Goshen

The Goshen Downtown Historic District is a well-preserved snapshot of Goshen’s past – and a crystal-clear picture of its vivid present. More than 180 businesses are active in the heart of this city of nearly 35,000 residents, including some that have been in operation for more than a century. “Goshen has long been known as an entrepreneurial, quaint midwestern town,” says Nick Kieffer, president and CEO of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce. “Our historic downtown is intact, vibrant and full.” But it's not just businesses making this downtown tick – there are pockets of homes dating to the 19th century, further adding to the historic charm. <br><br>Despite the nearby presence of national chains and box stores, the Goshen Downtown Historic District’s compact layout and brick storefronts make it attractive for local businesses catering to foot traffic. Perhaps no business exemplifies that better than Olympia Candy Kitchen, which has attracted customers since 1912. And not just the locals. “Olympia has served chocolates to four sitting presidents,” Kieffer says. The candy shop also has an old-fashioned soda fountain and serves breakfast and lunch to patrons sitting in wooden booths or on stools lining the Formica countertop. While it’s Downtown Goshen’s most iconic dining experience, it’s far from the only one. From authentic Mexican food (Los Primos), Neapolitan pizza (Venturi), local coffee (Electric Crew) to local beer (Goshen Brewing Company), there are a wide range of options. The Goshen Farmers Market offers fresh produce from Elkhart County farms on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and Kroger and Martin’s Super Market have locations just west of the neighborhood. San Jose Supermarket, a Mexican grocer that also serves takeout tacos and burritos, is in the Downtown Historic District. <br><br>Downtown Goshen is at its most vibrant on the first Friday of each month. “It’s a community block party downtown,” Kieffer said of the event nearly 20 years in the running. Local businesses stay open late, and food vendors and merchants set up along the sidewalks. There’s a unique theme each month, with perhaps a surprising seasonal favorite for sometimes frigid Northern Indiana. “January has ice carving and a chili cook-off, and that’s actually our most popular First Friday,” Kieffer says. Goshen Theater has its own monthly event on Third Thursdays. Local bartenders craft specialty cocktails during free performances by local musicians at the theater, which first opened in 1907. <br><br>Houses in the neighborhood are mostly set in blocks just off the downtown district of businesses and local government buildings. Many of the homes were built in the late 19th century and offered residents an easy walk to these buildings – a walk that’s likely more comfortable since the advent of tennis shoes. Housing styles are eclectic, ranging from Stick, Foursquare. Queen Anne, Italianate and Colonial Revival. Recent sales range from just over $100,000 to around $180,000. <br><br>Neighborhood grade schoolers attend kindergarten through fourth grade at Chamberlain Elementary, which is just north of downtown. Chamberlain receives a C-plus rating on Niche. They’ll then go to school with students from the rest of Goshen, with two years at Goshen Intermediate before another two years at B-rated Goshen Junior High. Goshen High School receives a B-plus rating. Goshen schools offer English Language Learner programs to help meet the needs of the city’s diverse population. <br><br>The Aldo Simpson foot bridge, which crosses Elkhart River, connects downtown with Rogers Park. Goshen High School’s baseball team plays at the park, which also has a playground, walking trails and a skate park. The Millrace Canal Trail gets its start at Powerhouse Park and extends south for 2.5 miles along a canal formerly used to power a watermill. <br><br>A curious landmark near the Elkhart County Courthouse offers proof that the neighborhood was once a major crossroads. According to its plaque, the Historic Goshen Police Booth was built in 1939 to “protect ‘The Maple City’ from gangsters who might travel the old transcontinental Lincoln Highway.” Lest that seem outrageous, Hoosier outlaw John Dillinger’s first bank heist was in nearby New Carlisle, and fellow Depression-era gangsters Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd helped Dillinger rob a bank in nearby South Bend. Cross-country traffic shifted 11 miles north when Interstate 90 was built. But the former Lincoln Highway, now U.S. Route 33, remains Goshen’s main artery to Elkhart, which is 10 miles to the northwest. The Interurban Trolley Red Line, which runs between Goshen and Elkhart, has multiple stops in the Downtown Historic District. <br><br>The Elkhart River forms the western boundary of Goshen Downtown Historic District. The Flood Factor for that portion of the neighborhood is 5/10.