Indiana World War Memorial Plaza

The origins of the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza lay in a 1919 attempt by the city of Indianapolis to lure the newly formed American Legion from its temporary headquarters in New York City. The American Legion, chartered by Congress following World War I, is an organization of veterans that sponsors youth programs, promotes patriotism and national security and provides a commitment to Americans who have served in the armed forces. At an American Legion national convention in Minneapolis in November 1919, cities sent representatives to lobby to become the new headquarters. Indianapolis drew support because of its central location within the United States and the city's shows of patriotism. Although Washington, D.C. received the most votes on the first ballot, Indianapolis gained a majority and won the second with 361 votes of 684 cast. The Plaza was dedicated by the Legion in November 1921 with the laying of a cornerstone from the bridge over the River Marne at Château-Thierry. About 45 buildings on the blocks were demolished in 1926, though several were relocated, and the Second Presbyterian Church and the First Baptist Church were not demolished until 1960. Indiana World War Memorial Plaza is a frequent host to civic events and military services, namely the national observances of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. and Indy Pride. The plaza served as the site of the National Sports Festival IV opening ceremonies in 1982. Architecture and design Various architects were invited by an appointed War Memorial Board, led by professional advisor and trustee Thomas Rogers Kimball, to submit designs for a memorial intended to honor all who fought in World War I and also to provide meeting places, archives, and offices for the American Legion. Cleveland, Ohio-based Walker and Weeks was selected in 1923. Their plan consisted of a central memorial and two auxiliary buildings, an obelisk, a mall, and a cenotaph. Bids for the American Legion building, one of the two auxiliary buildings, were put out in 1925, and construction by the Craig-Curtiss Company began the same year. One additional building was planned but never built. Indiana World War Memorial Plaza's buildings and greenspaces exemplify City Beautiful movement design principles organized on classical, uniform, and beautiful public architecture. In 1989, the plaza was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was named a National Historic Landmark District in 1994. The historic district boundaries have expanded to include additional off-site memorials dedicated in recent years, including the USS Indianapolis CA-35 Memorial (1995), Medal of Honor Memorial (1999), and Indiana 9/11 Memorial (2011). ==American Legion Mall==

American Legion Mall covers the two northernmost blocks of the five-block civic center. The mall is bounded by Meridian Street (west), St. Clair Street (north), Pennsylvania Street (east), and North Street (south). Prior to its construction, the south block of the mall was home to the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The larger east building fronting Pennsylvania Street serves as the Legion's national headquarters, housing mail services, archives, and other internal administrative functions of the Legion; the lobbying efforts of the Legion are based in its Washington, D.C. office. Its two wings are joined by a recessed central entrance. The World War II Memorial (1998) is a single cylindrical limestone monument engraved with the names of Hoosier World War II casualties. A free-standing column lists operations and campaigns of the war. Both memorials were designed by architect Patrick Brunner. Cenotaph Square Cenotaph Square is situated between the two auxiliary buildings, south of the Central Library, and to the north of the sunken garden. The rectangular black granite cenotaph centered in it rests upon a base of red and dark green granite. Four shafts of black granite topped with gold eagles mark the corners of the square. ==Veterans Memorial Plaza==

The Veterans Memorial Plaza, also called Obelisk Square, is located on the third block, south of American Legion Mall. Near the base of the obelisk are -by- panels placed in 1929 representing law, science, religion, and education intended to represent the fundamentals of the nation. The obelisk rises from a , two-level fountain made of pink Georgia marble and terrazzo. The fountain has two basins, spray rings, and multicolored lights. They were replaced with the flags of countries of the Americas during the 1987 Pan American Games. ==War Memorial building==

's 1929 sculpture Pro Patria Architects Walker and Weeks planned the Indiana World War Memorial building as the plaza's centerpiece, sited between the federal building and the public library. Funding problems in 1928 slowed the building of the interior. Even a new contractor in 1931 and $195,000 provided by the Public Works Administration in 1936 did little to speed the process of completing the structure. it is approximately taller than the original mausoleum. The blue lights that shine between columns on the side of the War Memorial make the monument easily recognizable. It is the most imposing neoclassical structure in Indianapolis due to its scale and size. The north and south entrances are guarded by shield-bearing limestone lions, and on each corner of the terrace sits an urn. The pyramidal roof is stepped and has a lantern on top. Above the tall bronze doors on each side is the inscription "To vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the world." Indiana War Memorial Museum The main entrance of the Indiana War Memorial Museum is on the north façade, which opens into a large hall with Tennessee marble floors and Art Deco Egyptian themes. The museum is housed mainly on the lower level of the monument and honors the efforts of Hoosier soldiers in a timeline from the American Revolutionary War to modern conflicts. World War I and World War II are featured most prominently. Aside from firearms, it features a Cobra helicopter and the 's commission plate. There are over 400 military flags housed in the museum, more than 300 of which are from the American Civil War. Indiana's Liberty Bell replica is located near the main entrance. It is of the kind given to each state by the federal government in 1950 to encourage the purchase of savings bonds. Additional museum exhibits are displayed on the main level of the monument. An exhibit replicating the radio room of the includes original equipment from World War II was opened on November 7, 2009. The Grand Foyer main level features the 500-seat Pershing Auditorium, built and decorated with materials donated from several states and World War I allies. The memorial also has three meeting rooms on the main level; these rooms were originally named in honor of General George Patton, General Douglas MacArthur, and Admiral Chester Nimitz. In 2009, the rooms were renamed in honor of Hoosier veterans: Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, General David M. Shoup, and Major Samuel Woodfill. Above the main level is the Shrine Room, nearly a vertical double cube, high and on a side, clad in materials collected from all the allied nations of World War I. Accessed by two staircases from the Grand Foyer, the Shrine Room Stairway's American Pavonazzo marble walls bear the names of all Hoosiers who fought in World War I. On the east and west sides are paintings by Walter Brough of the leading soldiers of France, America, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, and Serbia. Surrounding the room are sculptor Frank Jirouch's plaster frieze depicting events of World War I. ==University Park==

'', 2012 University Park occupies the southernmost block of the plaza, bounded by Meridian Street (west), Vermont Street (north), Pennsylvania Street (east), and New York Street (south). The park was originally reserved for a state university in 1827; however, it became the site of a seminary, the city's first high school, and a training ground for Union troops during the American Civil War. In 1876, the site was designated a public park. In 1914, the park was redesigned by landscape architect George Kessler as part of the park and boulevard system plan commissioned by the city. The Depew Memorial Fountain is a free-standing fountain completed in 1919. The original design was created by Karl Bitter, who was killed in a traffic accident in 1915 before the work could be finished. Following Bitter's overall design, Alexander Stirling Calder created the bronze figures and the fountain. Architect Henry Bacon designed the fountain's setting. Other features include benches, tree plantings, and street lamps designed with acorn globes and fluted shafts. Two of the lamps are decorated with lions' heads standing on the backs of metal turtles. ==See also==