Fort Wayne Landing: A Historic Hub of Commerce and Community Revival
- Sturges Property Group
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Today, we’re diving into some of the rich history of The Landing, Fort Wayne’s first business district and a bustling hub of commerce, travel, and entertainment for over 200 years!
Between the 1830s and 1870s, work began to dig the fifty-foot-wide Wabash & Erie Canal through Fort Wayne. The northeast corner of Columbia and Harrison Streets, where Nawa’s Bison Deck is today, once held the Orbison Basin, a boatyard lagoon for canal boats to dock and turn around. The development of the freight and passenger railways quickly replaced water transport nationwide, and the canal became defunct. Nickel Plate Railroad purchased sections of the canal and began to fill it with dirt throughout the 1870s and 1880s to make way for new tracks. The first train arrived in Fort Wayne in 1881.
When the Orbison Basin was filled in around 1876, Charles Bash came along in the early-1880s to develop a block of three buildings on that corner—a six-story centerpiece flanked by two four-story structures. The Bash Block of 126-136 W Columbia Street was a statement of Romanesque Revival architecture. Architect Charles Kendrick designed the building with limestone Tuscan pilasters topped with steel lintel, prism glass transoms, round arch windows, and metal cornices. 126 is the only remaining building of The Bash Block today.
Bash erected the central building for the use of A. L. Johns & Company, which can be seen advertised in the 1897 historic image. At the time, A.L. Johns & Co. was the oldest and largest harness firm in the state, creating and repairing horse collars, whips, and saddlery. The east and west wings were used by Bash’s various enterprises. For example, Bash & Co. sold furs, seeds, hides, and produce from about 1885 to 1920.
Over the year, 126 W Columbia St was home to various businesses that shaped Fort Wayne’s growth. Rothschild Brothers supplied wholesale paper in the 1920s, and Meyer Brothers Drug Co. distributed pharmaceuticals in the mid-20th century. Protective Electric Supply Company also resided at 126 W Columbia for about 60 years in the early to mid-1900s. Several ghost advertisements for these businesses are still visible from Dock Street, which was once the front of these buildings because they faced the canal.
But this tiny street’s history goes even deeper. The Landing hit a real turning point in March 1965 when a group of Notre Dame students, local advocates, and Mayor Harold Zeis stepped in to successfully promote this section of Columbia Street as a priceless complement to major downtown development. This area was now safe from demolition and officially named “The Landing” to pay tribute to its canal-era roots when Columbia Street was a hub for boats, stagecoaches, and rail travel. The Landing was officially dedicated to the city on October 23, 1965.
Throughout the late-60s and early-70s, the city purchased surrounding blocks and razed buildings for new civic projects, but in 1978, restoration began on the 100 block of West Columbia Street with a new street, sidewalks, landscaping, and streetlamps. The Landing's revitalization efforts were constantly challenged between the 60s and 80s by arson fires, suburban growth, and urban crime. However, the building at 126 West Columbia St held its ground, truly standing the test of time.
The Bash Block has always been a hub of commerce, from canal-era warehousing to mid-century wholesaling. From the mid-80s until the 2010s, this building was home to Productive Business Interiors, which occupied multiple floors, including the basement, 1st, 2nd, and 4th. Other tenants at 126 West Columbia over the years included Indiana Records Managers, Marquet-Carpenter Corp, Vantage Financial Services, Typographic Compositors, and our personal favorite, The Mole Hole Gift Shop, which can be seen in the 1974 and 1975 historic images.
In 2018, The Landing underwent a massive revitalization, bringing new life, businesses, and energy to this historic part of Fort Wayne. Today, the district is home to some of the city’s most beloved restaurants, shops, murals, and events—including Nawa, Bru Burger Bar, Mercado, Summit City Vintage, Urban Hippie, Marquee, Dana's, and Night Train, among many others!
From its roots as a frontier trading post to its rebirth as a modern urban hotspot, The Landing symbolizes Fort Wayne’s resilience, growth, and innovation. There’s even a chance history will repeat itself with The Exchange, The Landing’s latest development on The Bash Block’s location. In the 1897 historic photo, you’ll notice a grocery store in the bottom left corner, and The Exchange hopes to bring a new grocery store to the first level! Wouldn’t it be great to have a grocer in that location again?
It’s said that more than 2,500 business have occupied the entirety of East and West Columbia Street since the late-1700s. The Bash Block alone has supported everything from creative agencies to consultants to wholesalers, and today, they are ready for something new!
The 3rd and 4th floors above Nawa are now available for lease. Contact Sturges Property Group at 260-424-8448 to make your mark on a space that’s stood strong for nearly 140 years.
Written by: Kendall Heiser & Amy Schuldt
