History
The Factory Arts District is the former location of the Schwitzer Corporation, a pioneer in the automotive industry.
Louis Schwitzer was a brilliant engineer, businessman, and philanthropist—and the driver who won the first-ever race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We like to think the Factory Arts District carries on the legacy of imagination, innovation, and community spirit that has thrived here for so many years.
1900
Louie Schwitzer immigrates to the US from Austria. He arrives in New York City with just $18 in his pocket.
After a chance meeting with Howard Marmon, Louie is persuaded to move to Indianapolis- the epicenter for automotive innovation. He began as the designing engineer at Nordyke and Marmon Company where he was involved in the design of the famed “Yellow Jacket” engine.
1909
On August 19, 15,000 people gather at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the inaugural weekend of auto racing. The drivers are inventors and engineers and Louie is among them.
Reaching an average speed of 57.4 MPH, Louie Schwitzer is the winner of the two-lap, five mile race - the first automobile race ever held at the motor speedway.
1911
Ray Harroun wins the first Indianapolis 500 on May 30th in a Marmon Wasp that sports Louie Schwitzer’s “Yellow Jacket” engine
1918
Louie forms the Schwitzer Cummins Company and locates it in an old wood mill located at the corner of 10th Street and Massachusetts Avenue . His company would grow drastically in the coming decades and Louie would expand the facility many times, resulting in a 541,000 sf building on a whopping 16 acre campus.
Louie’s first product line was fans and his firm was soon recognized as leaders in engine cooling systems.
1928
Schwitzer launches its new product line: superchargers. Though this technology had been explored for many years, Louie refined and reached levels of precision with his superchargers that would pay handsomely in the coming decades.
During the Depression, Schwitzer again expanded their product line and entered the coal stoker business. His invention, “The Stokol”, which fed coal into furnaces, is considered one of the first forms of automatic heat for homes and businesses.
1940
All of Schwitzer’s engineering and manufacturing skills are applied to the war effort. The knowledge of metal stamping lead to the production of shell and cartridge cases. Schwitzer’s superchargers, oil and water pumps, and cooling fans were soon found on nearly every combat vehicle, PT boat, and submarine. The ventilating fans and stokers went into combat use for hospitals, mess halls, barracks, and warehouses. Schwitzer’s service during these war years was recognized by five Army-Navy “E” awards for excellence.
1967
Louie Schwitzer dies at the age of 87. He is remembered as an inventor, entrepreneur, aviation pioneer, horseman, and great philanthropist.
He was posthumously inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1970 and, to this day, the Louis H. Schwitzer Award for Design Innovation is presented annually after each running of the Indy 500.
His company lived on as a division of the Wallace Murray Corporation until it was eventually purchased by Borg Warner. Schwitzer Turbochargers are still produced and used widely around the world.
1990
After more than 70 years at Louie’s original factory, Schwitzer - now owned by automotive giant Borg Warner - shuts down operations at Louie’s original factory at 10th and Mass Ave. A new owner renames it the Circle City Industrial Complex, but, failing to repurpose the old structure, the building is bought and sold many times, and eventually falls into foreclosure and disrepair.
2015
Teagen Development purchases the ailing property and divides the building into two addresses - 1011 Mass Ave (Factory Arts South) and 1125 Brookside Ave (Factory Arts North). In subsequent years, Teagen tackles the decades of deferred maintenance and neglect at Factory Arts North and fills spaces with artists, fabricators, and locally-owned businesses including a brewery and distillery. Today, Factory Arts North is home to more than 150 tenants.
Factory Arts South, which was the original footprint of Louie’s factory and the oldest portion of the campus, was officially condemned and required complete redevelopment. Preserving it’s original architectural features such as the iconic sawtooth roofline, large warehouse windows, historical brick, and more, in 2019 Teagen began the process of restoring Factory Arts South to create retail, restaurant, office, and event space.