The Ruins

Toward the end of the book Hazel Grace and her parents embark on a picnic in Holliday Park at the site of "The Ruins"

The history of Holliday Park and The Ruins is actually quite interesting.  In 1916 John and Evaline Holliday donated their country estate to the City of Indianapolis on the occasion of the centennial celebration of Indiana's Statehood.  Holliday intended for the grounds to be used for recreation and the study of nature.  

18 years earlier New York City's first 26 story skyscraper, the St. Paul Building was erected.  The statues at the top of the columns in Holliday park originally festooned the facade' of the St. Paul Building.

Designed by architect Karl Bitter, the statues are made of Indiana limestone and are entitled "The Races of Man".

The statues depict a Caucasian, African-American, and Asian man laboring together and to appear as if they are holding up the St. Paul Building as shown in the old postcard view below.

This is very reminiscent of the Administration Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, CA.

I will find a way to work Dinsey into just about anything I write.

In the 1950's the Western Electric Company, who now owned the building, decided to demolish it to make way for a larger facility.  Fortunately they felt that the Statues on the facade should be saved from destruction.  They held some sort of competition which the City of Indianapolis won and the "The Races of Man" were relocated to Holliday park.

Although the project began in the 1950's the Ruins area was not completed until 1977.  A variety of problems ensued including budget over runs due to the fact that the designer of The Ruins portion of the park, Elmer Taflinger, kept making changes to the project.   He continually added Greek columns from convents and churches throughout the area as well as four limestone statues from the Marion County Courthouse.

But time has not been a friend to Holliday Park Ruins.  Age and exposure to the elements caused many of the added columns and statues to deteriorate.  The shallow reflective pool in front of the "Races of Man" began leaking years ago and was drained.  It now sits empty except for weeds growing up through the pool's bottom and the occasional brick that has fallen off the facade'.  Vegetation has overgrown the area obscuring portions of the facade' containing inscriptions that might give a glimpse at the inspiration of the design and complete presentation.

Thus ends our look at the Ruins of Holliday Park.

Similarly this ends our photo tour of the places mentioned in The Fault In Our Stars.  It was a wonderful story filled with wit, humor, and heart-breaking sorrow.  We have enjoyed playing amateur detective and visiting the specific places mentioned in the book as well as trying to locate others where exact locations were not mentioned.  I have tried very hard not to give away any plot points as this is a book that should be approached with no prior knowledge of it's story line as it is pure and should be consumed by the reader as fresh as possible, without any content spoilage.  If you have already read it you know what I mean.  If you have not read it go forth and do so.