You are taking this tour AT YOUR OWN RISK. Be aware of cars and other pedestrians. If you are walking slowly, move to the side. Do not stand in the middle of the sidewalk. Cross the street only at crosswalks. Put your phone down when crossing the street.
The Brown Hotel is on this corner. There is a tall building across Broadway (South), a plaza across Fourth (West), and a parking lot diagonally across the intersection.
There are three Points of Interest in this section.
Why is it a magic corner? Because the clock says so–look above the faces. Why do I think it is magic?
Lions!
There are four lions watching from below the clock faces. They have rings in their mouths, which is unusual for lions. Why? To keep them quiet? To make sure the rings are not taken?
Look at the tall building on the opposite side of Broadway.
Vertical
The lack of flanking buildings makes this building look even taller, but that is not all. Notice how the windows, which are already taller than wide, are arranged into vertical columns with very little horizontal interruption.
Walk along Broadway with the Brown Hotel on your left. When you get to the corner, look at the building diagonally across the intersection.
Stripes and patterns.
Many buildings are made of stone and brick, but few use them as decoratively as this building. Notice how the ground floor is all stone, the second has horizontal alternating stripes, and the rest are brick with vertical stone stripes.
And then there are the various diamond patterns under the windows that break up the otherwise featureless brick walls.
Turn around and look at the building diagonally across the intersection.
Contrast on the corner.
Contrast this building with the previous one. The brick walls are plain. What draws the eye the most? The large and solid arches on the ground floor, with their large keystones?
Or, perhaps, the details at the penthouse level? The diamond pattern is repeated here but the deep overhang with its heavily ornamented brackets stands out the most.
Now, look at the beige building directly across the street.
Bosoms.
Really? Where?
We will see. The building is divided into four horizontal sections and we will start with the second floor. It has candy-cane-twist columns between the windows, Pilasters flanking the window groups, and Gryphons between the vertical pairs of windows.
The third section has decorative panels between the windows. They feature shields, Cartouches, torches, and horns.
The fourth section is entirely terra-cotta and has panels as well. The panels between the windows feature half-figure Caryatids in shallow relief. Like many others, they do not appear to have tops on. The details below their waists are not legs, but are front views of brackets.
Turn back around and walk south on Third Street. As you walk past the parking lot, you will see a large concrete building on your right. That is our next stop.
Library, 1969.
This solid concrete structure is the new part of the main library. This style is not always appreciated but has some interesting geometry. The vertical lines of the columns, the horizontal rows of panels, and even the pips on the domino-like panels add up to a solid, dependable structure.
At the last corner of the new building you will see a sidewalk curving off to your right. Follow it.
Library Side.
As you walk toward the original library building the first thing to see, at the corner, is a large fountain in the shape of a face.
In the center of the wall you will notice what looks to be an entrance. It is a niche that perhaps had a statue in its center. It still has some classic details and a face on the keystone.
Follow the sidewalk around to the front of the library.
Look up.
As you walk to the entrance, look at the windows on the upper floor. What do you see?
Lions! The topmost lions have fangs and the ones below the windows are more stylized, with a growly expression.
Continue to the entrance.
Library entrance.
What an entrance–all the classic elements are represented. The columns flanking the door are massive, the door has a Cartouche and brackets above, and the whole thing is capped with a triangular Pediment.
But it is the area between the columns and roof that deserve the attention. There are Cherubs frolicking amongst spiraling foliage–a few have their behinds showing.
But look immediately above the front columns. There are four animal skulls. Now, animal HEADS are common on buildings, but they have always had their skins on.
This is one of two Lincoln statues I know of in the city; the other is sitting and not far from the Big Four Bridge. This statue is easy to miss because of the large shade trees around it.
Notice the base of the statue. Many times these bases are carved into blocks with lots of smooth planes and right angles; here it is natural-looking stones. Imagine the statue on a more formal carved-block base. Given what you might know about this President, which do you think best suits him?
Follow the sidewalk to Fourth Street and turn right. When you have passed the library and crossed an alley, look up at the transition from the short building to the taller building.
Tall and short.
If you ignore the brick walls above, the lower stone walls look as if they are part of an ancient abbey interior. Just add some heavy wood rafter beams.
Continue walking. Stop at the large entrance to the main building.
Heyburn entrance.
