7/23/2015 Plaque Unveiling At 2 & 4 North Main St, Knox

Please join us for a short ceremonial plaque unveiling at 2 and 4 North Main Street, Knox, former home of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation (SCEDF), to recognize this historical location, on Thursday, July 23, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. CDT.    The plaque is required by the Indiana State Historic Preservation Office due to the funding source of the demolition project.  The plaque was funded by the SCEDF and will educate citizens on the history of the site.

 We look forward to seeing you there!!

 Lisa Dan
Administrative Assistant

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

2 North and 4 North Main Street

(Koffel Building – 1891)

Knox, Indiana

April 1, 2013

The building comprising 2 North Main Street and 4 North Main Street in the City of Knox, Starke County Indiana was constructed in 1891 and was also known as the Koffel Building.  It is part of the Starke County Courthouse Historic District.  It is located in what became the main downtown central business district.  Although there were other business buildings on other streets in the Knox Downtown business district, those streets did not house the most prominent businesses.  This specific area is the first two blocks of Main Street located south of the southwest corner of the Starke County Courthouse Square.  The current Starke County Courthouse was erected during the years 1897 and 1898.   The then existing courthouse, a two-story columned white wooden structure, was relocated to permit construction.

The east side of the first block of Main Street south of the Courthouse Square became known as the Koffel Block; presumably because the Koffel Building predated many of the other buildings on the east side of that block on Main Street.  In 1892 the two blocks of Main Street south of the Courthouse Square were laid in brick.  Electricity was installed in 1895 and water was installed in 1908.  This two block area became the core of the downtown business district of Knox, Indiana.