Read time: 7 min.

I’m a basketball fan who lives in the middle of Hoosier Hysteria, but my love for the game goes beyond buzzer-beaters and obscure stats: I’m fascinated by the history of the gyms themselves! Recently, I’ve been diving into old Sanborn Maps to see how high school gymnasiums were laid out, built, and changed over time. Here’s some more of what I’ve found.

As I wrote last time around, a Sanborn map is a highly detailed fire-insurance map created by the Sanborn Map Company, primarily from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. They were designed to help insurance companies assess fire risk in cities and towns by showing building footprints, materials, height, and use. They’re like time machines for the built environment! Here are ten more old Sanborn images of gyms I’ve uncovered.

Ball Gymnasium- Muncie, Indiana

Ball Gymnasium opened on the campus of Muncie’s Ball State University in 1925. In addition to Ball State’s men’s basketball team, the building also served as the home court of the Muncie Bearcats from 1924 through 1928. Soon after, it became the home of the Burris Owls, who still play there today. The gym made this appearance in a 1954 Sanborn Map of Muncie¹.

Old Central Gym- Evansville, Indiana

Evansville Central High School’s standalone gymnasium was built in 1927. It served as the home of the Bears until 1970, when the school was relocated several miles north of downtown. The YMCA of Southwestern Indiana used the gym until 2019. It made this appearance in a 1962 Sanborn Map of Evansville².

The Church Street Gym- New Castle, Indiana

New Castle’s Church Street Gym was built in 1924 just east of the city’s YMCA. The Trojans used the gymnasium as their home court until 1958, when New Castle Fieldhouse -the world’s largest high school gym- was completed. Today, the old building serves as the Henry Township Community Center. It appeared in a 1924 Sanborn Map of New Castle³. 

Garfield High School Gymnasium- Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute’s Garfield High School was put up in 1911. Its gymnasium was erected in 1938 and served as the home court of the Garfield Purple Eagles until 1971, when the school consolidated into Terre Haute North Vigo. Unfortunately, both the old Garfield High School and its gymnasium have been demolished. They made this appearance in a 1950 Sanborn Map⁴. 

Crispus Attucks High School Gymnasium- Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis’ Crispus Attucks High School was built in 1927 as a segregated facility for the city’s African-American students. A three-story addition and two-story gym, home of the Tigers, was completed in 1938. A newer gymnasium was built in 1966. The older gym appeared in a 1950 Sanborn Map of Indianapolis⁵. 

Memorial Auditorium– Gary, Indiana

Gary Public Schools’ Memorial Auditorium was built in 1927. Among a variety of other services, it functioned as a gymnasium for Gary’s city high schools. After a period of decline, the building was shuttered in 1972. The interior was destroyed in a 1997 fire, and the remnants of the building were demolished in 2020. Still, it appeared in a 1951 Sanborn Map of the city⁶. 

Old Broad Ripple High School Gymnasium- Indianapolis, Indiana

The oldest part of the extant Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis was completed in 1905. The building featured a combination auditorium and gymnasium that appears to have been built in 1934. A new gymnasium home for the Rockets was completed in 1988. Although the sprawling structure no longer resembles its original configuration, I believe the old gym is still in there somewhere! Here, it appeared in a 1956 Sanborn Map of Indianapolis⁷.

South Side Gymnasium- Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne’s South Side High School was built in 1921 and expanded seventeen years later. The 1921 gym -the original home court of the Archers- sat in the center of the original structure near the north side of the building. Today, the old gym is home to the school’s media center. Here it is in a 1951 Sanborn Map of Fort Wayne⁸.

Gerstmeyer Technical Gymnasium- Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute’s Gerstmeyer Technical High School was built in 1883 by Rose Polytechnic Institute. The school moved to the old building in 1922, and a detached Memorial Gymnasium to serve the Black Cats was built in 1949. Gerstmeyer closed in 1971 when the school consolidated into Terre Haute North Vigo. The school was later demolished, but the gymnasium was most recently used as the Terre Haute Boys & Girls Club and is still standing for now. It appeared in this 1950 Sanborn Map⁹. 

Nachand Fieldhouse- Jeffersonville, Indiana

Jeffersonville’s Nachand Fieldhouse was built in 1937 to serve a detached high school that was built to the west in 1910. It was the home court of the Red Devils until 1971. Beyond from acting as a community center, the building is also used by a modern Franklin Square Elementary School today. It appeared here in a 1952 Sanborn Map of Jeffersonville¹⁰. 

I keep finding myself poking around old Sanborn Map archives whenever I’ve got a few idle minutes. Every time I do, I come away with something new. What started as a quick curiosity about old gyms appearing within their pages has turned into a full-blown rabbit hole! At this rate, I might have enough material for a third post.

Sources Cited
1 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana (1954). Sanborn Map Company, 1954. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
2 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana (1962). Sanborn Map Company, 1962. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
3 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from New Castle, Henry County, Indiana (1924). Sanborn Map Company, 1924. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
4 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana (1950). Sanborn Map Company, 1950. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
5 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana (1950). Sanborn Map Company, 1950. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
6 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Gary, Lake County, Indiana (1951). Sanborn Map Company, 1951. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
7 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana (1956). Sanborn Map Company, 1956. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
8 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana (1951). Sanborn Map Company, 1951. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress. 
9 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana (1950). Sanborn Map Company, 1950. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.  
10 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Jeffersonville, Clark County, Indiana (1952). Sanborn Map Company, 1952. Web. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.