Historic Structures of
Crown Point, Indiana
Downtown
For many years the Lake County, Indiana Seat (Pop: 16,455).
President Reagan got married here (to Jane
Wyman); so did Rudolph Valentino, who drove three times around
the ornate high-towered courthouse,
waving to assembled throngs. Today, "Valentino's,"
an ice cream parlor in the basement of the courthouse, is named
after him.
A well-known marriage-mill in the 'twenties,
Crown Point's greatest international fame came from the escape
of desperado John Dillinger, after the famous photograph with
his arm around the prosecuting attorney, in 1934. You can visit
the jail cell where he was incarcerated, the jailhouse museum,
and dine at a jail-themed restaurant. The jail, by the way, is
the one from which Dillinger made his famous escape using a gun
carved from wood (not soap as is commonly believed)!
"The central business district has bold
architectural significance," said a spokesperson for Design
Organization Inc., a Valparaiso architecture firm commissioned
to find buildings in Crown Point worthy of preserving. "Several
major styles of American architecture from Victorian to modern
can be found," he said.
Design Organization found the front of the
old Lake County sheriff's home and jail at 232 S. Main St. to
be an excellent example of second Empire architecture with its
central tower topped with a mansard roof and bracketed cornice.
The Cheshire Hall, 103 W. Joliet, is considered
a good example of the Italianate style, and the columnated People's
State Bank Building, 138 S. Main, brings a touch of Neoclassical
style to the downtown square.
The study classified the Masonic Temple, 213
S. Main St., as an outstanding building in the district because
the brick structure has been little altered since it was built
in 1919.
The greatest attraction is the carefully restored
courthouse with its historical museum, basement of shops, and
summer theatre in the county council chambers on the third floor.
Drive down Court Street to the Fairgrounds
for a look at some fine stately old mansions. An immense County
Fair takes place here the first weekend of August.
As evidenced by its recent success in achieving
historic designation for the downtown area, Crown Point Indiana
has one of the most progressive attitudes toward historic preservation
in the region, as well as some of the best kept historic
homes.
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