Historic Knox County Poor Asylum demolished after years of neglect
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A historic facility in Vincennes is no more after efforts to save it for potential reuse fell through. Indiana Landmarks says the Knox County Poor Asylum, built in 1882, has been demolished following approval from the Knox County Board of Commissioners last month.
The facility, which housed a variety of individuals who would work in exchange for housing and food, was listed on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered list in 2022.
Tommy Kleckner, director of Indiana Landmarks’ western regional office, called the move a “situation of demolition by neglect.”
“The building had been allowed to languish with no maintenance or repairs for several decades, and had decisions been made 20-25 years ago, get a new roof on that building, secure it, find a new use, we unfortunately wouldn’t be in this situation,” Kleckner said.
All 92 Indiana counties created poor farms between 1831 and 1860, according to Indiana Landmarks. The building on the outskirts of Vincennes, surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland, was built 143 years ago to replace an older facility and featured the grandeur of an old English estate.
The county operated the facility until 1985, and it has sat vacant since 2004. The county transferred ownership in 2020 to a nonprofit looking to transform it into a hospice facility, but Kleckner said that plan never came to fruition.
“It simply did not have the capacity to take a structure like that on, particularly a building that required substantial investment,” he said. “Unfortunately, decisions were made at the time without requiring proof of capacity to undertake such a large project.”
County Attorney Andrew Porter said in an email to Inside INdiana Business that the decision to demolish the building was made by the Knox County Unsafe Building Board.
However, because of the building’s historical significance, the board sought the approval of the county’s board of commissioners, though it was not legally required.
“The building’s loss illustrates the challenges faced by the dwindling number of Indiana’s remaining county homes and galvanizes our efforts to save them and other meaningful places,” Indiana Landmarks said in a statement.
Kleckner said the organization knew it would be an uphill climb to save the building when it was placed on the 10 Most Endangered list. But said they look at situations like this as a lesson on how addressing these projects in the future.
“It’s really important for units of government that are responsible for stewarding historic landmarks like this, historic properties to establish maintenance plans,” he said. “The old adage, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ goes for historic buildings as well. Whether it’s a historic poor asylum like this, county courthouses, historic town halls, park facilities…[have] that plan in place, so that no matter the change in administration or leadership, those responsible for maintaining and rehabilitating have solid direction.”
You can watch Around INdiana Reporter Mary-Rachel Redman’s 2023 spotlight on the Knox County Poor Asylum below: