On January 30, 1958, the landmark Tomlinson Hall in downtown Indianapolis burned. The building was not a total loss, and the structure, located on the northeast corner of Market and Delaware, still stood when the fire was finally extinguished. However, with large sections of its roof either gone or severely damaged, the rest of the structure was determined to be unstable and was ordered demolished, not a surprise in a time which saw
The question of what started the fire has ever been conclusively answered although many sources will cite the cause as being a still smoldering cigarette which was carried to the roof by a pigeon. This cause has been repeated of late due to the recent unveiling of plans for the long-awaited re-development of the City Market and surrounding property. This would include the daylighting of the still surviving basement of Tomlinson Hall, known today as the “catacombs.”
Several news organizations have recently referenced the pigeon, including the Indianapolis Star in an article about the future of the market area and the catacombs. While reporting on these new plans for the City Market and the demise of Tomlinson Hall, Axios, in a flashback about Tomlinson Hall (below) noted that “a pigeon picked up a smoldering cigarette butt and dropped it on the building.”
So, when did our feathered friends first get the blame for the Tomlinson Hall fire? Apparently not long after the fire itself. Looking back to 1958, Tomlinson Hall had been in place for over 70 years, having been completed in 1886 based on designs from famed architect D.A. Bohlen. Located directly to the west of the City Market, the hall was constructed with proceeds from the estate of Stephen D. Tomlinson, a pharmacist who left a bequest to the city for the construction of a public building. The building’s lower level would be used for market space, while above that was an auditorium which served as a public meeting place for the city over the years, hosting a variety of political, religious, sporting and community events.
The fire which spelled the doom of the building began late on the evening of January 30. The first report of a fire came at 10:06 pm. Firefighters who first arrived on the scene observed flames rising from the northwest corner of the building, but the fire was quickly out of control, and by 10:20, a second alarm was made, followed by a third and fourth at 10:31 and 10:57, respectively. The roof and attic along the Delaware Street side became heavily involved, with flames reportedly reaching 100 feet into the air, and debris raining down on the street. Despite the late hour, the fire brought out many spectators who watched the firefighting efforts from adjacent streets.
One fire fighter was injured by glass from an exploring window, while one spectator experienced a medical emergency, described as shock, and was treated at the hospital. The fire was brought under control, and despite a threat of spreading to adjacent buildings thanks to blowing embers and debris, the fire’s expansion was held in check. The building remained standing, although most of its roof was gone (see image below), and there was significant damage to its interior. Shop owners on the first floor were left in limbo. While the fire had been above the level of the commercial operations on the street level, thousands upon thousands of gallons of water had been directed on the fire, and that water had leaked downward into the various market stalls, damaging merchandise and preventing shopkeepers from accessing their places of business. The images below are from the Indianapolis Firefighters Museum archives, and the February 7, 1958, Indianapolis Star, show the extent of the damage to the roof and interior of the hall.
The fire seemed to have begun at the roof line or the attic of Tomlinson Hall, and early on a cigarette was suggested as the culprit. On February 1, the Indianapolis Star reported that a fire official theorized that the fire was caused by a cigarette, “discarded by someone in the attic.” Other potential causes were not reported, although it seems likely the over 70-year-old building had been wired for electricity. The Sanborn Insurance Maps, which often provide details about the construction material and utilities in a building provide some information on this. The 1887 map (see the slider below) indicates the hall was lit with gas powered lighting. The 1898 Sanborn map (the second one in the slider), indicates lighting was powered by electric and gas. Presumably by 1915, the last image, electricity had taken over. The 1956 Sanborn map on the MapIndy webpage does not show the hall, suggesting the map might have actually been developed after the 1958 fire.
This photo below is from after the fire and shows what may be runs of conduit and wire amongst the rubble.
The construction of the building was described as wood framing with brick facing. A fire could have ignited the wooden framing and traveled up the structure until it burst out at the roof level. However, the cause was never definitively identified, but the cigarette theory evolved, and in late 1958, the Indianapolis Star, in reporting on major news stories for that year, noted that “[f]iremen never learned what started the $100,000 four alarm fire, but there were suspicions a boy-or a pigeon-dropped a cigarette somewhere in the upper stories.”
The fire had broken out late on a Thursday night, when few people were in the streets, and when many pigeons, but not all, are roosting around downtown. There also does not appear to have been any event at the hall that evening. The pigeon theory remains just that but has since become a common Indianapolis legend and factoid and is often referenced in association with Tomlinson Hall and its demise.
Tomlinson Hall itself did not survive the year. While there was some discussion about preservation, the wreck of the building was demolished over the summer. Plans for the property ranged from construction of a new, more modern market space to a brand-new parking lot. One proposal, from February 1958 (shown below), combined the two options, with street level commercial space, and a basement and second floor parking garage.
The parking lot won out, as is shown in the aerial image below from 1973. The white line is a gap in the aerial imaging. Note that the existing City Market building is visible, as is the eastern section of the market, which no longer stands. The City County Building is casting a shadow over the City Market and the Tomlinson Hall parking lot.
By the late 1970s the City Market had been redeveloped. The main market building remained standing, while two modern wings were added on the east and west side, along with public plazas on both sides. The basement of Tomlinson Hall remained under the western plaza.
Sources
Indianapolis News: November 15, 1870, November 22, 1881, June 13, 1883, January 31, 1958, February 25, 1958, February 28, 1958
Indianapolis Star: January 31, 1958, February 1, 1958, December 28, 1958,
Indianapolis Sanborn & Baist Map Collection: 1887, 1898, 1915
Cover Photo: Tomlinson Hall, Indianapolis Special Collections Room, Indianapolis Public Library, https://www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/postcard/id/812/rec/26
Major fires, 1956-1964, Indianapolis Firefighters Museum, https://www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/ffm/id/9004/rec/2