Preservation
Abandoned and Overgrown
Production at the Medora plant halted at Thanksgiving time 1990 and after the official corporate close out in January 1992, the company sold the property to a local buyer - local logging businessman, Troy Darkis.
Nature had begun to overtake the unused kilns and outbuildings. Alarmed by the site’s neglect and deterioration, Greg Sekula, director of the Southern Regional Office of Indiana Landmarks Foundation took notice and in 2004 wrote -
"Abandoned save for an annual haunted house brickyard community fundraiser, the Medora Brick Plant looks like a place where time has stopped. But time doesn't stop, of course, so trees grow through the foundations and walls of the twelve round kilns and other structures, mortar leeches out, and rust attacks the iron straps around the kilns. Finding a new use for such rare and unusual structures presents a tough challenge."
In 2005 Sekula placed the Medora Brick Company site on its 10 Most Endangered Landmarks list and worked with Darkis to market the six-acre site to a buyer who could repurpose it — a major challenge since adapting vintage brick kilns require a particularly creative solution. Nothing of consequence immediately happened.
Fortunate Connections
In 2006, the endangered designation caught the eye of Steve Graves, living in Florida as he researched his Jackson County - Medora area ancestors. One such relative, Elmer Rudder, had been a supervising brick plant employee in 1914 according to a daughter's marriage license. There was much more about the plant to be found in various references - all of which Graves crafted into a website - MedoraBrickPlant.org to honor those who had toiled there over the years and with hopes of encouraging local preservation.
An Indiana legislator for the district, Representative Dennie Oxley, took note of the Internet posting and reached out to Graves to suggest applying for a State of Indiana historical marker. One of Oxley's ancestors, West Lee Wright, had laid out the town of Medora back in 1853.
There was discussion on where the marker should be placed. At the plant site, a mile from the town of Medora? Long time resident and local historian, Paul Carr (whose ancestors were of Carr township naming) counseled that wayward young fellows would make swiss cheese out of the metal sign in a month with their deer rifles. The town council and State Bank of Medora agreed that the marker would better be placed in downtown Medora at the corner of Main and Perry streets on the edge of the bank's property where it would be safe as well as seen by more people.
Interest Begins to Perculate
The marker was unveiled at a community event on Saturday afternoon May 3, 2008 with about 40 townspeople assembling including Bernard Gray who had served as plant superintendent for its last 45 years of operation. Five retired employees plus friends and relatives of other plant workers were also on hand. There was a band atop a hay wagon and another wagon from which both Oxley and Graves spoke.
Talk around town grew for preserving the plant in some way and blossomed into Save the Medora Brick Plant committee being formed.
Save the Medora Brick Plant organization board of directors signed papers to take possession of the plant property from owner Troy Darkis.
L-R Dale Shoemaker,
Linda Reynolds-Proffit, Troy Darkis,
Tim Reynolds, and Lynn Anderson Cowles
Property Conveys - Preservation Begins
As result of efforts of the committee, on December 28, 2017 property owner Troy Darkis passed 6 acres of the 9 acres of plant property to the newly incorporated Medora Brick Plant and Historical Sites, Inc. - a non-profit formed to accept the gift.
In 2016, Ball State University landscape architecture students outlined plans for the site (dream site plan) which included an amphitheater, memorial garden, temporary market, performance plaza and brick museum.
Greg Sekula of the Indiana Landmarks organization commented that with a vision, and solid plan for site development, and going for larger grants and donations, the eventual goal is to have the site listed on the National Register of Historic Places - which is an acknowledgement that two other Jackson County historic properties have - Carr High School and the Medora Covered Bridge.
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Preservation Underway
The organization's steadfast volunteers boosted at times by other community volunteer groups have done much to clear way intrusive plant growth and debris. Some local masons have volunteered their time as have local electricians that have restored power at the site. Existing buildings have been cleaned and a covered band stand as been erected so that music can better be added to plant events and activities.
Since 2018, the Community Foundation of Jackson County, Indiana and the Owen-Carr Township Community Fund Foundation has provided 11 grants to the plant. These funds specifically have helped restore the plant's office building and roof, among other needs at the plant.
The goal is to preserve and restore, where possible, the plant property for a community park.