UPDATE 10/28/15 - Indiana Landmarks announced Oct. 27 that it has sold the Glossbrenner Mansion to Indianapolis-based Broad Street Development for future use by R&B Architects. Broad Street Development paid $412,000 for the property.
R&B Architects specializes in architecture, planning and preservation.
Broad Street Development expects to invest another $400,000 into the home to restore and adapt it for offices, with space for tenants FORM Construction and Kessler Land Studio.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
The Glossbrenner Mansion has weathered more than 100 years at the corner of 32nd and Meridian and Indiana Landmarks wants to make sure it's there for many more.
Indiana Landmarks — a nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates historic properties across the state — put the Glossbrenner property on the market last fall, listing it at $500,000.
"This property is so transcendent in the community," said Mark Dollase with Indiana Landmarks. "We think people are willing to go the extra mile to acquire it."
The 7,200-square-foot Glossbrenner home was built in 1910 for Alfred M. Glossbrenner, president of Levey Brothers Printing. He hired British architect Alfred Grindle to complete the Jacobethan Revival design.
It's located at 3210 N. Meridian St., a neighborhood that's experienced its share of economic decline.
After Glossbrenner died in 1936, his wife, Minnie M. Stroup, lived in the mansion until 1945 when she sold it to Dr. Joseph Walther.
Walther practiced medicine inside the mansion and added an addition to the north side of the home, which became his first hospital. He also opened Winona Memorial Hospital, which closed in 2004, behind the property in 1966. The Glossbrenner Mansion later became the headquarters for the Walther Cancer Foundation.
Dollase said the Foundation eventually put the the property on the market, but with no luck.
They gifted it to Indiana Landmarks four and a half years ago.
Dollase said the first thing Indiana Landmarks did after taking possession of the home was get rid of the addition.
"We worked with the city and took the title to that land and demolished that building," he said. "We then made repairs to that north side."
Indiana Landmarks has made other improvements to the property, including replacing the heating and cooling system, repairing windows and other features, and restoring the original wood floors.
"They're a nice example of the work they did at the time," Dollase said of the floors.
He said when Walther made changes to the home to accommodate his doctor's office, he made sure the architectural traits were carried through in the renovations.
One feature carried throughout the home is an English rose pattern. Roses can be found on various stained glass windows, carved within some of the wood work, on door knobs and even on some of the home's stone exterior.
"I think this is one of the most spectacular features of the house," Dollase said.
Other features are the quotes carved into the living room and library fire places.
The living room's quote reads, "Let friendship kindle here," and the library's reads, "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom."
Dollase said he could see the mansion as a home or even re-purposed as a commercial property.
"As a commercial property, it'd be right on one of the city's busiest streets," he said.
He said Indiana Landmarks will put some sort of protection on the home so that the new owners cannot make any changes that interfere with the home's architectural integrity.
"We want to make sure that any changes are keeping with the architectural character of the property," Dollase said. "We'd have them (the owners) consult with us on what the changes will be."
Dollase said the sale of the mansion, coupled with the Children's Museum of Indianapolis' recent development plans, could help revitalize the area.
"We tend to go in parts of the city before the market does," Dollase said of Indiana Landmarks. "I think we're starting to see a number of things going on and this house is in the middle of the activity."
If you would like more information about the Glossbrenner Mansion, contact Indiana Landmarks' Mark Dollase at 317-639-4534 or mdollase@indianalandmarks.org.
