Edward Pierre & the Circle of Lights
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time for this Past Event
- Monday, Dec 11, 2023 6pm - 7pm
Location
Indiana Landmarks
1201 Central Avenue
Details
On Christmas Eve in 1937, Indianapolis architect Edward D. Pierre, who was prone to last-minute shopping, noted Monument Circle’s dark and somber atmosphere as he browsed for gifts downtown. He proposed a seasonal display to boost holiday spirits, launching the city’s time-honored tradition of decorating Soldiers and Sailors Monument.
On December 11, Pierre’s granddaughter and author Lisa Hendrickson shares the origin story of the Circle of Lights and other highlights from the respected architect’s life and legacy, which includes designing the Indiana State Library and Perry Stadium (later renamed Bush Stadium) in Indianapolis.
U. S. Senator Richard Lugar called Pierre, “One of the most significant and imaginative thinkers in regard to the beauty of Indianapolis,” and a former executive director of the Indiana Society of Architects described him as, “The greatest architect the state of Indiana ever produced and probably the greatest visionary architectural professional Indiana has ever known.”
Hendrickson, author of Burning the Breeze: Three Generations of Women in the American West, published by University of Nebraska Press, is currently working on a book about her grandfather.
