Plainfield, Indiana

History

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. 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 stage coach 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. 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.

Geography

Plainfield is located at 39°41′51″N 86°23′5″W (39.697471, -86.384672).

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.

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 runs along the western edge of Plainfield. Along the eastern edge 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, State Road 267 connects Plainfield to the neighboring towns of Avon and Mooresville, and it provides access to Interstate 70. Plainfield's historical town center is situated around the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Center Street, also known as Old State Highway 267.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 27,631 people, 9,747 households, and 6,756 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,240.7 inhabitants per square mile (479.0/km²). There were 10,386 housing units at an average density of 466.4 per square mile (180.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.2% White, 7.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population.

There were 9,747 households of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.7% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.08.

The median age in the town was 35.5 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.8% male and 47.2% female.

Economy

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

Government

The Plainfield Correctional Facility (formerly Indiana Youth Center) of the Indiana Department of Correction is in Plainfield. As of 2012, it held over 1600 inmates.

Public school system

Plainfield's public education system is run by the Plainfield Community School Corporation. The schools under this body include:

The Plainfield Community School Corporation is the only public school system in Indiana to have all of its schools receive a 4 star rating for two consecutive years. In 2009, a new High School was constructed. The former High School became the Middle School, and the former middle school building was converted into "Clarks Creek Elementary", an upper elementary school for grades 4-5. However, as of the 2012–2013 school year, the corporation changed this setup to a High School (9-12), Middle School(6-8), and four K-5 elementary schools.

Private school systems

Private schools in Plainfield include Plainfield Christian School, which is run by Calvary Bible Wesleyan Church of Plainfield, and Saint Susanna Catholic School, which is run by St. Susanna Catholic Church of Plainfield.

Plainfield Recreation and Aquatic Center

The Plainfield Recreation and Aquatic Center is located on Plainfield's west side on Vestal Road. The two-story center is 11,300 square feet in size. Three basketball courts, an indoor walk/run track, a fitness center and an indoor play area for children are all features of the center.

However, the most attractive feature at the Plainfield Recreation Aquatic Center is the 3.1 acre tropical-themed Splash Island Family Waterpark. It includes three waterslides, a play area for all ages and plenty of deck space and grass areas for sunbathing. The park also includes a six-lane competition pool with two 1-meter springboards. Visitors can also float on tubes along a 12-foot wide, 900-foot long lazy-river water attraction.

Vandalia Trail and other trails

Plainfield’s trail system includes over 20 miles of pathways. These paths connect the town's several parks and recreational centers. The Vandalia Trail runs almost 5 miles through the center of town. Ultimately, it is planned for the Vandalia Trail become to be part of the National Road Heritage Trail (NRHT). The NRHT will eventually stretch 150 miles from Terre Haute to Richmond, Indiana, using the former Pennsylvania and Vandalia railroad corridors and it will closely follow the Historic National Road for much of its route.

Hummel Park

Hummel Park is located next to Center Street and encompasses 205 acres. A 300-foot wooden bridge spans White Lick Creek and joins the park's east and west sides. The east side offers a variety of sports venues, including basketball and volleyball courts and baseball diamonds, whereas the west side features miles of nature trails, five fishing lakes and an amphitheater. Two shelter houses, one outdoor pavilion and two gazebos are also available for rent.

Notable people