Indiana Artist Howard Petty Created Plaque Commemorating the 1st Religious Service in Indianapolis

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest O. Britton

INDIANA - On the grounds of the Indiana Statehouse is a plaque commemorating the first "formal religious service" in Indianapolis. It marks the years of 1819 for the first religious service in the city, and 1821 for the first organized church (United Methodist). The plaque is a public artwork by American artist Howard Petty, who received the commission as winner of a $100 art contest. Petty studied at the Herron School of Art. The plaque was placed on the west side of the north wall in the rotunda on December 14, 1924. The plaque is made of bronze and depicts a walnut tree in the foreground with a log cabin in the background.