Preserve Historic
La Porte
Working to preserve historic architecture in La Porte, Indiana, since 1994.
Historic Architecture of La Porte, Indiana: The First 20 Years of the Candlelight Tour
People Engaged in Preservation is proud to announce the publication of their book, Historic Architecture of La Porte, Indiana: The First 20 Years of the Candlelight Tour. This book was made possible through a generous grant by the Indiana Historical Society and the Eli Lilly Foundation.
The intention of creating this book, the compilation of 106 tour property histories, was to create a permanent record of not only the properties (homes, businesses, churches, government buildings), but also of the families and businesses tied to these properties. Copies of the book have been donated to local and state libraries, historical societies, and museums so this information will be a permanent and accessible part of the historical record for genealogists and researchers everywhere.
In addition to the property histories, the book contains sections on Researching the History of Your House (Fern Eddy Schultz), Historic Designation (Peter Steele), A Brief History of La Porte (Robert Boklund), Architectural Styles (Michele Barber), Architects/Contractors (Michele Barber), along with Self-Guided Tour Maps, a Glossary of Architectural Terms, a Selected Bibliography, a detailed Index by Category, and a table of Authors and Researchers.
Through the grant, People Engaged in Preservation was able to purchase 500 copies of the book which are currently being sold for $30 apiece at local outlets including the La Porte County Historical Society Museum. This price will likely increase once the 500 have been sold, as smaller quantities will be purchased creating a price increase.
Many persons need to be acknowledged in the creation of this book. All P.E.P. members contributed to this project including Editor Michele Barber, P.E.P. President Dottie Rosenbaum, P.E.P. Vice President Tim Stabosz, P.E.P. Treasurer Michael Rosenbaum, P.E.P. Secretary Peter Steele, and P.E.P. members Elzbieta Bilderback, Robert Boklund, Don Bowman, Christa Lazarz, Bethany Mieczkowski, Pam Ruminski, and Lizz Ward. Special recognition goes to Don Bowman, a P.E.P. member since its inception, for his pen and ink drawings of each property.
In addition, P.E.P. would like to thank the Indiana Historical Society, the Eli Lilly Foundation, the La Porte County Historical Society, La Porte County Historian Fern Eddy Schultz, Curator of the La Porte County Historical Society Susan Richter and Assistant Curator Janet Sikorski, Architect Kurt West Garner, Stephanie Kuta of Hawkins Print Shop (La Porte), and Amanda Haverstick of the Herald-Argus. We must also recognize the early writers and researchers of the property histories, some of whom are unknown, and, last but not least, the wonderful property owners who trusted their homes and businesses to us for one weekend so that we may promote the importance of historic preservation.
For information on how to obtain a copy of the book, please contact P.E.P. President Mark Kurth at markkurth@gmail.com.