Milligan Block

Built in 1883, the Milligan Block is a three story red brick building that has been home to many different businesses.

Over much of its life it has been some sort of saloon, café, or restaurant with additional apartments and/or small businesses on the upper floors. During Prohibition it was a soda fountain and then a cigar store. In 2023 the third incarnation of a tavern/ saloon and restaurant with the name of the Silver Moon opened. The first business with a variation on that name operated from about 1885 to 1893. The second operated from 1994 to 2001.

L.P. Milligan built the first building of the Milligan Block. According to newspaper articles, he then built additional buildings to the south in 1893. When he died in 1899, the building was managed by his son Moses W Milligan. The structure was three stories with a basement. The basement and first floor were for businesses. The second floor touted modern flats with suites for offices and the third floor was for rooming purposes. An inspection in 1906, ordered improvements to the building, especially in the area of fire escapes. In 1909, the city directory lists Mrs. Mary C. Milligan (Moses’ widow) as a tenant.

The Huntington County Interim Report, 2^nd Edition, labels the architecture style as Italianate. Italianate was popular from 1855 to 1890 in Indiana. “The Milligan Block has a heavy cornice with molded brick and pressed metal ornamentation.” The balance of the layout and the tall narrow windows are also examples of the Italianate style. The Milligan Block is location number 8 on the National Register of Historic Places registration form for the Huntington Courthouse Square Historic District which was approved in 1992.

1. National Register of Historical Places Registration Form: Huntington Courthouse Square Historic District.
2. “Improvements Ordered,” Huntington Herald [Huntington, Indiana], 28 July 1906.
3. Huntington Indiana National Register Brochure, City of Huntington Historic Review Board.
4. National Register Digital Places. National Registry of Historic Places. Accessed July 22, 2021. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/85461645-f775-4cf8-a822-d8525b7cf0ba
5. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana. Sanborn Map Company, Dec 1892. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn02369_003/
6. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana. Sanborn Map Company, Jan 1898. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn02369_004/