W. T. Grant fire: Difference between revisions

The [[W. T. Grant]] building in Indianapolis was located at the corner of East [[Washington Street (Indianapolis)|Washington Street]] and Pennsylvania Street downtown. The building consisted of five stories and had been built in the late 1910s after [[W. T. Grant fire (1916)|a devastating fire]] destroyed the previous building. It opened in the early 1910s as the company was expanding, and stayed in business until 1971, when it closed as a result of declining business and the rise of newer, more popular local stores in the area. The building was scheduled for demolition in December 1973 or January 1974, with preparations starting as early as September. At the time of the fire, there were several tanks of propane in the building,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|last=Hartz|first=Michael|date=October 31, 2019|title=1973: The Grant building blaze was one of Indianapolis' most destructive fires|url=https://www.wrtv.com/news/throwback/1973-the-grant-building-blaze-was-one-of-indianapolis-most-destructive-fires|url-status=live|access-date=December 11, 2021|website=[[WRTV]]}}</ref> as well as a small homeless population that had taken refuge inside. The [[Thomas Building]] next door was several floors taller, made up mostly of office space. On the side of the Thomas building opposite the W.T. Grant was Kirk's Furniture and the [[Merchants National Bank and Annex|Merchants National Bank Building]] (later renamed the Barnes and Thornburg Building), which was occupied by office space and a jeweler housing a large oxygen tank.