Central
Indiana Normal School was founded by Warren Darst and W.F. Harper, two
professors from Lebanon, Ohio, who opened the school in September 1876,
with 48 students in attendance. Soon dissatisfied with the school's limited
size, Darst resigned, and Harper relocated with many of the students to
a new school in Danville, Indiana. Ladoga 's residents rallied to build
Normal Hall in 1878, hoping to attract Harper back to the school with
a new structure. Three Ladoga businessmen headed the construction committee,
hiring local builder, Hiram S. Huntington do design and build Normal Hall.
Capt. William Neff supplied and supervised the brickwork, while Mr .A.M.
Scott managed the interior work.
Normal
Hall is an excellent example of a transition between two popular 19th
century architectural expressions, the Greek Revival and ltalianate style.
The formal dedication of Normal Hall was on November 19. 1878. The principal
speaker was the Hon. Schuyler Colfax. former Vice President of the United
States.
Normal
Hall served as the main academic facility on the campus for the next 13
years, until the final class graduated from Central Indiana Normal School
in the spring of 1891. The Town of Ladoga purchased the property and in
September 1892, the building began its 25 years of serving as Ladoga's
high school.
The
building was remodeled during the summer of 1907 when the building's most
striking feature, its ornate cupola/bell tower, was added at this time
as a gift of Mrs. Emily Anderson Knox, the wife of Ladoga' s most prominent
businessman. It was sold to the Ladoga Canning Company for use as a storage
site upon completion of a new high school on East Taylor Street in 1917.
The
property was acquired by the Indiana National Guard in 1921 and served
as an Armory until January 1935, housing Company G, 151st Infantry, Indiana
National Guard, a unit later redesignated Company L, 151st Infantry.
During
the 1920's, the second floor area was used as a community recreation center,
including use as a roller skating rink. Normal Hall has a long history
of serving as a community meeting place. Between 1888 and 1897 , the building
hosted two Civil War veterans organizations, Stonewall Jackson Camp #1,
United Confederate Veterans, and Bruce Post #273, Grand Army of the Republic.
According to the Confederate Resource Center, located at Hill Community
College in Hillsboro, Texas, Normal Hall in Ladoga is the only building
in the United States known to have hosted monthly meetings of veterans
from both sides of the Civil War.
Normal
Hall became the home of the newly organized American Legion Post #324
in December 1944. It served numerous community functions, including as
a meeting place for the Ladoga Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. However, due
to its declining membership, the American Legion ceased holding meetings
in Normal Hall in the mid-1970's. Following 20 years of deterioration,
the building was turned over by the American Legion in 1989 to joint ownership
of the Town of Ladoga and the Clark Township Trustee. Historic Ladoga,
Inc. was organized in the spring of 1993 after which it successfully acquired
title to the property in 1994.
