Valparaiso, Indiana - May 11, 2011
All Photographs Copyright © 2009 - 2011 by Robert E Pence
Valparaiso, population approximately 27,000, is the seat of Porter County, Indiana and home to
Valparaiso University, a private Lutheran-affiliated institution founded in 1859. It is the
southeasternmost suburb of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and is about ten miles south of the
southern tip of Lake Michigan and Indiana Dunes State Park via Indiana State Highway 49.
The present Porter County Courthouse is the third courthouse to occupy its site on the town square.
The first, a wood-framed building was built in 1837. The second, a brick Greek Revival building with
a pilastered portico and a bell tower, replaced the wood-framed building in 1853. The current
courthouse, of Indiana Limestone quarried near Elletsville, was built in 1883. Originally it had a
168-foot clock tower. In 1934 a fire thought to have been electrical in origin heavily damaged the
building and gutted the tower. Restoration, minus the tower, was completed in 1937.
The Italianate building that houses the Porter County Museum of History originally served as jail and sheriff's residence from 1871 to 1974. The
Historical Society is embarking on a fund-raising campaign to move the museum's collections to the original firehouse and former police headquarters
just south of the courthouse.
The Porter County Memorial Hall was designed in 1892 by local architect Charles F. Lembke. Some accounts claim that William Jennings Bryan spoke
here during the 1896 presidential campaign. Theodore Roosevelt appeared here, along with John Philip Sousa and the Marx Brothers. When motion
pictures became popular, venues like the opera house declined in popularity. It was converted to show movies, but by the onset of WWII it was
abandoned. In 1955 the Community Theatre Guild leased the property and undertook maintenance for community theater productions. The city
restored the building in the 1990s and leased it to the Memorial Opera House Company. Theater productions, concerts, and other events are held there.
Valparaiso's central business district is fair-sized, with a variety of architectural styles represented. The historic authenticity of facades varies, but
there are few vacancies and most buildings appear to be in a state of good repair.
Central Park Plaza under construction. When finished it will provide an attractive amenity in an
already-pleasant downtown.
I don't know what this fellow's offense might have been, but considering the number of cops, the 'cuffs, and the tow truck, I'd venture it wasn't an
unpaid parking ticket.
Valparaiso University
November 20, 2009
The Chapel of the Resurrection, at
Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana, was designed by
Charles Stade and Associates, of Park Ridge, Illinois. It was built 1956-1959 at a cost of approximately
$7.5 million, mostly from private donations, and was dedicated in 1959 as Memorial Chapel. In 1969
it was officially designated Chapel of the Resurrection. It is the largest collegiate chapel in the United
States, with capacity for approximately 2,000 people depending upon seating configuration.
I remember reading about this structure when it was new and I had often seen it from U.S. Highway 30
en route to Chicago, but I had never taken time to stop and experience it in person. I'm glad I made
this trip especially to see it; I think it's stunning. The chancel is 98 feet (30 meters) high, with the apse
in the shape of a nine-pointed star. The original design doesn't appear to have been altered, and the
building is impeccably maintained.
The newly-completed Christopher Center for Library and Information Services was designed by Esherick Homsey Dodge & Davis of Chicago. It is
part of a $33 million project paid for by gifts from alumni and friends. The grid structure on the south and east sides adds visual interest and provides
a sun screen.The building comprises 105,000 square feet of space and includes state-of-the-art building technology, including automated sun screens
and many wi-fi hot spots in addition to hard-wired data access ports. Two hundred fifty computers are available for student use, and an automated
storage and retrieval system can access any of the 60,000 infrequently-used documents and publications within fifteen seconds.
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