Rochester in Fulton County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Centennial Park
Photographed By Craig Doda, February 3, 2024
1. Centennial Park Marker
Inscription.
Centennial Park. . This is the former site of a 3 story brick building built in 1871 by Levi Mercer, Andrew Shepherd and William Bitters. Originally called Balcony Hall because it had a grand balcony on the third floor where plays, concerts and dances were held. In 1875, it was purchased by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows who replaced the original 3rd floor fittings with an IOOF meeting hall which remained until 1967. Alden "Torchy" Knapp bought the building in 1965 and later split the 3rd floor into two separate floors for business and residential rentals. In 1975, James Zimmerman purchased the building and named it Centennial Tower as the building had just passed its 100th birthday. Many businesses rented space in the building over the years. It was destroyed by fire December 9, 2011. Generous donations in 2016 funded Centennial Park. The park was named Centennial from the name of the building at the time of the fire. It was dedicated in honor of Indiana's Bicentennial year, 2016. We hope you enjoy your time here in Fulton County and in Rochester's Centennial Park.
This is the former site of a 3 story brick building built in 1871 by Levi Mercer, Andrew Shepherd and William Bitters. Originally called Balcony Hall because it had a grand balcony on the third floor where plays, concerts and dances were held. In 1875, it was purchased by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows who replaced the original 3rd floor fittings with an IOOF meeting hall which remained until 1967. Alden "Torchy" Knapp bought the building in 1965 and later split the 3rd floor into two separate floors for business and residential rentals. In 1975, James Zimmerman purchased the building and named it Centennial Tower as the building had just passed its 100th birthday. Many businesses rented space in the building over the years. It was destroyed by fire December 9, 2011. Generous donations in 2016 funded Centennial Park. The park was named Centennial from the name of the building at the time of the fire. It was dedicated in honor of Indiana's Bicentennial year, 2016. We hope you enjoy your time here in Fulton County and in Rochester's Centennial Park.
W. Marker is in Rochester, Indiana, in Fulton County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and West 9th Street, on the left when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 826 Main Street, Rochester IN 46975, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 36 times since then. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 12, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
