Brick by Brick

The Indianapolis, Lebanon and Frankfort Traction Company was granted permission to build and operate a street railway along Meridian Street (now Main Street). The line ran from the southern edge of town north to Lebanon Street (now Ash Street), then turned west to connect with the tracks of the Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland and St. Louis Railway,  continuing alongside them. Interurban service between Lafayette and Indianapolis began in 1903.

Zionsville’s Main Street underwent a significant transformation. In 1910, the Town Board approved paving the street with bricks alongside the interurban tracks, replacing the original dirt and gravel surface, and by 1911, the brick roadway was complete.

As rail activity evolved, town leaders maintained local access, denying express trains from bypassing stops in 1916. Broader rail changes followed, including the relocation of the Big Four Railroad in 1921 and the surrender of traction company franchises that same year.

This era concluded with the end of interurban service on October 31, 1930, marking the close of a major chapter in the town’s transportation history.

After the Interurban service ended in 1930, the tracks were removed and replaced with a concrete strip and a small brick section through the center of the brick Main Street.

Over time, this section deteriorated, prompting Zionsville resident John Parks to form the“Save the Bricks” Committee in 1969 to restore it.

By 1974, the Town Council considered paving the area with asphalt due to cost concerns, but a group of local residents formed an active Rebricking Committee and proposed a more affordable solution. With community physical and financial support and existing materials, they completed a successful 75-foot test section from Hawthorne Street south to 334/Sycamore Street, proving the project could be done and sparking a larger volunteer effort.

That year, volunteers — including Randy Clark, Ken Woods, Rob Polack, Bob Turner, Jerry Arthur and Ken Kemp — also conducted a hands-on study of the street by raising a 75-foot center strip to examine its condition and test rebricking methods. Over time, dozens of volunteers contributed to preserving the character and durability of Zionsville’s historic Main Street.

Between 1975 and 1976, rebricking efforts on Main Street in Zionsville gained strong momentum. In 1975, two blocks were targeted, with work completed between Cedar andPine Streets by June, and additional sections finished later that year.

A unique center strip of differently sized bricks was added to commemorate the former interurban tracks. By 1976, the project continued with both community enthusiasm and growing local government support, including the purchase of 14,000 bricks. Multiple sections were completed, culminating in the rebricking of the stretch of South Main between Hawthorne and Sycamore Streets in August. These efforts demonstrated that the project could be successfully completed at a lower cost than asphalt, reinforcing the value of the community-led initiative.

The 1980s marked a renewed focus on maintaining the historic charm of Zionsville’s Main Street through a series of rebricking efforts.

Early in the year, the town’s Board approved the purchase of 37,000 bricks from Oil-Way, Inc. for $9,250, to be paid from the Street Fund. In September, Larry Greenwalt, President of the Board, highlighted in a letter to the editor that this rebricking — covering 3,600 square feet from Cedar Street north to the Professional Building — was the first in five years, and plans were in place to continue annual rebricking over the next three years to restore the full length of Main Street.

Through the 1980s, volunteers and committee members consistently contributed to the project. Notable efforts included the rebricking of a 300-foot section on the north end in 1982, volunteer appreciation events in 1983, and additional rebricking in 1984 and 1986.

Because Main Street lacked proper storm drainage, all the bricks from Sycamore to Ash Street were removed, and a new storm drainage system was installed along with new bricks.

At the insistence of Town Council member David Brown, a 9-foot center section was installed using a different color brick, giving the former Interurban section of Main Street a distinctive look.

In 1997, a $260,000 Build Indiana Grant made the rebricking project possible. Town Council President Tom Easterday credited Sen. Steve Johnson, Rep. Jim Buck, Jerry Torr, and local residents Phil Bainbridge and Mark Palmer for lobbying to secure the funds.

By 1998, work was underway: demolition and drainage installation began on August 6. Bricks from Ragland Clay Products, LLC, arrived on November 10, and Decorative Paving of Dayton, Ohio, began laying them two days later. Contractor services were provided by

Smock Fansler Corporation of Indianapolis for a $1.12 million project, with the final brick placed on December 18, 1998.

The newly resurfaced brick Main Street was rededicated on July 16, 1999. Town Council President Tom Easterday led a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by town officials, the Greater Zionsville Chamber of Commerce, the Village Residents’ Association and the Downtown Merchants Association.

Festivities included an old-fashioned ice cream social, live music from The Dandies and Zionsville’s own “Banjo Bill” Hamilton, a raffle from local merchants, and coverage by WTHR-TV Channel 13, including TV personalities John Stehr, Anne Ryder, BobGregory, Dave Calabro and Lis Daily.

The day concluded with a "Town Hall" meeting hosted by the Channel 13 Listens Bus Tour. The rebricking effort concluded in 2003 with the completion of the North Main Street Project from Poplar to Ash Streets, restoring the historic charm and functionality of the corridor.