Pieces of Pulaski: Preserving History, One Heart at a Time

The heart of Francesville grew a little bigger last September when its downtown area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The journey to being listed wasn't necessarily a fast or simple process, but it has proven to be both worthwhile and meaningful to the town. Work on this endeavor began in early 2023 when representatives with the Uptown Project met with historic preservation consultant Kurt West Garner of K.W. Garner Consulting. Together, they walked and reviewed the area that had been identified as being potentially eligible for the historic designation. Garner was later hired to submit a nomination for the district to the state historic preservation office. The application was finished in August 2023. The Francesville Commercial Historic District covers most of the main downtown area. It lines the north/south and the east/west main corridors through the center of town and extends a few blocks in each direction. The district contains over 40 buildings, including four churches, the Carnegie library, the post office and the town hall/fire station. The four churches include the Francesville United Methodist Church, the former St. Francis Solano Catholic Church, the Francesville First Christian Church and the United Salem Church of Christ. The buildings date from 1887 through 1967 and feature differing architectural styles, such as Italianate, Queen Anne, Gothic, Neoclassical, Craftsman and Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival. Only three residences are a part of the historic district due to their position between commercial buildings and/or churches.