Noblesville Preservation Alliance

06/19/2026

Bravo to Tipton Main Street Association for their ongoing efforts to preserve the Diana Theater!

For 100 years, The Diana Theatre has been more than a movie theater.

It has been first dates and family traditions.

Saturday family night and popcorn.

Generations of memories.

A gathering place in the heart of downtown Tipton.

Today, after a century of stewardship by the Paikos family, we are honored to share that ownership and operation of The Diana Theatre will transition to the Tipton Main Street Association.

This announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter — one built on preserving everything that makes The Diana special while ensuring it continues serving our community for generations to come.

We are deeply grateful to the Paikos family for the love, dedication, and countless memories they have given to Tipton since 1926. Their commitment has made The Diana one of the most beloved landmarks in our community.

Under Tipton Main Street Association stewardship, The Diana will remain an affordable and accessible place for movies, memories, and community connection.
As we look ahead, The Diana Theatre will explore opportunities to preserve the theatre's historic character while expanding arts, entertainment, and community experiences in downtown Tipton.

But tonight isn't just about the future. It's about celebrating 100 years.

It's about honoring a family that has cared for this treasure for generations.
And it's about recognizing that places like The Diana matter because of the people who fill the seats.

Thank you, Paikos family.
Thank you, Tipton.
Here's to the next chapter.
🎬❤️

Join us Saturday, June 20 from 12–3 p.m. for Kick-Off to Summer as we celebrate the Paikos family, 100 years of The Diana Theatre, and the start of a new chapter for downtown Tipton.

06/19/2026

Today, on , we honor freedom, resilience, and the Black stories that have too often been left out of the public record.

As part of our series highlighting notable figures in early in City of Noblesville, Ind., we remember John R. Byrd, also spelled “Bird” in some records. Byrd once lived in Noblesville and worked as a barber on the Square before moving to Indianapolis, where he became the first African American admitted to the Indiana Bar to practice law in Indiana courts.

His story is complicated, incomplete, and deeply shaped by the racism and limitations of his time. But his deserves to be remembered. Byrd’s life reminds us that is not only about saving buildings. It is also about restoring names, stories, and legacies to the places they belong.

We also want to extend our gratitude to David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian Emeritus, whose dedication to researching and sharing local history continues to be an invaluable source of knowledge. After searching many archives, his articles remain one of the clearest and most generous resources for keeping these stories alive.

Source: Hamilton East Public Library / David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian Emeritus

Today, John R. Byrd has been forgotten. However he did have a significant achievement that should be a part of the permanent record.

06/17/2026

Subscribe to The Preservation Post, NPA’s monthly newsletter, for updates on efforts, , upcoming , , news, and ways to the work happening right here in City of Noblesville, Ind.

It’s an easy way to keep up with what we’re doing and why it matters.

Sign up today and help us keep Noblesville’s history visible, valued, and protected.

https://tinyurl.com/NPA-Preservation-Post

06/17/2026

As we celebrate & continue highlighting notable figures in early in Noblesville, we remember Thomas Murphy.

Born in Virginia in 1808, Murphy came to Hamilton County in the 1820s and is recognized as one of the earliest African American residents in the area. Though much of his story survives only in fragments, records connect him to the early years of Noblesville, where he worked for Conner & Stephenson and later Conner & Cole.

Murphy became known as a clerk, , , and property owner at a time when and for Black residents were deeply limited. His life offers a rare and glimpse into African American , , and in Hamilton County’s earliest years.

His story reminds us that Black history in the City of Noblesville, Ind. is not separate from our city’s founding story. It is deeply woven into it.

(Source: Hamilton East Public Library’s Thomas Murphy: An African American Pioneer, by David Heighway. https://hamiltoneastpl.org/thomas-murphy/ )

Thomas Murphy – An African American Pioneer By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian   Last year I did a post on the first known Black settler of Hamilton County – Pete Smith – who was also actually the first settler of Noblesville. Now I’d like to look at the second Black settler in t...

06/16/2026

As we continue highlighting notable figures in early in City of Noblesville, Ind., we remember Beatrice Edmonds O’Niel.

