Cannelton: An Historic River Town founded in 1837

Cannelton has an incredibly rich heritage dating back to the early 1800’s as its founding as a company town for workers of the Cannel Coal Company (Cannelton’s namesake). Cannelton’s location along the Ohio River was also advantageous for early trade and commerce.

Cannelton’s downtown historic district encompasses much of the town, including houses, commercial buildings, churches, and the Cannelton Cotton Mill, a National Historic Landmark. Like the mill, many of the district’s structures, which date from 1837 to 1936, feature locally quarried honey-colored sandstone, a distinctive signature of the river town.

The Cannelton Cotton Mill constructed in 1847, was the largest structure west of the Allegheny Mountains at that time. This location was chosen because of the abundant supply of water and a nearby source for coal.

The City of Cannelton is located in Perry County in southern Indiana and is surrounded by the Hoosier National Forest. The area is rich in hunting, fishing, camping, and boating in the Ohio River. Historic buildings, native sandstone walls and friendly people make Downtown Cannelton a unique place to live, work and play. 

Cannelton is an Historic Sandstone Community

Many of Cannelton’s early residents were of German descent. Traditional European craftsmanship is evident in the many finely crafted sandstone buildings in the downtown historic district. St. Michael Catholic Church is an excellent example of this early craftsmanship. Much of the sandstone used in the buildings in the historic downtown was quarried from the nearby hillsides.  The craftsmanship is also visible in the significant historic structures and the retaining wall on the east side of 7th Street. Sandstone foundations are also used extensively on many older buildings in the downtown. 

Early Commerce Hub on the Ohio River

Cannelton started as a vital commerce hub on the Ohio River in the early 1800’s. Coal mining and the cotton mill combined with Cannelton’s location on the Ohio River provided much of the early prosperity. This early prosperity is evident in the many commercial properties remaining on Washington Street.

 Cannelton’s history as a vital commerce hub continued until the middle of the 20th century when the Perry County seat moved to Tell City. Cannelton remains an Ohio River community with significant historic treasures along the Ohio River National Scenic Byway (SR 66). 

One of the few Ohio River bridges between Louisville and Owensboro, Kentucky is located on the south side of Cannelton. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Cannelton Lock and Dam is located several miles upstream from Cannelton.

Historic Destination on the Ohio River National Scenic Byway

Downtown Cannelton is located along State Route 66, part of the Ohio River National Scenic Byway. The Ohio River Scenic Byway runs 967 miles through three states. Cannelton is located in close proximity to the Ohio River crossing into Kentucky. Click here for more information on the Scenic Byway.

Renew Cannelton is working for a New Future

As is the fate with many historic downtown districts the threats are immense. Help support the efforts of Renew Cannelton to define and implement plans to redevelop our historic downtown.

We need your help, please consider joining as a member and/or making a donation to support our revitalization efforts.   

American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assessment Report

In late 2019, Cannelton applied to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for a Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) to provide recommendations for the future of the Can Clay site. In March 2020, AIA Team leader Terry Ammons and AIA staff visited Cannelton to conduct an initial scoping mission for the project. This visit occurred just days before the onset of the global COVID pandemic, which subsequently postponed the full community project indefinitely.

In early 2021, AIA and Cannelton representatives began to explore the possibility of holding a circumscribed version of a design assistance team project in an in-person but modified format. A design assistance team was formed from across the country to serve this role and provide a fresh set of outside eyes and unencumbered analysis and recommendations for Cannelton. The ongoing pandemic unfortunately constrained the AIA’s ability to hold large-scale community engagement meetings, thereby confining the community’s input opportunities to extremely limited virtual surveying. In preparation for their work, the team reviewed existing plans and background information about the Can Clay property and the adjacent downtown Cannelton area. The team then toured the project area extensively once they were on site, and held a series of small-group meetings with stakeholders selected by the Cannelton SDAT steering committee. The team feels strongly that an extensive community engagement process will be a critical element for success once the community begins to move forward with the implementation of the SDAT recommendations.

Click here to view the AIA Assessment

Related Documents

2013 Downtown Revitalization Plan for Historic Downtown Cannelton