The Columbia Center Neighborhood of Hammond, Indiana
The Columbia Center neighborhood within Hammond is a historic section of the city. Founded in the 1840s, it was the first city in Indiana to become a part of the United States. Its first residents arrived around 1847. German farmers came to the area seeking opportunity and were attracted to the area because of the abundant fresh water from Lake Michigan. In the early 1800s, the city began to grow, and by 1869, industrialization began to take place. In honor of the butcher that helped to found the city of Detroit, the Hammond Company developed a housing project in the neighborhood.
The original Columbia Center building was built in 1942 and contained 400 units. The complex is now being torn down to make way for the Flagstone Village, the fifth phase of new housing on the south side of Hammond. The complex will contain 76 units, one and two-bedroom apartments in four different types of new one- and two-story structures. It will also have a community center. The construction of this complex will be complete by the end of this year.
The Columbia Center neighborhood is located in the southern portion of the city. Its population is primarily comprised of professionals working in the manufacturing industry. The economy of Hammond has become more diverse than the economy of nearby cities, with its primary industries being light manufacturing and healthcare, as well as transportation and warehousing.
The area is home to many prominent companies, including Unilever's soap factory, Cargill food processing, Munster Steel, Lear Seating Corporation, Jupiter Aluminum, and Dover Chemical. There are several other notable companies in the area. The State Line Generating Plant in Hammond operated from 1929 to 2012 and was destroyed in 2014. Currently, the city is home to three major businesses. The neighborhood is a great location for those looking to live in the northwest.
The Columbia Center is a historic neighborhood of Hammond. In fact, the US Census Bureau lists the neighborhood as the oldest in Indiana. Another neighborhood in Hammond, toward the north, is Robertsdale.
