The Mabel McDowell Adult Education Center (formerly the Mabel McDowell Elementary School) is an adult education center of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation occupying a historic building in

Columbus, Indiana Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Bartholomew County, Indiana, United States. The population was 50,474 at the 2020 census. The relatively small city has provided a unique place for noted Modern architecture and public art, commissio ...

. The building, built in 1960, is a major early work of architect John Carl Warnecke. It was converted to an adult education center in 1982. In 2001, the building was designated by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

because of its architecture. In its application to the National Park Service for protected status, the building is described as "significant as an early example of modern architecture in Columbus, and as an important example of the contextual work of John Carl Warnecke, a leading architect of the twentieth century." and The building is designed as a series of pods, connected by covered and trellised walkways. The major spaces in each pod (classrooms and other common spaces) are covered by individual pyramidal roof sections. The construction is steel framing on concrete slabs, with the walls finished in steel-clad glass and brick. Warnecke's design for McDowell attempted to combine functionality with open space reminiscent of an Indiana farm landscape. In his concept for McDowell, Warnecke said a "dominant characteristic of southern Indiana is the flat terrain, a horizontal theme accentuated by tall Victorian houses, barns, and silos, with picturesque groves of trees. The school design is based on the creation of similar grouping of masses and spaces in a scheme which focuses the school group into its own controlled environment, yet extends it outward to the community." Warnecke also designed the

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

grave at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

and the Hawaii State Capitol building.

References

External links

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McDowell Education Center
** {{National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Columbus, Indiana School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana School buildings completed in 1960 Tourist attractions in Bartholomew County, Indiana Modernist architecture in Indiana National Historic Landmarks in Columbus, Indiana National Register of Historic Places in Bartholomew County, Indiana 1960 establishments in Indiana