War Memorials Commission starts replacing trees around historic Indianapolis landmark

Indianapolis, Indiana – According to the Indiana War Memorials Commission, crabapple trees outside the Indiana War Memorial that were dead or decaying were removed in September. New trees will be planted all around the National Historic Landmark in the spring.

The commission’s executive director said, “We are working with an arborist to identify replacement trees to be planted next spring.”

On the east and west sides of the War Memorial at 55 E. Michigan St., a few blocks north of Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, about 50 crabapple trees were planted in the early 1970s. The trees were taken out by workers from the Indiana Department of Correction. On Wednesday, there were only a few stumps left.

The commission’s executive director, retired Air Force brigadier general J. Steward Goodwin, wrote, “The trees had grown to the point they were blocking the amazing architecture of the building that was built from Indiana limestone from 1925-1933. The Indiana War Memorial design was taken from one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World known as Halicarnassus.”

According to Goodwin, plans were “in progress” for residential sites around the War Memorial to finance the new trees and organize volunteers to plant them.