Athens of the Prairie: How Columbus, Indiana Got Great Architecture

Columbus, Indiana is a city of around 40,000 people located an hour south of Indianapolis. Columbus is exactly the kind of city you'd expect to find in the Midwest, except for one curious thing. The American Institute of Architects has ranked Columbus 6th in the nation for architectural innovation and design, right behind New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

The architectural richness of Columbus isn't the result of some visionary planning board. Nor are the zoning laws in Columbus different than those in most other Indiana cities. Columbus has fascinating architecture because in the 1950s industrialist and philanthropist J. Irwin Miller (of the Cummins Engine Company) decided that he wanted to live in a more visually interesting city. To this end, Miller offered to pay the architect's bill for any new public building in Columbus. Today, Columbus boasts more than 70 buildings designed by internationally celebrated architects like I.M. Pei, Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen, Richard Meier and Harry Weese.

One man's philanthropy sparked, as Bradley Brooks of the Indianapolis Museum of Art puts it, "an idea that is moving a community forward."

Approximately 4 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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[bracomadar]

You should see the amazing architecture at Bob's BBQ, Paintball, and Live Nude Girls. Best entertainment for miles!

[jetriot]

One of the first steps to getting to people to consider Libertarian beliefs is to dispel that notion that Libertarians are arrogant, selfish, assholes. One easy step in that direction is by making the comments section of channels and forums we congregate in better than the cesspool that is the rest of you-tube and the internet.

Stop using the comments section as a place to have a personal tantrum about nitpicky things in the video or what the trolls are saying and lead by example.

[BornToRunBarefoot]

You should stop using the comments section to express your own opinions that have nothing to do with the video. Or are you just trying to start an argument here?

[thegreatlordkaiser]

the video has stopped and i think i can still just barely hear them

[thegreatlordkaiser]

i know right!

[Mako561]

My truck has a Cummins engine.

Is seems like Mr.Cummins was just a smart guy.

[johnnydoggs]

@BornToRunBarefoot yea right you ain't perfect beech

[nameofthepen]

Ugh! I don't see anything the least bit beautiful about these cold, impersonal, inorganic, monotonous, glass and steel bins. Sorry.

[BornToRunBarefoot]

Whatever is wrong with you is no small thing.

[johnnydoggs]

So he paid for the architects design Not the actual building of the buildings!? Da fuck !

[gcrady]

Well said. I wish Youtube would post the age of commenters by their name, it would immediately clarify one's perception based on their life's experience. Informative comments help open the window to further details about alot of vids,

I have helped to build a few buildings in Columbus over the past 30yrs in construction, and always enjoyed driving around there before heading home each night.