 West Pearl Street
John Wonning’s brick residence was built in 1896. In 1870, the entire block on which it sat,
as well as the block to the west to Second Street was used by the "Turn Verein", an athletic
club for their athletic events, practice and general use. Today it houses apartments and is
owned by the Girl Scouts.
South on Mulberry Street to George-212 West George Street
The brick home at the northeast corner of George and Smith Street was built by John Meyer in
1893. Mr. Meyer built the Meyer Building at the corner of Main and George Streets in
1909.
Continue south on Mulberry Street-405 West Mulberry Street
Mrs. Anna Morgan, a widow from Savannah, GA built the Queen Anne style home in 1896 and lived
there until her death. In 1917 it was sold to Harry C. Canfield
(U.S. Representative 1922-1932) and was the scene of many parties and lavish social events in
the 20s and 30s. Edward Peine of Oldenburg painted a mural in the dining room depicting many
topics of folklore of the European Monarchy.
Continue south to Schultz Street
.
At the end of Schultz Street is St. Louis ‘ Cemetery. Prior to its establishment around 1869,
Catholic parishioners were buried at Oldenburg.
Continue south
The Methodist Cemetery was established about 1874. The first Methodist church was built
here on land donated by George Schultz. A plain structure of brick, it was 25’ x 50’ without
a bell or steeple.
Turn left to South Walnut Street-435 South Main Street
Another Queen Anne style home built in 1900. It was owned by Nora Wonning, a local teacher,
until her death.
Walk North on Walnut Street around St. Louis Church to St. Louis Place and then turn right-
St. Louis Place was originally called Adolphine Street after Herman Schrader’s wife. Herman
was an early builder in the city.
3 East St. Louis Place
St. Louis Convent was built in the carpenter-builder style in 1928 for the nuns who taught
at the school. It was located on the site of the old parochial school building. It was
dedicated in February 1929. Today it is the Friary.
St. Louis Church (St. Ludwig’s) was built on land donated by Henry Boehringer in 1868 in the
Gothic Revival style. In 1892, Louis Meyer donated the bell and tradition says the church
was named after him. Transepts on each side were added in May 2002.
13 East St. Louis Place
St. Louis Rectory was built in 1870 in the Greek Revival/Italianate style. Today it houses
the parish offices.
17 East St. Louis Place
St. Louis School was built in 1922 by W. Gutzwiller, contractor, in Jacobean Revival
architecture. In 1920 a "free" school opened for all the parish children and classes were
held in the 2-room frame building (c1871) located west of the church. Children had paid
tuition to that point. The cornerstone of the new building was laid September 10, 1922.
Turn left on Main Street and walk to CatherineStreet-137 South Main Street
William Pohlar built an extensive brick garage in 1922 on the west side of Main Street. A
few years later he added a residence-flat over the garage building and lived there with his
wife, in-laws and stepson. It has housed a car dealership and The Ship restaurant, and
today is the home of National City Bank.
Turn right and cross Main Street-132 South Main Street
The Memorial Building on the northwest corner was constructed in the Neo-Classical style
by contractor, William Gutzwiller in 1922. It memorialized World War I veterans and was paid
for by the citizens of Batesville. It replaced the old town hall.
Walk east on Catherine to Sycamore, then turn left
The Ward School on the southwest corner was of Sycamore and Catherine was designed for the
primary grades only. Of stuccoed brick, the one story building was lighted by north windows
and ventilated by air shafts. It was remodeled in the summer of 1929, originally part of an
older 2-story structure.
110 Sycamore Street
H.H. Krome built a 2-story concrete block store and residence in 1911. He moved his grocery
store into the first floor and lived in the second. It is the location of the Lighthouse
Baptist Church.
Turn right on South Street to Park Avenue-106 South Park Avenue.
South Street is the only street still called by its original name on the 1852 town map. The
German Methodist church was built here in 1891. To the left of the church is the small
English Methodist church . The two merges in 1926.
Continue on South Street to Depot, turn left
The buildings on both sides of the street have been known over the years as the Batesville
Carving Co. (1876), Greeman Bros. Mfg. Co. (1876), Greeman Bracket Factory (1887), American
Furniture Company (1888) and Batesville Cabinet Co.(1913). In 1930, these companies became
the Romweber Company.
Continue on Depot to East Pearl Street-2 North Depot Street
The Big Four Tavern on the northeast corner was built by Joseph Hartman in 1856 and was called
Mechanics Hall. It serviced the railroad with a saloon, lunchroom, offices and meeting rooms.
Mr. Hartman owned a brickyard and made all the bricks for the building. Catty-corner from the
Big Four on the southwest corner was the block known as Depot Square. The first depot was
located there in 1852. East Pearl Street was first known as Broadway Street but became known
as Railroad Street because it ran along the railroad right of way.
Turn left and walk West on East Pearl to Park Avenue, turn left-4 South Park Avenue
Park Avenue was called West Street when the town was platted in 1852. The Romweber factory
buildings were sold by the Romweber family to Joe Rippe in 1981 but continue to make the
Viking Oak furniture for which the Romweber Company is famous.
Continue along Park Avenue-106 South Park Avenue
The English Methodist church was built in 1893 at the corner of Catherine Street and Park
Avenue. The name was changed to Wesley Chapel in 1917, but it was often called the "little
white church on the corner." Its pulpit was donated by Frank Walsman and was made by the
American Furniture Company. When it merged with the German Methodist church in 1926 the
building was moved to its present location.
Turn right and cross Park Avenue to George Street-118 East George Street
The Farmer’s Feed and Produce Company built the new concrete store on the north side of the
street in 1929. It is 35’ x 78’ and 2 stories high.
