Former Big Run Baptist Church, now FTHS Meeting House, built 1871.
Our building, the former Big Run Baptist Church, was constructed in 1871 and needs continual maintenance and preservation work — from simple repairs like painting and tuckpointing, to big, expensive projects like replacing the roof, improving lot drainage, and replacing support structures in the basement. We are committed to preserving not only our building, but the extensive historic collection housed inside — photographs, documents, clothing, farm equipment, telegraph terminals, flags, yearbooks, and thousands of other artifacts archiving our township’s history — but the necessary repairs will add up to a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.
YOU CAN HELP! Here’s how:
- Donate your surplus household items or antiques to our Indoor Yard Sale. Donations will be accepted at the Franklin Township Civic League building (8822 Southeastern Avenue) on Friday, June 5th from 9AM to 3PM. Those who have items to donate but are unable to drop them that day may make other arrangements prior to that date by calling (812) 267-4651.
- Shop at our Indoor Yard Sale! The sale will be held at the Civic League building Saturday, June 6 from 8AM to 3PM. You’ll find some great bargains, and we’ll raise money for historic preservation. Everyone wins! All sale proceeds will go toward Meeting House maintenance and repair.
- Tell your friends! The more people know about our sale, the more money we can raise. You can also share posts from our Facebook page to reach more people.
- Renew your Society membership. You’ll stay informed of our current projects via our newsletter, and your membership fee helps defray our operating costs.
- Make a tax-deductible donation toward our building maintenance. Donations can be made in person at our Meeting House or any of our events, or can be mailed to Franklin Township Historical Society, P.O. Box 39015, Indianapolis, IN 46239. (Online donations coming soon!)
Thank you for helping us preserve our local history!