O’Niel was a , , and whose work helped and amplify Black community life in Hamilton County. She served as Noblesville correspondent for the Indianapolis Recorder, reporting on local social activities, and in the late 1920s published The Future, recognized as the first and only Black-owned newspaper in Hamilton County.

She was also active with the Paul Laurence Dunbar Literary Society, organizing and leading its debate team as it competed with others throughout central Indiana. Through , , and public discourse, Beatrice helped make sure her community’s was not only heard, but written into history.

Source: Hamilton East Public Library / David Heighway/ Crossroads Discovery Center Genealogy Group

06/15/2026

As we lead up to Juneteenth, NPA is highlighting notable figures in early Noblesville’s . Meet David M. & Olivia Roper:

Olivia helped run the Roper grocery and boarding house, and the Indianapolis Recorder described her as one of ’s leading businesswomen and operator of the town’s only Black grocery. She was also active in Bethel A.M.E. Church and local Republican women’s organizing.

David, Olivia’s husband, opened the grocery in the early 1920s, during a period when the Klan held major power in Indiana. The store became an important part of the community.

The building still stands on S. 8th St., now housing HAND Inc. & the Roper Lofts.

To learn more, get involved, or support NPA, visit:
tinyurl.com/FriendsOfNPA

06/15/2026

Fill out our Historic Neighborhood Stewardship & Preservation Interest Form here: tinyurl.com/NPA-Historic-Neighborhoods

Noblesville’s historic neighborhoods deserve thoughtful stewardship rooted in preservation, history, and the people who call these streets home.

NPA has long worked to protect, celebrate, and support Noblesville’s historic character through advocacy, education, events, home tours, neighborhood engagement, and community projects.

We’re inviting residents, homeowners, renters, volunteers, and neighbors to share what they’re seeing, what they care about, and how they’d like to be involved.

If you care about historic homes, neighborhood character, demolition concerns, beautification, local history, or simply building stronger connections between neighbors, we’d love to hear from you.

📸: Noblesville Neighbors

Photo courtesy of: Joe Roberts Collection: Noblesville Street Scenes. Found through the following link:

https://cdm16066.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll34/search/searchterm/Noblesville%2C%20Indiana/field/subjec/mode/exact/conn/and

06/15/2026

As we lead up to Juneteenth, NPA is highlighting notable figures in early Noblesville’s African .

Rev. Barney Stone’s life carried the weight of a century. Born into slavery in Kentucky in 1847, he escaped and served in the Union Army before eventually making his home in Noblesville in the 1890s. Here, he became a minister, civic leader, Circuit Court bailiff, and chaplain for the Grand Army of the Republic. He now rests in Downtown's Riverside Cemetery.

His story is one of survival, service, faith, and memory, and it remains an important thread in Noblesville’s history.

To learn more, get involved, or support NPA, visit:
tinyurl.com/FriendsOfNPA

📸: FindAGrave.com & David Heighway

06/14/2026

City of Noblesville, Ind.’s is all around us.

It’s in the , storefronts, sidewalks, rooflines, porches, windows, and little architectural details we pass every day. Some of it is easy to notice. Some of it quietly becomes part of the background.

Noblesville Preservation Alliance exists to help keep those places, stories, and details visible.

is not just about saving old buildings. It’s about protecting the of our , honoring the and that came before us, and making sure future generations still have a city that feels , familiar, and worth for.

We’re to be part of that work.

To learn more, get involved, or support NPA, visit:
tinyurl.com/FriendsOfNPA

06/09/2026

Looking for something to do around Downtown Noblesville this week? Here are a few community to keep on your radar:

🎶 Jazz on the Square by Noblesville Main Street
Jen & Tonics
Saturday, 5–7 PM

🖤 Emo Kids at Federal Hill Commons
Saturday, starting at 7 PM

🏎️ Fest at Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano
Sunday, starting at 11:30 AM

We love seeing our and spaces filled with
, , , and reasons to linger a little longer.

Learn more, get involved, or support local at:
tinyurl.com/FriendsOfNPA