Guaranty Building, 20 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, 1922

Description:	Renaissance Revival Rubush & Hunter, Indianapolis, [Preston C. Rubush, Edgar Otis Hunter] Yes HISTORY: This speculative office building was erectedby Indianapolis financier Albert E. Metzger at the beginning of the downtown office building boom in the decade following World War I. It was the first MonumentCircle building to be built after the 1922 height restriction zoning ordinance was enacted, allowing buildingson the Circle to rise to 108 feet. However, hired architectural firm Rubush & Hunter anticipated a repeal ofthe limitations and prepared plans for a twelve-storybuilding instead. When it became clear the ordinancewould remain, the design was altered to conform resulting in the current nine stories.;BUILDING DESCRIPTION: The building has a fireproofsteel-and-poured-concrete frame with a limestone façade. Like its sister the Test Building at the other end ofthe quadrant, the Guaranty follows the classical formulaof base, shaft, and capital and is uniquely designed tofront Monument Circle. The retail shops on the firstfloor open into the building’s lobby as well as onto thestreet, providing an interior shopping arcade unusual forIndianapolis office buildings of the period. One-overone windows adorn the front facades facing MonumentCircle and South Meridian Street, while three-over-threewindows are visible on the south elevation.;SIGNIFICANT FEATURES: This building’s curved Circle elevation and Renaissance limestone façade harmonizes well with other buildings of the period and establishes a unique architectural setting for the Monument.<br>The heraldic sculpture on the exterior façade (along withthe interior plaster ornamentation) are the work ofprominent Indianapolis sculptor Alexander Sangernebo.Decorative metal detailing, friezes, and spindlecolonettes similar to the Test Building adorn the southand east storefronts. The Meridian Street limestonearched entrance is carved with simplified foliar motifsand a frieze containing the name plate “Guaranty Building” sits above the doors. Sculpted panels on the topfloor display a shield-and-scroll pattern with three fleurde-lis on each shield, and above that, below the cornice,are decorative carved corbels.;-From Monument Circle District Preservation Plan, Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission
Created By:	Indianapolis Engraving and Electrotyping Co.
Source:	http://iuidigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/JC/id/569
Collection:	Jungclaus-Campbell
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Geography:	20 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana
Subjects:	Built Environment--Historic buildings--Indiana Construction--1920-1930 Architecture--Indiana commercial buildings--Indiana--Indianapolis

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