A break from election overload: Exploring Columbus

The Flatrock River nearing sunset below Upland's Columbus Pump House. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Heading into election week, I wanted to slow it down with a focus on what Indiana has to offer Hoosiers and tourists. Last year, I visited Madison and was taken by the quaint town. I also promised to do more things that Indiana has to offer. And that led me to Columbus, Indiana.

The large arch perfectly frames the bell tower of the First Christian Church in Columbus. The church was the first contemporary building in the city, designed by Eliel Saarinen. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

My sister-in-law Julie met me in between our two homes for a much-needed girls trip.

We started these trips after my brother, her husband, died in 2016. The first one was on the one-year anniversary of his passing and was meant to be a way to cope with that difficult time. Washington, D.C., was the first of the sojourns and we’ve been going strong ever since. Sometimes the trips are small and more local, such as French Lick or Chicago. And sometimes they are farther away, like Toronto and Philadelphia.

Julie had no idea what I was roping her into with this one, but we found a cute Airbnb and had a blast.

I crowdsourced some restaurant recommendations and we ended up at Upland’s Pump House on Friday night. The place was hopping, and I can’t recommend the whipped feta enough. It was a great atmosphere in a historic refurbished building.

There are also some lovely photos to be had if you venture down by the water the restaurant overlooks. But please be smarter than me and wear proper footwear.

Architecture history

The next day we headed to a tour of Columbus. I had been hearing for years about how the city of around 50,000 had become a surprising hub of architecture. And I was fascinated to find out how that happened.

The American Institute of Architects ranked it 6th in the nation for architectural innovation and design — right behind Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

In Greek mythology the winged Eos was the goddess of the dawn. This sculpture by Dessa Kirk was part of the 2006 Sculpture Invitational. The piece was so popular with the community that a fund drive raised the money to ensure she had a permanent home in Columbus. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

The visitor’s guide lists over 90 buildings and pieces of public art by internationally noted architects and artists. The two-hour tour introduced us to the likes of Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen, Kevin Roche, I.M. Pei, Harry Weese, and Deborah Berke.

But mostly, I was fascinated by the public-private partnership created by the Cummins Foundation.

Cummins’ former Chairman and CEO J. Irwin Miller wanted to help the community by providing an alternative to the standard, but uninspired, school buildings being built across the U.S. in the late 1950s and early 1960s. So in 1957, the Cummins Foundation made its first grant to support architecture fees, for the Lillian C. Schmitt Elementary School, designed by Weese.

The Architecture Program became a formal part of the Cummins Foundation in 1960 with a grant for Northside Middle School. It began with schools, but later grew to encompass all facilities in the county owned and operated by public tax dollars.

Everywhere you turn there is an interesting structure in Columbus. It’s a feast for the eyes. Now, not all of them were my aesthetic. The churches – First Christian Church and North Christian Church – were striking architecturally but not as warm as you would hope.

The love of architecture has also morphed to the city embracing art around the city as well, my favorite being the sculpture “Eos.” The Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans was also remarkable.

Ice cream and pizza

My one complaint about Columbus – uneven sidewalks – took me out, so we missed our second tour of the famed Miller House while I iced a knee.

The original wood of Zaharakos ice cream parlor highlights this Columbus institution. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

But we made it back out later for a little shopping and ice cream at Zaharakos. I have been there several times to cover political events, whether it be a meet and greet with Mike Pence or Ted Cruz and his daughters choosing their favorite flavors. But I hadn’t learned about its history or enjoyed the amazing ice cream itself until now.

For dinner I followed another restaurant recommendation, and we had pizza and breadsticks from ZwanzigZ. So tasty.

Here’s hoping you take the opportunity to learn more of what your own state has to offer with trips like this.

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