The Hulman Building is a historic ten-story Art Deco building located at 20 NW Fourth Street in Downtown Evansville, Indiana. Completed in 1929, it was originally constructed for Central Union Bank and was among Evansville’s earliest modern high-rise buildings.

Designed by the Indianapolis architectural firm McGuire & Shook, the building is considered one of Evansville’s finest examples of Art Deco architecture, featuring distinctive geometric ornamentation and an elaborate marble-and-brass banking lobby.

Central Union Bank failed during the Great Depression, closing in 1932. The building was subsequently acquired by the Hulman family of Terre Haute, whose business interests later became famously associated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500, and the building became known as the Hulman Building. Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company (SIGECO) moved into the building in 1938 and occupied it for many years.

The Hulman Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and remains one of the most recognizable historic structures in Downtown Evansville. In more recent years, preservationists have raised concerns about the largely vacant building’s condition and future, with Indiana Landmarks placing the Hulman Building and its neighboring garage on its 10 Most Endangered list.

Recent Ownership and Redevelopment

In the spring of 2022, the Hulman Building and its neighboring 1927 parking garage were purchased by an out-of-state buyer through an online auction. The new owner subsequently listed the building and garage for sale as separate properties, a move that raised preservation concerns because adequate parking is considered important to the successful redevelopment of the historic high-rise. With much of the building vacant and suffering from water intrusion and other deterioration, the Hulman Building was named to Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered list in both 2022 and 2023. Various redevelopment ideas have since been proposed for the property, including converting the upper floors into residential units while preserving the building’s historic Art Deco character.