The Behlmer building, a 20th Century functional commercial building on the southwest
corner of Sycamore and George Streets was built in 1909 by William and August Behlmer,
local contractors and builders. It housed at various times a planing mill, fraternal
organizations, a shirt company, an apron factory, Kroger store and Taff furniture.
103 East George Street
The Italianate architecture commercial building on the southeast corner was constructed in
1909 by John and Frank Meyer. The Meyer brothers were contractors and builders, as well as
owning sawmills, lumber and hardware businesses. The Meyer Building housed the Meyer Hardware
and Furniture Co. and Walsman Furniture Co. Today it is Taff furniture.
Cross Main Street to 25 East George Street.
H.J. Walsman built several stores along the south side of George Street. The structure on
the southwest corner was used by Walsman Bros. In 1893. The buildings occupied by Fullenkamp’s
have housed shoe stores, hardware stores and 5 & Dimes.
Across the street to the north is the Bloemer Building, built around 1910 by August Bloemer.
He lived in the upper story. The lower floor had Herman Erbacher and Frank Walsman’s shoe
store on the ground floor. It was incorporated into the Sherman House during a renovation
in 1933 by the Hillenbrand Co.
35 South Main Street
The Sherman House next to the Bloemer Building was built by John F. Brinkman in April 1865
as a hotel and rooming house. He named it after General W. T. Sherman who had just won his
final victory for the Union Army in his famous "march to the sea". Mr. Brinkman chose
the general’s name to honor the many Ripley and Franklin County members of the famous
all-German 83rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Over the years the Sherman House grew to
include the Bloemer Building.
13 East George Street
The 1877 Building was built by Henry J. Walsman adjacent to Nobby Clothing in 1910. Of
concrete block it was 40’ x 60’. In 1928 an addition of 36’ x 40’ was added totaling
96’ x 40’. It was originally used by the Fair Store, then the Home Outfitters.
The Geis Building was built by John Nichols in 1903 of concrete block for the use of the
Nobby Clothing Company, Nichol & Lindenmaier, Proprietors. Adam Lindenmaier had
established his clothing business in 1887 and it was then located on E. Pearl Street. The
building is now Radio Shack.
1 East George Street
The Italianate style drug store was built by druggist George A. Baas in 1891. It has always
been a drugstore owned by Baas, E. B. Schultz, Clinton Nolte and Snork Walsman. It originally
had stained glass panels above the front windows spelling "Deutsche Apotheke" with
"G.A.Baas" over the entrance.
Look across Walnut Street-3 West George Street
In 1936 the Colonial Revival style Post Office was built on the southwest corner of George
and South Walnut. Louis Simon was the architect. It was dedicated in 1937. Prior to this
date, post offices were located in businesses and private homes.
Turn right and walk along Walnut Street, then right on E. Pearl Street
The Italianate Commercial building to your right housed the American Furniture Company offices
when it was erected in 1909. With later small additions it filled the entire block.
The building was 4 stories high including the basement and contained 39,000 square feet of
floor space.
At the corner of E. Pearl Street and Main, turn left-29 North Main Street
The Greeman Building was owned by Herman B. Greeman and operated as a Fair Store. He built
the brick store in 1894. It was 70’ deep with store rooms on the first floor, dwelling rooms
on the second and a ballroom on the third. He sold the building to the Knights of Columbus
in 1910. Wood Perfections makes its home in the building today.
31 North Main Street
The Batesville Bank built a new brick building in 1893. Remodeled in 1910, it added a glass
front and a large brick extension in the rear.
Turn right on Boehringer-108 East Boehringer
George Mehlon built a frame tailor-shop on Boehringer Street in 1910. Later it housed
Mehlon’s dry-cleaners. Adventures in Travel is located there today.
Backtrack to Main Street, turn left)-107 North Main Street
The Gibson Theatre was built in the Art Deco style by Doctor C.W. Gibson in 1921 for
$21,000. It seated 500 with an 18’ x 24’ stage and a piano. "Talking pictures" were
installed in 1929 replacing the hand and player pianos, electrical pianos, victrolas,
graphophones and local orchestras. The first screen play offered was "The Four Horsemen".
Continue along Main Street to Ripley Street, turn to your left-12 East Ripley
Vonderheide’s Mineral Water Manufactury was built c1890 in the 19th Century Functional style.
Established by John Vonderheide Sr., it was reorganized in 1896 by his son, Quirin.
Muggsey’s Bistro is at home here today.
Walk along Ripley Street to Walnut Street, turn to your right
Catty corner on the northwest corner of North Walnut Street and Hillcrest is Schuerman Law
offices. Originally called "Hillencrest" and "Hillcrest", A. W. Romweber and George M.
Hillenbrand built these large modern homes in 1911. The Arts and Crafts architecture of both
homes featured the latest ideas in construction, convenience and adornment, with tiled roofs,
sleeping porches and sun parlors.
Backtrack to 410 North Walnut Street
This Colonial Revival home was built in 1930 by John W. Hillenbrand.
306 North Walnut Street
In 1890 the Italianate-style commercial building was erected and has housed Albert G.
Zierer’s grocery store, Vera Lee apartments and dwellings. It was named after Vera and Leo
Flodder. Today it houses apartments for rent.
215 North Walnut Street
This Italianate-style commercial building across the street was built c1880 and offers
apartments with businesses on the first floor. For many years it housed Flodder Bros.
Plumbing.
209 North Walnut Street
August A. Hackman built this American Four-Square brick structure in 1905 as a dwelling.
It has also housed doctors offices and an antique business.
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