National Register of Historic Places

Brown, John, Stone Warehouse

Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
Listed
December 15, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97001542

About this property

The John Brown Stone Warehouse, also known as the Canal House, is a historic commercial building located in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was built in 1852, and is a two-story, three-bay, gable front stone building. The building measures 22 feet wide and 50 feet deep. It was built by John Brown out of salvage and "waste" materials from his business as stone merchant and mason. It is the oldest commercial building in Fort Wayne and has been renovated to house offices. The building is the last remaining intact structure associated with the Wabash and Erie Canal left in Allen County. Its builder and namesake, John Brown (a Scottish American immigrant originally from Glasgow), was a stonecutter. Brown, who imported and exported goods via the Canal, used the building as both a warehouse and a workshop. Brown later worked as a grocer, a contractor, and was associated with both the Fort Wayne Gas Light Company and a local bank. The building then came under the ownership of the Lillie brothers, who dealt in stone, lime, cement, and plaster. Henry Drover (a German immigrant from Bremen who served as mayor of Huntington, Indiana), who manufactured and shipped wood products via the Canal, purchased the warehouse in 1862. By 1895, the New York, Chicago, & St. Louis Railway company owned the building and used it to store and ship railroad freight. In 1970, the Railway donated the building to the city government. In 1976, the building was renovated into an office space as part of a U.S. Bicentennial project. The local fine arts organization, Arts United, had their offices located in the building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Location

114 W. Superior St.
Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
41.08236, -85.13976

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCETRANSPORTATION
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

Landing, The, Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Randall Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Journal-Gazette Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Allen County Courthouse
Industrial
0.2 mi
McColloch-Weatherhogg Double House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Kekionga (Harmar's Second Defeat)
1790Early Republic
0.1 mi
Battle of Kekionga / Harmar's Defeat 1790
1790Early Republic
0.2 mi
Harmar's Defeat – First Engagement at Chillicothe
1790Early Republic
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Brown, John, Stone Warehouse listed on the National Register?

Brown, John, Stone Warehouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 15, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Brown, John, Stone Warehouse?

Brown, John, Stone Warehouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Brown, John, Stone Warehouse?

The period of significance for Brown, John, Stone Warehouse is recorded as the industrial era.

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