The History that Made Us
“In 1857 the McDonald House was built on this site as a Baptist Church and private school. It 1872 it became the McDonald House. The hotel was a bustling business which included a horse and carriage to meet the trains at the Vandalia Railroad Station. When the Clugston Hotel was built in the late 1890s, the McDonald House was moved to the back of the lot and incorporated into the new three-story structure. The dining room and ballroom occupied part of the old McDonald House.
“There was a portico over the Clugston entrance to protect guests as they came and went. In 1908, following his nomination as governor of the state of Indiana, Thomas Marshall stood on the Clugston balcony- after climbing out of a window to gain access to it- and addressed the large crowd that had greeted him. His brief speech said, ‘My fellow citizens, you know the evil there is in me and you know the good there is in me. If you think I would make a good governor, I ask you to vote for me. If you do not think I would make a good governor, I ask you, my fellow citizens, to vote against me.’
“When the Clugston Hotel finally closed its doors in the late 1970s, it sat empty for many years. It was nearly at the point of demolition when community minded citizens spearheaded a movement to save the building. In the late 1990s Whitley Crossings Neighborhood Corporation, a not-for-profit housing corporation, purchased the building and restored it, creating 22 low-cost apartments for those 55 years and older. In the process of the restoration, the McDonald House was torn down as it was beyond repair.”
The excerpt provided is from the “Around the Square Book,” which was written by Pam Koch. It is available at the Whitley County Historical Museum. This article gives a detailed look at the history of the building.
Where are We: Architectural History
These stone arches are a prominent feature of this building that has an architectural style unique in downtown Columbia City. Intricate stonework and arches combined with deep red brickwork are major features of the Clugston Hotel (now Clugston on the Square).
Built in 1898, the building’s architecture displays a stylistic mixture of Romanesque rival (e.g., the heavy stone arches) and neo-classical (the detailing of the stonework on the upper windows). H.H. Richardson popularized his particular Romanesque style in the 1870s and 80s, which was copied and mingled by architects across the country well into the 20th Century, although the Clugston seems to be the only significant example the style in Columbia City.
Also note that the building to the right, with the second floor bay window, was an earlier (c. 1889) storefront that was integrated into the new hotel. This hybridization of buildings was not unusual as part of new construction prior to modern building codes, and there are several examples of buildings with varying amounts of internal connections existing in downtown.
Thank you to Nathan Bilger for providing the recent photos and valuable insights into the architectural history.The Whitley County Courthouse is just one stop on our Downtown Historic Tour. Download the app and take the tour! www.distrx.com
