Jeffersonville, Clarksville Sites Listed as Endangered

Two southern Indiana landmarks have been put on a state preservation group’s 10 most endangered landmarks list.Included in the list is Jeffersonville’s Masonic Temple (pictured) overlooking Spring Street near Warder Park. The deteriorating structure was built by Jeffersonville native Arthur Loomis and includes carved Masonic symbols in the limestone structure.The second site is the nearly 300-acre Old Clarksville Site. The area was a pioneer settlement on the Ohio River but is now vulnerable to erosion caused by a nearby dam controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers.“We need them to stop their dam from tearing our bank up," said Jane Sarles, chair of the Clarksville Historic Preservation Commission.But, that's not likely to happen soon, said Greg Sekula, director for Indiana Landmarks’ Southern Regional office.“The Corps of Engineers has basically told Clarksville officials that they do not have the resources to put up a wall or some sort of system to slow down the erosion that’s occurring because of the power plant right there.”A multi-year, multi-million dollar proposal is available to develop the area, but has yet to be financed.Around ten percent of the locations that have appeared on Indiana Landmarks’ list have since been lost.Click here to see a slideshow of the Old Clarksville site from Indiana Landmarks.