This building's former owner assures me that the
building has been well-kept (although the cornice was removed some
years ago) and the interior looks much the same today as it did when
built.
The Pioneer Apartments were built at the corner
of Franklin and Chicago Streets in Valparaiso in 1908 by Perry Sisson.
This is one of the largest historical properties in the community.
Since that time it has only changed owners 3 times.
At one time, the Inter-Urban Railroad passed
right in front of the building bringing people from Gary to Valparaiso.
Over the years, more than 1000 people have called the Pioneer home.
It's classic architecture features spacious rooms, beautiful oak doors
and trim, and 9 foot tall ceilings.
It was built in a unique process using "green"
bricks. The bricks were poured into molds right on the property and
then set into place "green," which means before the concrete was
completely dried. This allowed the bricks to harden in place, forming a
stronger bond than other conventional methods of construction.
A picture
postcard, submitted by Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Tight of
Valparaiso, which shows what the building looked like 90 years ago. The
card was dated 1912.
The former owners of the building write:
"The apartments are still very nice inside as
well. These are "Chicago-style" apartments, most with large rooms,
9-foot ceilings, wide oak base and some built-in china cabinets. A few
even have claw foot tubs.
My brother and I bought the building on July
1, 2001. If you know anyone looking for an apartment, we have a few
vacancies. Please send them to us @ (219) 405-3695."
The former owners of this building have also
owned the Eldorado (shown above) and the Saran, 3 North Napoleon, and
seem to be committed to preservation and historically-accurate
maintenance of the buildings. They inform me that they are currently
restoring a building that was orginally built in 1900. Kudos to them!
They have recently sold the Pioneer apartments
and write that the new owners "share our interest in preserving the
property and have invested several hundred thousand dollars in
rennovations. You really should stop by and take a look at it. They
deserve full credit for their efforts and have won an award locally for
best rennovation in Valparaiso. "
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