To celebrate National Historic Preservation Month, Fort Wayne is highlighting examples of the beautiful c.1940 to 1975 Mid-Century Modern (MCM) architecture found in Fort Wayne. MCM enthusiasts travel from around the world to visit some of the unique structures and settings found in Fort Wayne. There are also hidden gems that might be in your neighborhood!

Twice a week, through the month of May, we will share stories and photographs along with interesting information about Fort Wayne MCM homes and buildings. We also invite you to share some of your stories and photos!

This celebration is also a great way to spread the word about the upcoming Fort Wayne "Back to the Future: A Mid-Century Modern Home Tour" hosted by Indiana Landmarks on June 7th. The work of Wisconsin architect John Randal McDonald will be showcased on the tour, with two stunning homes he designed in Northeast Fort Wayne, along with other outstanding homes in the City.

The evening of Friday, June 6th, Indiana Landmarks is hosting a pre-tour event at Concordia Theological Seminary. A free presentation offered by Kevin Adkisson, Curator at Michigan’s Cranbrook Institute, will reflect on the impact of father and son architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen on Modern architecture. The Saarinens had unique connections to Fort Wayne. Eero Saarinen designed Concordia Seminary, as well as projects known worldwide, such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Registration is required for the free lecture.

The Saarinens often collaborated with Albert Wermuth, a Fort Wayne general contractor who helped build First Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana, considered the nation’s first Modernist church design. Separate registration is required for a private tour of the Wermuth House on the evening of June 6th. The home was designed by the Saarinens and completed in 1942.

Full details for both events will be shared once confirmed by organizers. Visit indianalandmarks.org/tours-events for more information.

In 2025 Fort Wayne’s Division of Community Development and the Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Commission are celebrating 60 years of commitment by the community to Preservation of our heritage, and the places and buildings that reflect the City’s long history.

In 1964, Mayor Harold Zeis appointed the “Mayor’s Commission on the Preservation and Restoration of Historical Landmarks,” with Joan White as chairwoman. In 1965 the “Mayor’s Commission” worked with Mayor Zeis and Fort Wayne City Council to create the first ordinance “providing for the creation of Historical Districts” in the state of Indiana. The initial goal was to protect The Landing from demolition. Many blocks of the oldest downtown buildings were planned for demolition for redevelopment or parking lots. The preservation ordinance was signed by Mayor Zeis on September 13, 1965. Together, The Landing and the Chief Richardville House became Fort Wayne’s first local historic districts, in time to celebrate the Indiana Sesquicentennial in 1966.

In the next few years Joan White led a revival of The Landing as a destination. Buildings were restored and the streetscape was enhanced. The new focus on W. Columbia Street as the core of historic Fort Wayne led to the first Three Rivers Festival in 1969, with 60 events held on Columbia Street. Although sadly the Festival is memory, The Landing is better than ever as a destination, and the Chief Richardville House has been restored and recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

During the era of the U.S. Bicentennial in the 1970s more individual buildings were recognized as historic, such as the Embassy Theater and the Firefighter’s Museum. In 1984 an updated Preservation ordinance was approved, creating the Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Review Board. This was a prelude to creation of multi-property historic districts, such as West Central in 1984-1985, Williams Woodland Park in 1985, and dozens of single-site historic districts. The Preservation ordinance was updated again in 2008, creating today’s Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Commission.

In the past 60 years the City has recognized 90 multi-property (such as The Landing) or single-site (such as the Chief Richardville House) locations as local historic districts. Each of these listings is protected from alterations that are “subject to public view” that would harm the historic character of the property. This protection of the historic character yields benefits to the property, its neighbors, and to property values in neighborhoods.