McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School
About this property
The Mabel McDowell Adult Education Center (formerly the Mabel McDowell Elementary School) is an adult education center of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation occupying a historic building in Columbus, Indiana. The building, constructed in 1960, is a major early work of architect John Carl Warnecke. It was converted to an adult education center in 1982. In 2001, the building was designated by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark because of its architecture. The building's application for landmark status described it as "significant as an early example of modern architecture in Columbus, and as an important example of the contextual work of John Carl Warnecke, a leading architect of the twentieth century." The building is designed as a series of pods, connected by covered and trellised walkways. The major spaces in each pod (classrooms and other common spaces) are covered by individual pyramidal roof sections. The construction is steel framing on concrete slabs, with the walls finished in steel-clad glass and brick. Warnecke's design for McDowell attempted to combine functionality with open space reminiscent of an Indiana farm landscape. In his concept for McDowell, Warnecke said a "dominant characteristic of southern Indiana is the flat terrain, a horizontal theme accentuated by tall Victorian houses, barns, and silos, with picturesque groves of trees. The school design is based on the creation of similar grouping of masses and spaces in a scheme which focuses the school group into its own controlled environment, yet extends it outward to the community." Warnecke also designed the John F. Kennedy grave at Arlington National Cemetery and the Hawaii State Capitol building. National Register of Historic Places listings in Bartholomew County, Indiana Media related to Mabel McDowell Adult Education Center at Wikimedia Commons Mabel McDowell Adult Education Center at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
Location
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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Questions about this property
When was McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School listed on the National Register?
McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 3, 2001.
What type of historic resource is McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School?
McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School?
The period of significance for McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School?
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 McDowell, Mabel, Elementary School will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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