BRICK OF THE MONTH: John V. Barnett

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Walking around the Circle, you may have noticed the faint etchings of names in the bricks. In the late 1970’s, Commission for Downtown began a revitalization project that included re-bricking Monument Circle and allowed citizens to have their names engraved there in return for a small donation. These are the stories of the individuals, families, and companies whose names can be found engraved along the most famous streets in the city.

When John Barnett Jr. heard about the “sidewalk hall of fame” planned for Monument Circle, he knew immediately that his father, John V. Barnett, deserved to be a part of it; Barnett also knew that he wanted to be the one to give his father that gift. “He worked downtown Indianapolis his whole life, first for the state and then when he retired he was the president of the Chamber of Commerce,” says Barnett.

Barnett, a lobbyist with Bose Public Affairs Group, works downtown and treks across the bricks from his office to the State House often. Barnett Sr. has since passed on, but Barnett says his father knew exactly where the John V. Barnett brick was placed: in the heart of the city which he loved and served for the majority of his life. 

“There are a bunch of great leaders from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s on that sidewalk, and it sure made sense to me that he be included in that list. He was a good, hard-working businessman. I haven’t seen the John V. Barnett brick in a few years, but I’ll just have to walk past there today.”

Know a particularly compelling story about one of the bricks? Contact Elyse Causey at ecausey@indymonthly.emmis.com.

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