Look at that stained glass. It has not been replaced with something more modern. Nor have the revolving doors, which makes the entrance feel really historic. Then there is the marble checkerboard floor and the crown molding along the ceiling.
Continue to the corner and cross to the north side of Broadway. Walk past the clock and continue walking north. Stop at the large OHIO sign.
Ohio Marquee.
You might think that this is a gimmick for the little shop inside. Nope, this is what is left of an actual movie theater. I do not know how it was done, or why, but the bits on the sides and in the back were removed.
Walk under the Ohio marquee and the marquee of the next building as well. Stop and look to your left.
Building: Beige.
The white details evoke a feeling of cake decorations. There is something, though, that makes the geometric details above stand out more, even though they are the same color as the building.
What could it be? They are chuncky and blocky, and resemble an assemblage. Maybe it is because they stick out from the wall more and have more noticeable shadow lines.
One thing that is unusual is the two details just off center in the lower section–the ones that look like inverted torches. These symbols are very common in CEMETERIES, and definitely out of place here.
Walk to face the building immediately to the right.
Building: Blue.
It has nice ornamentation and a nice Wedgewood-like color scheme.
Continue walking north. Before you get to the Palace Theatre, you will see a reddish-brown marble entrance on your right.
A doorway.
It has some very nice Art Deco details. Nuff said.
Walk under the Palace Theatre marquee and stop.
Palace Theatre entrance.
Take some time to look at all the details. Do not forget to Look Up.
Walk to the corner of the second building to the north.
Radio building.
We will look at the whole building on the way back, but take this chance to look at all the tiny details in the panels flanking the windows.
Walk to the next building.
Terra-cotta.
And loads of it. These three buildings are the most highly ornamented on this street and deserve some time.
Walk north to the corner, cross Chestnut Street, and continue walking to face the third building on your left. It is a tall beige building with no front windows and a marquee. That is our next stop.
Fashion marquee.
The whole building evokes a Mid-Century downtown store–no ornamenation and simple geometry. What is nice is that the tall sign is still attached. Is it advertising what was sold, or a its name?
Walk to face the second building to the right; it is light brown brick.
A repeating motif.
Notice the bracket-and-swag detail above the windows. Now look closer at the details–especially at either end–and see if you can figure out the TWO most important details.
If you said the lions, you are correct.
Continue to the corner. Look across the street at the tall brick building towering over the others.
Another side.
Notice the corner details at the top of the building. This a nice example of how to transition from the important FRONT of a building to the less important SIDES.
But, there is something else. Look toward the rear of the building, at the inside corner. See the bay window? Why is it there? None of the other windows have one. Could it be a private apartment in the hotel?
As you walk, take some time to look at the storefronts and imagine what it might have been like when THIS was where one shopped–not a big mall, not a strip mall, and not online.
Just before you get to the corner, look to your right and up. You will see a four story light brown brick building.
Building: Brown.
There are white details similar to the ones on the earlier beige building. But, there is a new detail. Look closely above the windows on the second floor.
Faces!
Continue to the corner, cross the street, and walk south to face that terra-cotta building.
Mercury facade.
Now you get a chance to see all the details–and there are plenty. Colors, too.
Walk to face the building immediately to the right.
Radio facade Two.
We saw before how small the details on this building are. Now that we can see all the details at once, do you think they delicate, almost etched? Are they too busy? Do those skinny brackets look too skinny, even in pairs?
Walk over to the face the Palace.
Palace facade.
Take your time. There are so many things to look at.
The Fox Theatre in St. Louis and the Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis have details like this.
Walk to face the building immediately to the right.
More faces.
This building is similar to the one we saw on the corner of Broadway and Third. This one does not have Caryatids, but it does have faces–about halfway up the building and across the entire front.
Continue walking south. Just before the Ohio marquee you will see a brick building with a metal marquee (you walked under it earlier).
Quilted bricks.
The first thing to notice is the brick pattern. Not only is it from the way the bricks are laid, but also from the color of the bricks themselves.
Look under the small windows on either side to find pairs of Gryphons–ferocious looking ones this time.
And, if you look really closely, you will find four lions on the front of the marquee.
You are done!
Continue walking south. At the corner and to your left across Fourth Street, you will see the clock from the beginning of the stroll. Cross the street and you have finished the stroll.