Exploring Columbus, Indiana: A Walking Tour of World-Class Architecture
And that’s thanks largely to J. Irwin Miller, the former head of the Cummins Engine Company, based right here in Columbus. In 1954, Miller established The Cummins Foundation and offered to pay the hefty architect fees for new public buildings. That allowed the city to enlist premier architects such as I.M. Pei, Eero and Eliel Saarinen, Kevin Roche, Harry Weese, and others.
Today, visitors can easily glimpse many of the resulting architectural treasures on a Columbus Area Visitors Center walking tour.
“It is unique and remarkable, really, that we have over 70 significant buildings and landscapes in this town of 50,000 or so,” says John Crofts, a tour guide at the Columbus Area Visitors Center.
Crofts would certainly know. As an architectural tour guide for the past eight years, he’s been around the block, literally.
“On the walking tour we'll go past many sites, and probably stop and talk about well over a dozen,” Crofts explains. “We see a mix of, mid-century modern, even some more recent buildings, but then also some of the vernacular buildings, the courthouse, the historic city hall and that.”
The tours are geared towards tourists and locals alike, ensuring both gain a better understanding of the city’s architecture and history.
Crofts says, “We have locals that have actually moved here and been here for a while but have never bothered to take a tour or don't fully understand the backstory to why we have all this modern architecture.”
A Few Must-See Architectural Landmarks in Columbus, Indiana
There are, of course, some locations that stand out more than others.
“As far as the tours, it seems like the Miller House, which is now a museum, seems to be our most popular tour.” Crofts adds, “We've got a lot of fabulous churches, I think those are draws. My favorite place is a coffee shop that was in a modern bank branch, and that it's just great to be in that space and enjoy time there and be able to use that space now for a new purpose.”
For John, these tours are a labor of love.
“I got involved with the visitor center as a tour guide after I retired, 37 years with Cummins [Engine Company]. I'm a mechanical engineer, so work wise, this was sort of a change for me.”
Crofts continues, “What I enjoy about giving tours is the opportunity to meet people, and I guess I kind of like to tell stories and talk a lot, and you really feel good if you can answer their questions and give them an appreciation for what they're seeing.”
While Columbus may not wow you like other major architecture destinations, Columbus, Indiana will certainly surprise you.
“The reason that people might want to visit Columbus and then take a tour and learn about the buildings and modern architecture is to see what can happen when there's sort of a focus. It was sort of initiated by Irwin Miller. But then the whole community seems to have caught on,” says Crofts.
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The above video is a clip from Journey Indiana from WTIU. You can watch more segments and full episodes at pbs.org/show/journey-indiana/
