This summer, Indiana Landmarks’ Indiana Automotive affinity group heads to eastern Indiana to explore Connersville on an all-day tour featuring sites related to the city’s extensive transportation history and showcasing the area’s preservation wins.
In 1856, J.B. McFarlan, founder of the McFarlan Carriage Company, chose Connersville as an ideal location for what would become by 1887 the first planned industrial park in the United States, manufacturing all that was needed for horse-drawn buggies and carriages, and later McFarlan automobiles. McFarlan’s vision set Connersville on the path to earn the nickname “Little Detroit” as the city attracted countless parts manufacturers and such luxury carmakers as Lexington, Auburn, and Cord.
On August 9, attendees will get an exclusive look at Connersville’s automotive heritage through guided tours at McFarlan’s industrial park, the 1864 J.B. McFarlan House, and the Fayette County Historical Museum, which features six Connersville-built cars and comprehensive exhibits on the county’s history. Operated by Indiana Landmarks’ affiliate Historic Connersville, Inc., the museum represents just part of the nonprofit’s efforts since it was formed in 1963. The group’s restored 1842 Canal House, built as headquarters for the Whitewater Canal Company, and 1870 1st Ward Hose House, displaying memorabilia from the Connersville Fire Department, will also be open as part of the day’s itinerary.
Highlighting additional local preservation success stories, attendees will see the 1890 Fayette County Courthouse, featuring restored ceiling murals rediscovered during renovations in 2005, and enjoy lunch at the community’s restored WPA-built Roberts Memorial Building, a former entry on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered list. Tourgoers will end the day with dinner and guided tours at Connersville’s Historic Elmhurst, an 1831 Greek Revival home now used as a Masonic Lodge.
Tickets cost $110/general public, $100/Indiana Landmarks members, $90/Indiana Automotive members and include lunch at the Roberts Memorial Building, dinner at Historic Elmhurst, and all guided tours. On the day of the event, attendees will check in at 10 a.m. at 800 W 18th Street, Connersville, Indiana 47331, to begin the tour. Transportation between sites is on your own. Advance registration required.
Note on accessibility: Some sites require navigating stairs to enter or transition between levels and are therefore not fully accessible to all. Questions? Contact jkramer@indianalandmarks.org.
Indiana Automotive, an affinity group of Indiana Landmarks, welcomes members interested in the state’s early auto visionaries and the preservation of the cars they made, their factories, showrooms, homes, and the landscaped parkways and roadside architecture birthed by the auto age. Not a member? Learn more about Indiana Automotive at indianalandmarks.org/about/indianaautomotive
