by
Fred Swift
Hamilton County Reporter
In March of next year, Noblesville’s first major downtown redevelopment project is slated to begin. It involves construction of a $24 million mixed-use complex of commercial, residential and underground parking in the half-block north of Maple Avenue between 8th and 9th streets. News of the project was reported in Saturday’s Reporter.
The site was the location of some of the city’s most historic structures including the Wild Opera House, the first city hall, the second city hall and the Houston Hotel. Still standing, but scheduled to be removed, is the building housing the Holt Legal Group and Ayers Real Estate, which was home to Noblesville’s first telephone exchange.
What is interesting about the project is the fact that prior to the 1970s when a building was demolished, the remains were often simply pushed into the basement and covered with dirt, and in this case, asphalt for parking lots.
What historic remnants may be found when excavating for the new complex next spring? It’s hard to tell, but it will be interesting to see what all might have been buried from the opera house or the original city hall, for example.
The first city hall faced Maple midway between 8th and 9th. It was built in the post-Civil War period. It included space for the police and fire departments on the first floor and city council chambers on the second. The second city hall was built in 1954 facing 8th Street on the northwest corner of the site.
The real gem was the opera house, a three-story structure facing 9th Street just south of Noblesville Elks Club. It was built in the early 1890s. It was upscale for the time with a 66-foot-wide stage. It was torn down about 1960 for a parking lot.
The Houston Hotel, also built in the late 1800s, was the city’s only hotel for many years. It was heavily damaged by fire in the 1980s and torn down for parking.
So, who knows what relics from Noblesville’s past may turn up in the excavation for the new building? We’ll try to let you know as progress gets underway.