Walker, Madame C. J., Building
Built 1927 by Rubush & Hunter. Added to the National Register in 1980, and a National Historic Landmark.



What it is
The Madam C. J. Walker Building, which houses the Madam Walker Legacy Center, was built in 1927 in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, and as Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. The four-story, multi-purpose Walker Building was named in honor of Madam C. J. Walker, the African American hair care and beauty products entrepreneur who founded the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, and designed by the Indianapolis architectural firm of Rubush & Hunter. The building served as the world headquarters for Walker's company, as well as entertainment, business, and commercial hub along Indiana Avenue for the city's African American community from the 1920s to the 1950s. The historic gathering place and venue for community events and arts and cultural programs were saved from demolition in the 1970s. The restored building, which includes African, Egyptian, and Moorish designs, is one of the few remaining African-Art Deco buildings in the United States. The Walker Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | 617 Indiana Ave., Indianapolis, IN |
| County | Marion County |
| Listed | Jul 17, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000062 |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Rubush & Hunter |
| Type of place | performing arts center, theatre building, movie theater |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 buildings |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | 617 Indiana Ave., Indianapolis, IN |
| Website | walkertheatre.com ↗ |
| Coordinates | 39.77618, -86.16718 · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | William Howard Taft National Historic Site · 99 mi · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Map
Reference
Sources
Location, dates, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 80000062. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.


