Originally called Das Deustsche Haus when it was built in 1893 it was constructed by one of the grandparents of the famous author Kurt Vonnegut. A German social club, it had gymnastics as its theme. Because of World War I, in 1917 with anti-German sentiment at an all time high, the name changed to The Athenaeum.
Before that happened, however, on 1912, it was at Das Deustsche Haus that Carl Fisher held the meeting that kicked the Lincoln Highway that connected New York City with San Francisco into gear. All those years ago, he raised over a million dollars when a single dollar was a notable sum. Now the Athenaeum is a community serving home to a myriad of different small and nonprofit operations.
Some of the inside where there used to be a bowling alley and gymnasium. Now a YMCA weight lifting facility occupies many of the large rooms as does the Rathskellar restaurant. Coat Check Coffee, a popular coffee shop, invites you to sit down and relax inside for a bit, and there are still concert halls and auditoriums, both small and large, along with a huge beer garden outside complete with stage. There is even one long hallway dedicated to the German influence on the building of Indianapolis. In handsome, brass framed pictures and storyboards, a story is told about all the grand buildings the Germans constructed in Indianapolis.
Early 1900’s view
Turn of the century Bike Ramp along stairs that is still there today!
Other posts about Indianapolis history Martin Krieg created as he wrote "How Indianapolis Built America" are at this link HERE
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