National Register of Historic Places

City Market

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Listed
March 26, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000030

About this property

The Indianapolis City Market is a historic public market located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was founded in 1821 and officially opened in its current facility in 1886. The market building is a one-story, rectangular brick building trimmed in limestone. It has a front gable center section flanked by square towers. While it was originally a farmers market, it is now a food hall. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The current marketplace was originally two separate buildings called the Market House and Tomlinson Hall. The basement became known as the Indianapolis Catacombs after a vendor tried to unsuccessfully convert it into a shopping mall. The marketplace was the first place to sell bananas in the city, which were introduced by Italian immigrants that imported the product. In 2021, the market received $270,000 in direct subsidies for its operations from the city. On June 15, 2022, the city of Indianapolis announced plans to replace the east wing of the market that had been added in the 1980s with an 11-story, 60-unit apartment building that includes 8,000 square feet (740 m2) of office space and 22,000 square feet (2,000 m2) of retail space. The $175 million project would also include the conversion of the office building at 151 N. Delaware Street into a 350-unit multi-family housing tower and would result in the block having the highest population density in the state of Indiana. In March 2024, the market was closed to facilitate these renovations. Some tenants relocated, while others permanently closed. Tenants received two months worth of free rent before the closure. The first phase of a $15 million redevelopment project is scheduled for completion in 2027. The new terraced design exposes the historic underground catacombs and preserves the Tomlinson Hall archway. The city of Indianapolis took over direct oversight of the development's next phases due to financing issues, delaying indefinitely the market's reopening. National Register of Historic Places listings in Center Township, Marion County, Indiana Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. IN-6, "Market House, Indianapolis, Marion County, IN", 14 photos, 6 measured drawings, 9 data pages, 1 photo caption page

Location

222 E. Market St.
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
39.76875, -86.15328

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about City Market

This page lists City Market. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your City Market report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Delaware Flats
Industrial
0.1 mi
Fidelity Trust Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Indianapolis City Hall, Old
Industrial
0.1 mi
Indianapolis Fire Headquarters and Municipal Garage
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bals-Wocher House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was City Market listed on the National Register?

City Market was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1974.

What type of historic resource is City Market?

City Market is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for City Market?

The period of significance for City Market is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near City Market?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near City Market will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Marion County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Marion County.

Explore MarionCounty ›

More historic places in Indiana

Browse all historic places in Indiana.

View Indianahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Indiana history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Indianahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near City Market will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report