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ISSCH Alumni Association

This site was last updated: January 8, 2012

ISSCH One Step Closer to Obtaining a Listing on the

National Register of Historical Places!

On October 26, 2011 the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology met to consider the application for the Indiana Soldiers' & Sailors' Children's Home to be placed on the National Register of Historical Places.

When the Alumni Association met in January of 2009 to plan our fight to keep the Home open, Don Buckley (class of 1959), said he would work to get the Home on the National Register of Historic Places. And work he did! Through trips to the Home, emails, phone calls, hours of research, typing and editing, Don, along with the expert help of Joe Diebold & Holly Tate (DNR), Raina Regan (ING) and Kelli Andre Kellerhals was able to put together an impressive registration form that documents well our history which includes the social history, education history and of course the architecture of the buildings that remain on the grounds.

During the discussion of the application Raina Regan, Don Buckley and Diana (Holden) Bossingham (class of 1973) were able to speak briefly to the group in their support not only of the application itself, but of the mutual respect that the Indiana National Guard and the Alumni Association have of each other and for the preservation of the history of the Home. This certainly gave the review board a higher level of comfort in approving the application, which they did, unanimously!

What does this mean? What's next? We are now on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures and the Home is one step closer to obtaining this long coveted designation. A letter sent to Wayne Hill (HYCA), Don Buckley and the Alumni Association c/o Doug Jordan, president, on September 7, 2011 provides greater detail of what all of this means. It can be viewed at the end of this article. The application now goes to Washington D.C. They have 45 days to act on the recommendation. Allowing for holidays we should probably hear something by mid to late January.

A huge thank you to Don Buckley for persevering on this endeavor. Also, thank you to the Indiana National Guard and Indiana DNR for their help with this project. Your assistance means so much to us!

The complete report can be found at: www.in.gov/dnr/historic/2773.htm

Welcome!

The ISSCH Alumni Association was established in 1892. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to preserving the rich history of our beloved Home.

Note!

January's Business Meeting has been moved to Sunday, January 22nd

Click here for more information

Congratulations to

Brendan P. Durkes, Class of '07

who graduated Cum Laude from Ball State University on December 17, 2011 with a B.S degree from the College of Communication, Information & Media. Only 12% of those who graduated did so with honors (must have had a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher)

Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology letter dated 9/7/2011

The first Administration Building - 1867

The Administration Building (1887) and Lincoln Hall (1892) are 2 of the 31 buildings considered "contributing" to the hisorical aspect of the ISSCH property.

The ISSCH Memorial Cemetery (established in 1865) is one of two contributing sites. In all more than 76 acres are included in the two sites.

Graham Lake and the tunnel system are also given significant narrative in the description of the Home.

Other buildings considered as contributory are:

1. Service/Bakery/Storeroom - completed in 1938

2. Laundry - 1930

3. Carpenter Shop/Garage/Sewing Room - 1903

4. Maintenance/Industrial Arts Building - 1903

5. Maintenance Supervisor's Office/Electric Shop - 1905 -1906

6. Boy's Cottage, Divisions 27 & 28 - c.1930

7. Boy's Cottage, Divisions 29 & 30 - 1932

8. Morton Memorial School - 1928

9. Girl's Cottage, Divisions 20 & 21 - 1928