Plainfield, Indiana

Plainfield Friends Meeting

In 1822, a tract of land which included the area now known as Plainfield was obtained by Jeremiah Hadley of Preble County, Ohio. Ten years later he sold it to his son, Elias Hadley. Levi Jessup and Elias Hadley laid out the town in 1839. Plainfield was incorporated as a town in 1839.[6] The town got its name from the early Friends (Quakers) who settled around the area and established several meetinghouses throughout the county, including the important Western Yearly Meeting of Friends in Plainfield. The Friends were "plain" people, and thus the name "Plainfield". The high school continues to honor the Quakers, using the name for the school's mascot.

Plainfield has long been associated with the National Road, U.S. Route 40, which goes through town as Main Street. One incident which brought Plainfield national attention occurred in 1842 when former President Martin Van Buren was spilled deliberately from his stagecoach into the thick mud of the highway. The practical joke came as a result of Van Buren's vetoing a bill from Congress to improve the highway, a move which angered Western settlers. When Van Buren came through Plainfield on a swing to shore up his popularity for the 1844 election, a group of perpetrators set up the incident. The elm tree whose roots caused the president's carriage to topple became known as the Van Buren Elm. An elementary school near this site is named Van Buren Elementary School.[7][8][9]

In the 1980s Plainfield became the headquarters of the Islamic Society of North America.

The Hendricks County Bridge Number 316, Plainfield Historic District, and THI and E Interurban Depot-Substation are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10]

According to the 2010 census, Plainfield has a total area of 22.38 square miles (57.96 km²), of which 22.27 square miles (57.68 km²) (or 99.51%) is land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km²) (or 0.49%) is water.[11]

Plainfield is located in the Central Till Plains region of the United States. There are few moderately sized hills, and a mix of deciduous forests and prairie covers much of the area within the town limits. White Lick Creek, a tributary of the White River, flows north to south through the western side of Plainfield. On the eastern side of town, Clark's Creek, a tributary of White Lick Creek, flows towards the south.

U.S. Route 40, also known as the Historic National Road and the Cumberland Road, passes through the middle of Plainfield and is the main arterial route running east to west in the town. From north to south runs Quaker Boulevard (former SR 267).

Plainfield's town center is situated around the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Center Street, also known as Old State Highway 267.

Indianapolis International Airport borders the east side of Plainfield, in Marion County.

The economic engine of Plainfield is the sprawling warehouse district on the east side of town, close to the Indianapolis International Airport, that boasts approximately 45 million square feet of space. Plainfield provides roughly 50% of all warehouse jobs in central Indiana.[13]

"The Shops at Perry Crossing" is a 600,000-square-foot (56,000 m²) open-air retail mall. It opened in October 2005 and was purchased in February 2014 by Poag Shopping Centers,[14] which currently operates the mall.[15][16] The mall received a $11.1 million renovation and rebranding project to revitalize the shopping center; the project concluded in November 2015.[17]

Plainfield boasts 18 hotels, including an Embassy Suites full-service hotel and conference center. The town's proximity to the Indianapolis airport and Interstate 70 have made it an attractive location for hotel space.

The town is currently renovating the downtown area with a new apartment complex, The Barlow, as well as an upcoming Performing and Fine Arts Center, connected to the government building.

The town has a lending library, the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library.[18] The library contains an upstairs art gallery showcasing local artists and photographers.

A restored truss bridge along the White Lick Creek Trail in Plainfield

The Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center is 11,300 square feet (1,050 m²) and includes basketball courts, an indoor walk/run track, a waterpark, a fitness center, and an indoor play area.[19][20] There is also an indoor waterpark with three lap lanes, a walking river with current, a kids' play area, and a large waterslide.[21]

Plainfield's trail system includes over 20 miles (32 km) of pathways, and incluses the Vandalia Trail which runs almost 5 miles (8 km) through the center of Plainfield.

Hummel Park is a 205 acres (83 ha) park with a 300-foot (91 m) wooden bridge across White Lick Creek. The park features sports venues, basketball and volleyball courts, baseball diamonds, nature trails, fishing lakes and an amphitheater.[22]

The Plainfield Correctional Facility (formerly Indiana Youth Center) of the Indiana Department of Correction is in the western part of Plainfield.[23] As of 2019, the prison housed 1,497 inmates, and employed 341 staff.[24]

The Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority operates a commuter bus serving major employers in the town.[26]

• Mark Hampton, notable interior designer, was from Plainfield.
• Del Harris, basketball coach, was raised in Plainfield.
• Lawson Harvey, Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court
• Ron McQueeney, director of photography at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was raised in Plainfield.
• Chris Stout, founding director of the Center for Global Initiatives, graduated from Plainfield High School.
• Forrest Tucker, actor, was born in Plainfield.
• James Hurst (American football), offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints.
• Ms. Pat,[27] comedian, moved to Plainfield in 2006

Media related to Plainfield, Indiana at Wikimedia Commons