Take a Tour and Our Historic Westfield Trivia Quiz

The City of Westfield is home to a historic home and two historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. This special designation puts them on the U.S. government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation.

On Saturday, June 3, you can immerse yourself in Westfield history during the Westfield Preservation Alliance’s self-guided Walking Tour of these historical places. A detailed map with photos and information will be available in the free "U R HERE - Historic Westfield, IN" app (available wherever you download apps on your smartphone) and at the official tour start at Cave Printing. (Event details available here.)

WPA members Linda Naas, Susan Boyer, Elaine Hinshaw, Gloria DelGreco, Marla Ailor and Judi Stanley Shuck brought this official Bicentennial event to fruition.

“We’re just very proud of our history,” Shuck says, emphasizing Westfield residents’ important role in helping slaves travel north to freedom by way of the Underground Railroad. “I think of who those people were and what they did for others who needed help. They risked a lot.”

Shuck is a fifth-generation Westfield resident and is working to get young people more interested in history.

“There’s so much rich history to tell. I will be promoting history until I’m done from this earth. it’s so fascinating,” Shuck says. “If you don’t know where you came from you don't know where you’re going.”

To get a taste of what you’ll learn on the tour, test your own historic Westfield knowledge by taking our quiz! (Answers appear below.)

Historic Westfield Trivia Quiz

1. Hadley Community Park was named after Roy O. Hadley, a longtime resident, civic leader, and Lions Club member for more than 50 years. Hadley died in 1994. Which of the following did Hadley say about Westfield during his lifetime?

1. “I would not want to live in any other community. There are a lot of wonderful people in this town.”

2. “New York was too big. Paris was too fancy. For me, Westfield was just right.”

3. “My heart belongs here, but when I am craving a good tenderloin, I have been known to travel to Nick’s in Huntington.”

2. The building that houses Union Jack’s Pub and Restaurant on South Union Street was originally two commercial buildings. What was the upper portion of the brick building?

1. Bagel shop

2. Saddle-maker

3. Blacksmith shop

3. The designated Westfield Historic District is a relatively small area of commercial and resident dwellings almost equal in number. How many homes currently being used as residences are on the tour within the Westfield Historic District?

1. 4

2. 12

3. 22

4. On the southwest corner of Union and Main Streets is one of many downtown buildings scheduled for demolition. It was once a popular hangout for high school students. What attracted young people to this Westfield hotspot?

1. Soda fountain

2. Free pinball

3. Dungeons and Dragons

5. Westfield’s first telephone was installed in 1884 in the home of Irvin Stanley, who lived in Park Street. In 1956, automatic dial equipment was put into operation. How did the city introduce how “new” dial telephones operated?

1. They held a parade featuring a 130-foot-long telephone cord.

2. They held a meeting inside the high school auditorium to demo the new phone.

3. They distributed a phone to each resident’s doorstep with detailed installation instructions.

6. The tour app includes lots of architectural details about the buildings. What sort of roof is commonly found?

1. Elbowed roof

2. Two-legged roof

3. Hipped roof

7. When the Quakers settled in the Westfield area, they established grammar schools. In 1860, a committee was appointed to raise subscriptions to build a 30’x50’ two-story brick building for the high school. Sixty-five enrolled students enrolled in the school in its first year open. What was this school named?

1. Union High School

2. Shamrock High School

3. Westfield High School

8. The current home of Vitality Physical Therapy was once the medical office of Dr. A. F. Connoy. He practiced out of this English Cottage/American Small House style office for 35 years. During the 1950s, lots of Westfield children visited him for what common purpose?

1. Treating neck injuries due to Sputnik excitement and false sightings

2. Inoculating young people with Salk’s polio vaccine

3. Fitting kids for glasses due to increased screen time following the premiere of “I Love Lucy”

(Answer key below)

Cave Printing serves as the starting location for the Westfield Preservation Alliance’s self-guided Walking Tour. Pick up printed materials about the tour there on June 3. Additionally, windows in Westfield's downtown will be decorated with historic items, so be sure to check them out on your tour.

The Hamilton County Bicentennial is proudly supported by Duke Energy, Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, Hamilton County Tourism Inc., and Hamilton County Historical Society.

ANSWER KEY:

1. 1. "I would not want to live in any other community. There are a lot of wonderful people in this town.”

2. 3. Blacksmith shop

3. 2. 12

4. 1. Soda fountain

5. 2. They held a meeting inside the high school auditorium to demo the new phone.

6. 3. Hipped roof

7. 1. Union High School

8. 2. Inoculating young people with Salk’s polio vaccine