Bedford's Monon Station, 1221 J Street, made it on Indiana Landmarks' 10 Most Endangered list for 2020 because it is dilapidated and had fallen victim to vandals. Staff photo by Krystal Shelter
Bedford's Monon Station, 1221 J Street, made it on Indiana Landmarks' 10 Most Endangered list for 2020 because it is dilapidated and had fallen victim to vandals. Staff photo by Krystal Shelter
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To find out more about each of the 10 Most Endangered, visit www.indianalandmarks.org or contact Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534 or 800-450-4534.
BEDFORD — One of Bedford’s prized limestone structures has made it on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered, an annual list of Hoosier landmarks in jeopardy.

The Monon Station, 1221 J St., most recently served as the Lawrence County Recycling Center, but now stands empty. Built of Indiana limestone in 1926, the station signaled the area’s eminence as the primary supplier of the building material favored for monuments, statues, churches, government and other buildings nationwide. Situated at the heart of the “Limestone Capital of the World,” the depot played its own role in the story, acting as a freight station for shipping the enormous blocks harvested from local quarries and doubling as a passenger station for the Monon Railroad, according to Indiana Landmarks.

Doubling as a passenger station for the Monon Railroad, the depot also served as a backdrop for students departing for and returning from college, those heading to take the waters in French Lick, and travelers beginning the long journey to Chicago. The Monon ended passenger service in 1967, and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and later CSX took over operations. Lawrence County officials adapted the building for use as a recycling center in 2006.

“Now vacant, the Craftsman building is dilapidated and a target for vandals, and severely deteriorating soffits endanger the tile roof,” according to Indiana Landmarks. “Community leaders and trail advocates have expressed interest in adapting the depot as a trail head for the growing Milwaukee Road Transportation Trailway. A similar reuse helped revitalize Bedford’s historic Milwaukee Road Depot, now an information center, gathering space and trail head for the Limestone Trail System. Given new purpose, the Monon Station could spur similar investment in the north edge of downtown, but something needs to happen soon, before further deterioration makes reuse even more difficult.”

This year, the list for Indiana also includes two schools that provided unprecedented learning opportunities to African Americans; a church that anchored its historic neighborhood; an artfully designed jail and sheriff’s residence; two architecturally important homes; an awe-inspiring church outfitted in head-to-toe Tiffany; a nationally lauded Carnegie library; and an entire downtown.

Places that land on the 10 Most Endangered list often face a combination of problems rather than a single threat — abandonment, neglect, dilapidation, obsolete use, unreasonable above-market asking price, or owners who simply lack money for repairs.

“Indiana Landmarks uses its 10 Most Endangered list in several ways. Sometimes it serves an educational role. It functions as an advocacy tool. And it can assist in raising funds needed to save a place,” said Marsh Davis, president of the nonprofit preservation organization. “Every listing comes with significant challenges. In all cases, when an endangered place lands on our list, we commit to seeking solutions that lead to rescue and revitalization,” he adds.

Demolition has claimed only 19 of the 146 Most Endangered sites listed since 1991, while 95 places are completely restored or no longer endangered.
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