A Building with Many Names
The structure at 201-203 West Main Street has carried a variety of names throughout its long life: The Hamlet House, the Mansion House, the Keeley Institute, the Johnson Building, the Kendall Building, and the Barlow Building. Due to the building’s significant period as a rehabilitation center, this account will primarily refer to it by the name Keeley Institute.
Just as the names evolved, so too did the building itself—undergoing continuous renovations and reconfigurations. By 2021, the first floor featured close to a dozen rooms, including restrooms and utility areas.
Origins and Early History
Pre-1874
According to the Plainfield Messenger, the southwest corner of Main and Center Streets was once the site of a hotel that hosted Martin Van Buren in 1842, after his carriage overturned on the National Road. That earlier hotel was later moved and eventually demolished in 1920.
The Hamlet House (1874)
In 1874, James Hamlet constructed a new hotel on the site, known briefly as the Hamlet House—a name still visible today on the building’s ceremonial cornerstone. However, Hamlet sold the building just two years later in 1876 to Samuel Cook, who renamed it the Mansion House and ran a grocery store on the ground floor, with his wife Lydia helping manage the hotel upstairs.
From Hotel to Bank to Rehab Center
The Mansion House (1880s–1892)
- Operated by Isaac Holton, the Mansion House offered lodging, dining, and a billiard room for locals and travelers alike.
Citizens State Bank (1892)
- In 1892, the Citizens State Bank bought the property.
- The bank occupied the west side of the ground floor, leasing the upper floors to the Mansion House.
- A hardware and tin shop took up the east room.
The Keeley Institute (1893–1918)
In 1893, the Keeley Institute, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, took over the upper floors. Previously located at 104 East Main and later 104 West Main, the Keeley finally settled at 201 West Main Street.
- Founded by Dr. Leslie Keeley, the institute was known for treating alcoholism as a medical condition—a progressive notion at the time.
- The treatment, however, included controversial “bichloride of gold” injections and tonics.
- Dr. A.P.W. Bridges led the institute from 1896 to 1916, succeeded by Joseph Prewitt (business manager) and Dr. Ernest Cooper (medical director).
- The Keeley Institute closed with Indiana’s Prohibition in 1918, two years ahead of national Prohibition.
Renovations and Robbery
Remodel of 1915
The east side of the first floor was extensively remodeled for the Citizens State Bank:
- Large plate-glass windows installed
- Interior upgrades: mahogany furniture, Italian tile flooring, electric light fixtures
- Addition of a fireproof concrete vault with steel safe
Bank Robbery (1927)
In January 1927, three well-dressed young robbers, including one later revealed to be a woman named Rose Burke, held up the bank:
- Held employees and a cleaning lady at gunpoint
- Fled with $4,000
- Were later identified thanks to eyewitness accounts
Shortly after the robbery, the Citizens State Bank failed, going into receivership. Final creditor payouts were made in 1935, and the building was sold to Taylor and Adah Johnson.
The Johnson Era (1934–1945)
West Side: Chester “Buck” Bryant’s Barbershop
- Opened in 1934, operated until 1951
- Bryant lived in the building for five years
East Side: J. Sherry Jones, Jeweler and Clockmaker
- Trained by Moses Tomlinson
- Known for inventing a backward-running clock, featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in 1935
- Sold his store to Edward Watts in 1938
Hancook & Johnson Electrical Store
- Originally in the back, later swapped with Watts’ store to the front
- Sold Westinghouse appliances, Tappan stoves, and Zenith radios
James T. Barlow Insurance Agency
- Opened in 1939, joined Hancook & Johnson in the front
- Left for WWII in 1942; Frances Drake ran the office during his absence
Post-War Changes and New Ownership
Milber Kendall (1945–1951)
- Purchased the building and joined Barlow and the license branch in the east front offices
James Barlow Returns (1945)
- Resumed his insurance agency and led the license branch
- Frances Drake later opened her own agency in 1948, which ran until 1980
Logan Morris
- Took over barbershop space on the west side in 1951
- Officially listed by name in directories starting 1960
The Barlow Building (1951–1974)
Marie Barlow
- Bought the building from Kendall in 1951
- Added six third-floor apartments
- Lived in one of the apartments herself
Mergers and Expansions
- Barlow-Arnold Insurance Agency formed in 1955
- Transitioned to Arnold Agency in 1965, then to Arnold and Haimes Insurance in 1976
Ownership Carousel (1974–Present)
Notable Owners:
- Marion Pritchett and Everett Ailes (1974–1979)
- Dick Roberts & Associates (1979)
- M. Dale Palmer (1980)
- Time Marketing Corporation (1981)
- Plainfield Computer Corporation (1984)
- Mid Realty Corporation (1994)
- Pillar Property Management (2015–Present)
Tenants Through the Decades
1970s–2000s
- E & J Ceramics
- Indianapolis Star & News Office
- David Howard’s Allstate Agency
- Palmer Hinkle Keck and Webb Law Firm
- Plainfield Chamber of Commerce
- Plainfield Computer Corporation
- Darksyd Designs, Baseline Data Services
2010s–2020s
- Cox Hammond Realty
- White Lick Antiques
- Joshua Koch’s Farmers Insurance
- Sugar Pine Boutique
- Hope Public Adjusters
- Ecocert ICO
A Hidden Gem: Leland’s Barber Shop (2013–Present)
Tucked in the southeastern corner of the building, Leland’s Barber Shop boasts:
- Black-and-white tile floors
- Classic barber chair
- A traditional barber pole, American flag, and ample taxidermy
- Evokes a nostalgic small-town charm
For a more detailed history of this building, be sure to check out Sarah Wright’s book, 50 Historic Buildings of Plainfield, Indiana, available for check-out or purchase.
