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ADNA History

The Anderson Downtown Neighbors Association (ADNA) is a nonprofit corporation formed to enhance, protect, inform, and preserve the historic areas of downtown Anderson, Indiana from John to Jackson Streets and 9th to 14th Streets.

This downtown Anderson area has a storied past: what was once "the place to live" from the late 1800s to the early 1960s became an area prime for the misguided redevelopment of the late 1960s and early 1970s. A great many properties fell to the wrecking ball after years of neglect from absentee landlords. Some of our most pristine buildings, unfortunately, met this fate and the now empty lots became the requisite parking lot. Fortunately, two historic districts were created, one in 1976, and one in 1984-85.

ADNA was first formed in October 1980 by a group of concerned residents not satisfied with the direction they saw the neighborhood taking. Since that time, ADNA has supported a neighborhood crime watch, a curbside recycling program, neighborhood cleanup weekends, a yearly calendar, and many regular historic home tours. A passive park was created in empty lots at 12th and Lincoln streets through the combined efforts of ADNA, Anderson Community Schools, and the city of Anderson. In 1994, a gazebo was built by ADNA members in the Lincoln Street park.

In the late 90s, a group of ADNA members realized that even with our historic district designations and our great many efforts we where continuing to lose additional properties. A growing sense of urgency developed and in 1998 ADNA established its first effort at home renovation and restoration through a program developed with one of the local property owners. Following the completion of this project, ADNA stretched its resources and determination even further with the purchase of a property in October 2000. With the assistance of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (now Indiana Landmarks), loans were secured to purchase a 4 unit rental property at 411 Historic West 10th Street for restoration.

One of the goals of this web site is to promote our neighborhood in other locations and encourage people to consider downtown Anderson, Indiana in their quest for a restored or restorable historic building for use as a home or as a business location.