National Register of Historic Places

Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Listed
December 6, 2005
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
05001367

About this property

The Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery, also known as the Franklin Township Historical Society, is a historic Baptist church and cemetery located at 6510 South Franklin Road in Indianapolis, Indiana. The church was built in 1871 as a Baptist meeting house (replacing an earlier wood-frame building on the same site) and served the church congregation until 1977, when the property was deeded to the Franklin Township Historical Society. It is a one-story, gable front brick building with Italianate style design elements. The bricks used to construct the building were fired onsite. Also on the property is a contributing privy constructed about 1920. The Franklin Township Historical Society acquired the property and now uses the building as a historical museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The associated cemetery was established in 1854, with one stone dated to 1841. Some stones found at nearby sites have also been moved to this cemetery for preservation. Per the terms of its deeding to the Franklin Township Historical Society, the cemetery can still be used by descendants of the original land donors (variously recorded as Samuel and Agnes Smith, who donated the land for the church, or Willis and Mary Smither, who had a family cemetery at this location). The most recent marker is that of Mary Smith (d. 2023). By arrangement with the Franklin Township Historical Society, her memorial service was held at the former church on May 18, 2024.

Location

6510 S. Franklin Rd.
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
39.67579, -86.01881

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Anderson-Thompson House
Industrial
1.9 mi
Nickel Plate Road Steam Locomotive No. 587
Industrial
4.4 mi
St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church
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5.4 mi
Homecroft Historic District
Listed
6.1 mi
Southport High School, Old
Industrial
6.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery listed on the National Register?

Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 2005.

What type of historic resource is Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery?

Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery?

The period of significance for Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Big Run Baptist Church and Cemetery?

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