Greyhound Bus Station
102 NW 3rd Street
Evansville, Indiana
Article by Stacy Nurrenbern
The Greyhound bus station is reminiscent of days past. Although it is no longer in use, it is still a good example of the Art Deco style, popular in the 1920’s and 30’s.
The blue and white exterior, smooth lines, rounded corners, sleek enamel, and cast glass blocks all add to the Art Deco qualities.
The glass blocks positioned over the entrance illuminate the interior of the building and frame the main doorway. The once glowing neon sign used to flash and reflect light onto the street and cast light upward where it would strike and animate the embedded greyhound images along the top of the building. Now dark the neon sign is a reminder of what used to be.
This Greyhound station opened for business in 1939 at a cost of $150,000 and at its prime had more than 100 busses coming and going daily. This once welcoming and bustling location is now closed. There are however discussions in progress for potential uses to help recreate a welcoming and bustling downtown Evansville.
Additional Information:
This enamel exterior building was built over 1938-1939 by the architect Arrasmith.
A $2500 grant from the Historic Landmarks of Indiana and a $500 match from the Preservation Alliance of Evansville are being used to determine how much the renovation of the building would cost. With the construction approval of a new downtown stadium, to replace Robert’s Stadium, there are many considerations being made to recreate the downtown atmosphere and attract visitors to the city of Evansville. One suggestion being considered is to allow a restaurant to occupy the building. Let us hope that the powers that be understand and hold value in preserving the history.
