Test Building, also known as the Circle Motor Inn, is a historic commercial building in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was built in 1925, and is a nine-story, reinforced concrete structure with 12-inch-thick (30 cm) brick and clay tile curtain walls. It is faced with Indiana limestone and has a three-story brick penthouse and two-level basement. The mixed-use building housed the city's earliest large parking garages.[2]: 2–5
Test Building | |
 Test Building, January 2010 | |
     | |
| Location | 54 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°46′6″N 86°9′32″W / 39.76833°N 86.15889°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1925 |
| Architect | Bass, Knowlton, & Company |
| Part of | Washington Street–Monument Circle Historic District (ID97001179) |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000138[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 16, 1983 |
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1] It is in the Washington Street-Monument Circle Historic District.
History
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The building was conceived by Skiles and Donald Test to honor their father, Charles Test, after he had died in 1910. The elder Test had been president of the National Motor Vehicle Company in Indianapolis.[3]
The building was constructed in 1925. It was initially planned to be entirely a parking garage apart from ground-level stores, but met with controversy due to perceived danger to pedestrians and traffic congestion.[1]
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1]
Description
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (October 2024) |
The building is a nine-story, reinforced concrete structure with 12-inch-thick (30 cm) brick and clay tile curtain walls. It is faced with Indiana limestone and has a three-story brick penthouse and two-level basement.[1] It was built in the Neoclassical Revival style by Bass, Knowlton & Company.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 "National Register Information System – (#83000138)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ↑ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved August 1, 2016. Note: This includes Mary Ellen Gadski and James S. Reed (February 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Test Building" (PDF). Retrieved August 1, 2016. and Accompanying photographs
- ↑ Fujawa, Ed (November 27, 2025). "A Circle Landmark: The Test-Lacy Building on Monument Circle". Class 900 Indy. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Test Building--Indianapolis: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
External links
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Media related to Test Building at Wikimedia Commons
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