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Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company | |
Location | Indianapolis, Indiana |
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Coordinates | 39°46′33.5″N 86°10′1.5″W / 39.775972°N 86.167083°W |
Built | 1927 |
Architect | Rubush & Hunter |
Architectural style | African-Art Deco |
NRHP reference No. | 80000062[1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | July 17, 1980 |
Designated NHL | July 17, 1991[2] |
The Madam C. J. Walker Building, which houses the Madam Walker Legacy Center, was built in 1927 in the city of Indianapolis, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and as Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. The four-story, multi-purpose Walker Building was named in honor of Madam C. J. Walker, the African American hair care and beauty products entrepreneur who founded the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, and designed by the Indianapolis architectural firm of Rubush & Hunter. The building served as the world headquarters for Walker's company, as well as entertainment, business, and commercial hub along Indiana Avenue for the city's African American community from the 1920s to the 1950s. The historic gathering place and venue for community events and arts and cultural programs were saved from demolition in the 1970s. The restored building, which includes African, Egyptian, and Moorish designs, is one of the few remaining African-Art Deco buildings in the United States. The Walker Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[2][3]