We were commissioned awhile back to conduct surveys on existing buildings within Bloomington, Indiana, and furnish plans and elevations for the projects. One of these projects is situated to the west of downtown, while the other is positioned on the far north side. Following the measurement and documentation of the buildings, we delved into researching the historical usage of the parcels, which is a customary practice for us. However, our investigation revealed unexpected similarities between the histories of the two parcels involving the Boltinghouse family.
In the 1931-1937 Bloomington City directories, William McKinley “Doc” Boltinghouse is listed as a stoneworker, married to Marietta E. and living at 708 West Dodds Street. The amount of Indiana Limestone fabrication mills and quarries that contributed to the local economy during this time was astounding. Also listed in the directory is Boltinghouse & Shields secondhand automobiles owned by W. M. Boltinghouse & C.J. Shields that was located at 302 West 4th Street (future location of 1990’s Maplefoot Skate park & now Wonderlab).
1327 North Walnut Street
In the 1938 Bloomington City Directory, William & Marietta still reside at 519 West Fourth Street. Also listed in the directory is Boltinghouse & Wiley service station owned by W. M. Boltinghouse & Clarence Wiley that was located at the southwest corner of 17th & Walnut Street. This site would later become The Hanson Motor company, a Hudson vehicle dealership and later the current location of The May Insurance Agency.
The structure in the above image can be divided into two separate sections. The smaller section adjacent to North Walnut Street was the main showroom and a structural dividing wall separated the showroom from the service area located on the west that is adjacent to the alley. To the south of the main structure is a smaller structure surrounded by vehicles facing the street, this was the used vehicle lot.
Hanson Motor Company
The link above showcases the original exterior of the Hanson Motor Company, a rare example of art deco architecture still present in Bloomington, Indiana. Its facade features a unique combination of CMU glazed blocks and glass, particularly notable in the showroom area where full glazing allows passersby at the intersection of 17th Street and Walnut Street to glimpse inside. In a city where architecture often resembles student apartments assembled from a Lego set, this building's style remains a striking testament to its historical significance regardless if the city or state historical boards deem it as 'contributing'.
Due to the limited popularity of Hudson vehicles, the Hanson Motor Company underwent rebranding and shifted its focus to selling Chrysler, Plymouth, and Pontiac vehicles throughout the 1970s. Notably, the original site of the Hanson Motor Company in Bloomington, Indiana, was situated at 415 North College Avenue until 1939, housed within the Chevrolet dealership building. Later, this building was taken over by the Sarkes Tarzian Rectifier Division, which specialized in semiconductor manufacturing. Presently, the location is home to the Avenue on College student apartment complex, formerly recognized as Smallwood Plaza.
ISU May Agency
A current photograph of the same structure that has been renovated decades ago, now occupied by the ISU May Agency insurance company.
401 West 7th Street
Boltinghouse '66' Service Station
The 1940 Bloomington City Directory lists Boltinghouse '66' Service Station & William M. Boltinghouse Used Cars situated on the southeast corner of North Madison Street and Johnson Hardware was located on the southwest corner, opposite the old Johnson's Creamery at the intersection of West 7th & Madison Street.
Considering the construction practices of early 1900s service stations, they were primarily functional rather than adorned with elaborate facades as we often see today. Despite my inability to locate a photograph of the original building after extensive research on maps and images, the accompanying image of the Johnson Hardware structure should provide some understanding of the design intended for the Boltinghouse '66' service station. Positioned directly across Madison Street from the Johnson Hardware building, the Boltinghouse '66' service station was approximately half its size.
Johnson Hardware
During the early decades of the 1900's, the site featured a single-story CMU building adorned with a stepped parapet crowned with a limestone cap.
Attempting to date this building using the vehicles depicted in a previous photograph, analysis suggests that the station wagon on the right, a 1959 Chevrolet Brookwood Wagon, places the photograph's capture in the late 1950s or 1960s. This conclusion is drawn from the observation that the cars of the 1940s typically exhibited a more rounded "bubble" shape, whereas the cars adjacent to the structure in the photo exhibit the style of the 1950s. Unfortunately, due to shadowing, the car on the left with the wraparound rear glass cannot be positively identified.
What is certain is that the Johnson Hardware company initially operated from a modest structure at this location and later erected a new building to accommodate expansion. Considering the positioning of the cars on the right, parked directly off West 7th Street, it is apparent that the Johnsons acquired the adjacent residential property. Subsequently, this home would have been demolished to facilitate the construction of the newer structure.
Johnson Hardware & Supply
The vehicle positioned at the front of the entrance, with the elderly gentleman approaching it, is a 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88. The vehicle located on the far-right side of the image, though obscured from view, seems to be a Chevrolet of some kind. Considering the elderly man's frugality and likelihood of not purchasing a new car annually, it appears plausible that this photo was captured sometime during or after the 1960s.
Outside, there are displays of bicycles, wheelbarrows, and a riding lawn mower, yet these items remain unidentified. Riding lawn mowers, like vehicles, often share similar appearances with minor variations in features such as nosing and headlights. Even upon closer inspection, there are no discernible headlights above the white grill. However, it's worth noting that riding lawn mowers from the 1950s typically resembled models like the Snapper Comet series, featuring a rear engine, rather than the boxier style depicted in the photograph. One telling sign is the nose with the grill tapering down to the wheels similar to a Huffy Broadlawn 4855 made in 1966-1968 or a Gravely.
Regarding the structure, the exterior materials seem to consist of painted CMU blocks, with the pilasters serving as structural bearing points. Despite close examination, the vintage image reveals no visible jointing for the CMU masonry exterior, suggesting this as the construction method. Additionally, a simple limestone cap runs along the entire parapet of the structure.
Occupying this building was Johnson Hardware & Supply, a business offering a diverse range of products as evidenced by the signage on the exterior. Similar to Kleindorfer's in Bloomington, Johnson Hardware & Supply stocked hardware, plumbing supplies, sporting goods, gifts, and toys, suggesting a comprehensive selection of merchandise.
On the left are vintage aerial photographs capturing the northeast corner of 7th & Madison Streets in 1961 and 1967. The 1961 image reveals the single-story Johnson Hardware building still standing, while the 1967 photograph showcases a new two-story structure in its place.
Voter Registration Office
Although the building's exterior may seem altered, it is, in fact, the same structure with some renovations. The fully glass-covered angled entry, complete with a structural column and pilaster locations, as well as the ground-level glazing, all align with the current configuration of the building. The primary distinction lies in the upper level on the north side of the exterior. In its present state, the building features rental apartments throughout the upper level, accompanied by a staircase for egress. However, in the Johnson Hardware photo, only small picture windows are visible, suggesting their purpose was to illuminate the upper-level storage area.
It is presumed that the original CMU structure still exists behind the brick and limestone veneer seen today. The pilasters have been widened, windows modified to accommodate additional entries, and the support column at the entrance wrapped with a square brick column. This architectural style, reminiscent of the Depression era, is a prevalent motif in seeking planning approvals within the city of Bloomington.
- William McKinley “Doc” Boltinghouse was born November 12, 1898 and died on July 22, 1981.
- Meritta Emily Wiley Boltinghouse was born on July 11, 1902 and died in February 13, 1957.
They are buried beside each other in Vahalla Memory Gardens
Conclusion
While the above story may be long, it briefly summerizes how one person in the past can have connections to multiple locations of structures in a given city.
