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For architecture enthusiasts, Columbus is best known for its incredible collection of modern structures, featuring buildings and bridges designed by some of the world's most famous architects, including I.M. Pei, Eero and Eliel Saarinen, Richard Meier, Eliot Noyes, and many others. This hour-long documentary tells the stories behind Columbus's famous Bartholomew County Courthouse, the revolutionary First Christian Church, and the spectacular private residence of former Cummins Corporation CEO J. Irwin Miller.

Columbus, though, is about more than just architecture. Our Town: Columbus also depicts the city's early years, when Columbus was the epicenter of a thriving furniture industry, producing some of the world's finest pieces. Viewers will also learn about the young entrepreneur Clessie Cummins and the founding and rise of his company, Cummins Engine Company - one of the world's largest and most innovative makers of diesel engines.

Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, Columbus has played an important role in world events, serving as home to Camp Atterbury - an important training ground and hospital during the Second World War - and continuing to support and promote architectural innovation. Today, with its newly revitalized downtown, year-round festivals, state-of-the-art hospital, and burgeoning business community, Columbus is truly thriving.

Our Town: Columbus captures the spirit and tells the remarkable story of this truly unexpected, unforgettable gem of a town.

For architecture enthusiasts, Columbus is best known for its incredible collection of modern structures, featuring buildings and bridges designed by some of the world's most famous architects, including I.M. Pei, Eero and Eliel Saarinen, Richard Meier, Eliot Noyes, and many others. This hour-long documentary tells the stories behind Columbus's famous Bartholomew County Courthouse, the revolutionary First Christian Church, and the spectacular private residence of former Cummins Corporation CEO J. Irwin Miller.

Columbus, though, is about more than just architecture. Our Town: Columbus also depicts the city's early years, when Columbus was the epicenter of a thriving furniture industry, producing some of the world's finest pieces. Viewers will also learn about the young entrepreneur Clessie Cummins and the founding and rise of his company, Cummins Engine Company - one of the world's largest and most innovative makers of diesel engines.

Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, Columbus has played an important role in world events, serving as home to Camp Atterbury - an important training ground and hospital during the Second World War - and continuing to support and promote architectural innovation. Today, with its newly revitalized downtown, year-round festivals, state-of-the-art hospital, and burgeoning business community, Columbus is truly thriving.

Our Town: Columbus captures the spirit and tells the remarkable story of this truly unexpected, unforgettable gem of a town.

There are dozens of important historic places in Indiana that are constantly threatened by sprawl, obsolescence, and lack of official protection. Others are disappearing before our eyes by abandonment, neglect, and deterioration. But we can be encouraged because there are many places in our state where people decided to work together to preserve unique historic sites.

Produced by WTIU in cooperation with Indiana Landmarks, Saving Places tells the stories of individuals who are engaged in revitalizing, protecting, and preserving our historic places in Indiana. This video documentary tells the stories of four sites from across Indiana: Wilson Bridge near Delphi; The John Jay Center for Learning in Portland; Lyles Station School near Princeton; and the Maple Grove Road Historic District near Bloomington.

Today, historic preservation is much more about the future than about the past. Saving our historic landmarks helps us build meaningful communities for the future. It also helps us provide a place for those who come after us in which they will understand and appreciate the special culture of Indiana.

Saving Places focuses on the positives of “community-building” and economic growth that successful preservation can engender. Viewers will see the astounding transformations and find out what inspires people to get involved. What actions were taken? What obstacles were faced or are still being faced? All of the projects required organization, commitment, passion, and energy. While there are similarities—each story is different.

There are dozens of important historic places in Indiana that are constantly threatened by sprawl, obsolescence, and lack of official protection. Others are disappearing before our eyes by abandonment, neglect, and deterioration. But we can be encouraged because there are many places in our state where people decided to work together to preserve unique historic sites.

Produced by WTIU in cooperation with Indiana Landmarks, Saving Places tells the stories of individuals who are engaged in revitalizing, protecting, and preserving our historic places in Indiana. This video documentary tells the stories of four sites from across Indiana: Wilson Bridge near Delphi; The John Jay Center for Learning in Portland; Lyles Station School near Princeton; and the Maple Grove Road Historic District near Bloomington.

Today, historic preservation is much more about the future than about the past. Saving our historic landmarks helps us build meaningful communities for the future. It also helps us provide a place for those who come after us in which they will understand and appreciate the special culture of Indiana.

Saving Places focuses on the positives of “community-building” and economic growth that successful preservation can engender. Viewers will see the astounding transformations and find out what inspires people to get involved. What actions were taken? What obstacles were faced or are still being faced? All of the projects required organization, commitment, passion, and energy. While there are similarities—each story is different.

West Baden Springs: Save of the Century chronicles the rise, demise and restoration of the West Baden Springs Hotel. The program begins with the story of the hotel's 1902 construction by owner Lee Sinclair. The spa's glory days and events leading to the 1934 closing of the hotel are examined, as are structural and decorative changes made during the property's subsequent use as a Jesuit seminary and later use as a college campus for Northwood Institute. The program looks at deterioration that occurred after the building was vacated in 1983, and then, using documentary footage and interviews with key figures in the project, follows the over $30 million historic restoration of the property from 1996 to 1998. The camera records essential emergency work that stabilized the structure, unpleasant and pleasant surprises, restoration of architectural details throughout the main building, the re-creation of the gardens, and the replacement of four decorative towers that had been removed in the 1940s.

The program traces the magnificent history of the hotel—from its days as a spa and unofficial headquarters for the National Democratic Party—to its decline after World War II—and finally to the multi-million dollar restoration that has recently been completed along with a casino, an additional golf course and full spa features.

