Every Saturday morning throughout the summer, one can stop by the oldest market in Fort Wayne: the Barr Street Market. The Barr Street. The land for the Barr Street Market was donated to the city from Samuel Hanna in 1837. The Barr Street Market was influenced by the design of the Philadelphia Market. As the city grew, the need for a centralized market became evident. The land was named for John T. Barr, who purchased the original 118 lots of the town of Fort Wayne.
By 1855, the market was flourishing 6 days a week and and a new market building was erected. When the new city hall was built (what is now the History Center), the old market building was removed. In 1910 a concrete covered market complex was designed by architects Mahurin & Mahurin. This classical revival structure served as the open market’s building till 1966.
Today the Barr Street Market is ran by the Young Leaders of Northeastern Indiana. The market is open from 9:00am-1:00pm on Saturdays, May-September. The market’s legacy remains and still serves the Fort Wayne Community.
The City of Fort Wayne operated the market from the day it opened until 1966.[i]
[i] The Bicentennial Heritage Trail Committee, On the Heritage Trail: A Walking Guidebook to the Fort Wayne Heritage Trail (Fort Wayne: ARCH, Inc., 1994): 235-237.
