Home to fewer than 50,000 residents, Columbus, Ind., seems an unlikely setting for a Modernist architecture bastion. It came into its own in the mid-20th century, when the president of the Cummins Diesel Engine Co., J. Irwin Miller, began financing design fees for buildings if the town would solicit the work of master architects. There are seven national landmarks and more than 60 buildings that were built as the town adopted Miller’s philosophy: “What is built reflects what a city thinks of itself and what it aims to be.” Columbus is a town for the curious and forward-thinking.
I was drawn to it by the 2017 film Columbus by then-Nashvillian writer-director Kogonada. Shot in just 18 days, the film is spare and poignant, with the setting acting as a character that provides both tension and ease.
“When I found Columbus as a place, that meant a lot to me,” Kogonada told the Scene in 2017, “because it did represent so much that had occupied so much of my adult life, which is how do I make sense of being human in a modern world, especially as I find things in the past not tenable for me?”
Stay
The Inn at Irwin Gardens dates back to 1864, built for banker and businessman named Joseph Irwin — an ascendant of J. Irwin Miller. A relatively modest Victorian design at first, the house saw several renovations that showed the growing wealth of the Irwin clan and the architectural styles in vogue through the next several decades. Most features of the 1910 restoration have been largely preserved, and the inn still sports the same fine oak floors, tiles imported from France and Wales, and Italian marble fireplaces. The grounds feature a magnificent garden that’s based on the Casa Degli Innamorati in Pompeii. It features fountains, a cascading pool, a sunken garden, sculptures and a variety of flora. Even if you don’t stay at the inn, it’s worth strolling through the garden when it is open to the public from 2 to 6 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays.
There are five guest rooms that range from $200 to $300 per night, and they’re appointed with beautifully maintained antiques, modern conveniences and picturesque views of the garden and surrounding neighborhood. Get downstairs between 8 and 9:30 a.m. for breakfast to prepare for a day of sightseeing.
Do
First Christian Church
Book a tour on the Visit Columbus website ahead of time, because they do sell out. We opted for the Architectural Highlights Tour, which is part walking tour and part by bus. It starts at the Columbus Visitors Center, which has a gravity-defying Chihuly sculpture in the staircase. My favorite stop on the tour is the First Christian Church, which was designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen in 1942. It’s an incredibly strange structure for a church, resembling a large rectangular block, with a separate Jenga-like tower beside it. The sanctuary is vast but structurally minimal, relying on windows to bring in natural light. Our tour guide pointed out all the ways Saarinen considered how the building would be used, along with how it would look. It’s a principle you see throughout the buildings in Columbus — architects designed structures that were, in some ways, a collaboration with their clients, considering form and function equally.
Library and Henry Moore's "Large Arch"
From there, we visited dozens of other buildings that occupy the town as schools, banks, firehouses, a hospital and more. That’s what’s so neat about this town — the architecture isn’t limited to churches and residences, but scattered throughout municipal buildings, businesses and public places. I asked our tour guide if there were city ordinances against building taller than the historical buildings. He laughed. No, he told us, but the builders would be so ostracized that no one has ever tried. If you prefer self-guided tours, you can sign up for free tours at your pace — whether you want to walk, drive or cycle. Definitely schedule ahead to get on the Miller House Tour. Designed by another Finn, Eliel’s son Eero Saarinen, the jewel-box-like home was the private residence to J. Irwin Miller, and it’s ranked up there with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater.
Architecture is the main event in Columbus, but be sure to leave time for wandering so you can sink into everything this close-knit community has to offer. Mill Race Park features more architecture to check off your list, as well as a perfectly round lake, a covered bridge and lots of spots to lay down a blanket for a picnic. For shopping, you can’t go wrong with the carefully curated Viewpoint Books. Support Hoosier artisans by shopping at the Tri-State Artisans Market downtown. On your way in or out of town, pick your way through the Exit 76 Antique Mall.
Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum
For food, the touristy — and super fun — place to go is Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum. You can grab tasty and standard diner fare — soups, salads and sandwiches — as well as sundaes, milkshakes and malts. Zaharakos has been around since 1900, so be sure to take a look at the mechanical musical instruments, soda fountain library and pre-1900s fountains. It’s an old-timey treat.
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