Though the hotel itself dates back to 1845, even before the charter of the town of French Lick, it was the end of the 1800s before it grew to international prominence. Managed by Thomas Taggart in the early 1900s, the hotel became famous for its mineral spring Pluto Water and for its championship golf course, designed by Donald Ross. Taggart wanted to make the hotel a relaxing spa where people would stay for weeks at a time and return frequently.

Co-producer Ron Prickel notes that the hotel location was originally selected specifically because of the spring there and the “medicinal value” of the water. “There wasn’t really much in the way of medicine but it was rejuvenating. The Pluto Water was bottled and shipped all over the world. Their slogan was ‘If Nature Won’t, Pluto Will,’” Prickel said.

The hotel attracted famous people from politicians to movie stars. “Bing Crosby was there. Abbott and Costello did a big war bond drive there; the 1924 PGA tournament was there. In its heyday, the hotel had any amenity that was available in recreation at the time.

The program devotes significant time to the hotel’s history, along with the years of work that went into the restoration.

Painstaking attention was paid to detail in the restoration while also adding to the hotel. The Pluto gazebo and spring houses were restored, where visitors can still take a Pluto Water bath. In addition, the spa area was improved to include all modern amenities. The old conference center, where Roosevelt visited, has been turned into a buffet restaurant and a new conference center for larger meetings has been added with a walkway to the casino.

Prickel and co-producer Gino Brancolini said viewers may be in awe of the extreme attention that was paid to detail in the restoration. “It’s something someone could have done, restored it, and it wouldn’t have been as elaborate. But this was done right,” Prickel said. “It was done because the people involved wanted it done well,” Brancolini added. “The goal is to make it the premiere resort area in the Midwest and maybe the country. They have put a lot of effort to return it to the grandeur they once had.”

Spanning Time: America's Covered Bridges explores the affection Americans have for covered bridges. The program looks at preservation efforts, history, construction, tourism and why covered bridges are important.

“What's fascinating is how universal the feelings toward covered bridges are,” said producer Gino Brancolini. “Everywhere they have covered bridges, people develop an attachment and affection for their bridge. There are instances we heard discussed where someone wanted to tear out the bridge and put in a steel bridge and others would fight tooth and nail to keep it.”

The program contains interviews with preservationists, engineers, builders, restoration experts, tourists, historians and covered bridge aficionados. Because the bridges are often located on rural roads, the program provides incredible scenery from around the country.

Companion Web Site:

The COMPANION WEB SITE contains a long description of the program and a slide show of covered bridges from around the country.

This 28-minute video documents five generations of Indiana stone cutters and carvers who have helped create some of the most beautiful buildings in United States architectural history. With a mixture of interviews, historic photographs, archival film clips and period music, the program reveals a unique culture that values artistry and skill in stone work, yet is humble about its contributions to the building of America. Shot on location in Indiana, North Carolina, Chicago, New York, Washington, and the Florida Keys, the documentary transports the viewer from warm tropical seas of 300 million years ago to enormous underground quarries being worked by stone cutters today. This program is for anyone with an interest in U.S. architectural history, geology, art, and unique artisan cultures.

It may be a town of 36,000 people, but it ranks with five of America's biggest cities when it comes to architecture. Six of its buildings, built between 1942 and 1965, are National Historic Landmarks, and 60 other buildings sustain the Bartholomew County capital seat's reputation as a showcase of modern architecture.

This WTIU Production received a 2002 Regional Emmy Award Nomination.

Columbus, Indiana: Different by Design tells the story of the distinctive buildings—their special features, their architects, and the community that lives among them. The architects themselves, along with friends, family, colleagues, and clients tell the story. Among the featured structures are:

* First Christian Church by Eliel Saarinen
* Irwin Union Bank by Eero Saarinen, with landscape by Dan Kiley;and its addition by Kevin Roche
* Residence of J. Irwin Miller by Eero Saarinen, with landscape by Dan Kiley
* Mabel McDowell School by John Carl Warnecke
* North Christian Church by Eero Saarinen
* First Baptist Church by Harry Weese

The documentary also includes significant government and corporate structures designed by Robert Venturi, Kevin Roche, Paul Kennon, Myron Goldsmith, I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, Gunnar Birkerts, and other American and international architects.

Columbus residents interviewed on the program include Rene Campbell, J. Irwin Miller, Harry McCawley, Robert Stewart, and Brooke Tuttle. Bartholomew County resident and songwriter Tim Grimm is narrator for the program, and Paul Messing is composer of the original music.

Columbus, Indiana: Different by Design is a production of WTIU, Indiana University in association with Spellbound Productions, Inc.; Terrence Black, producer/director, and Nancy Callaway Fyffe, producer/writer; Steven Krahnke, executive producer.

Production of Columbus, Indiana: Different by Design was made possible by the generous support of The Columbus Area Visitors Center, Columbus Container Inc., and the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation.

Additional funding was provided by The Heritage Fund of Bartholomew County, Inc., the Columbus Economic Development Board, and Cummins Inc. Additional support comes from Frank Adams, Jr. & Associates, Johnson Ventures, Inc., Kramer Furniture & Cabinet Maker, and Textillery Weavers, and by an Historic Preservation Education Grant from the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, the Indiana Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Companion Website:

The COMPANION WEB SITE was created to help kids learn about the historical and cultural context that surrounded the construction of eight key Columbus buildings.

It uses Flash movies featuring contemporary photos to create a narrative of life in the United States in the mid- to late-Twentieth Century.

We think adults will enjoy it too!