Madam C.J. Walker Building

Madam C.J. Walker built a business empire designed to empower Black women. Born Sarah Breedlove, the daughter of formerly enslaved parents developed a line of hair care products that cured her own hair line. With her booming business, she became the country's first self-made female millionaire, a philanthropist, and an advocate for social justice. She moved to Indianapolis in 1910 for its central location, transportation system, and thriving Black business community, and later bought a triangular plot at 617 Indiana Avenue to house the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company's corporate headquarters. In 1914, when she was told she would have to pay an extra fee for a movie ticket in downtown Indianapolis because she was Black, she sued the owners for discrimination and vowed to build her own theater. By 1927, what began as a factory and executive offices had become a vertical commercial complex with multi-tenant offices, the Coffee Pot restaurant, a drugstore, hair salon, cosmetology school, 4,800-square-foot Grand Casino ballroom, and 1,500-seat theater. Designed by Rubush & Hunter and built by W. Jungclaus Company, the tan brick flatiron-style African Art Deco building features richly detailed terra cotta trim and abundant Egyptian and Moorish carvings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Indianapolis city (balance), Indiana · United States