100-year-old International Harvester factory could be demolished for new prison

International Harvester's former headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is facing demolition and the conversion of part of the site into a county jail. For years, Allen County commissioners have been trying to dismantle the IH complex and turn it into a profit from the old research and development site, which produced two million vehicles for more than 60 years.

The sprawling automotive complex operated from 1923 to 1963 and housed an assembly plant as well as an engineering building and test track, according to Indiana Landmarks. That means operations there began over a century ago, although the modernist engineering building wasn't constructed until 1952. It was designed by the architectural firm of Albert Kahn and Associates, which built the building to resemble the initials “IH” when viewed from above.

According to the state of Indiana, 1.5 million heavy-duty trucks and 500,000 models of the popular International Harvester Scout were produced on the assembly line at the Fort Wayne assembly plant during its six decades of operation. The complex was also one of the first in the United States to combine vehicle design, development and production at a single location.

The site has been maintained and used by Harvester Homecoming, a non-profit organization run by Boy Scout enthusiasts who meet at the location to celebrate all things IH. The group had a lease to continue using the building as a gathering place for the Boy Scout community, but the county kicked them out to seek more lucrative ventures, forcing the group to say goodbye to Facebook. The site has not been completely demolished yet, as The drive understands that, but with these historic buildings there is always the danger of demolition.

The International Harvester Engineering Building has been on the list of Indiana's 10 Most Endangered Landmarks for two years in a row (2023, 2024) because Allen County has tried to turn the site into a profitable location, which is fair. But the proposals range from the mundane and innocuous to the somewhat more sinister.

The county reportedly needs a new jail because its prison is overcrowded, and commissioners had proposed selling a large tract of undeveloped land on the IH property to build the new jail. That plan dates back to December 2023 and has so far been thwarted by a lawsuit that has caused any sale and development to be put on hold. County commissioners have also proposed converting the building into offices for the county or other local businesses, but those plans have not come to fruition.

Harvester Homecoming wanted to turn the building into a museum and tourism center for IH fans, but that is now unlikely as a new museum is currently in the works in the neighboring city of New Haven. The museum will house the IH collection, which includes 65 International trucks and scouts, as well as some from Navistar and various engines, prototypes, etc. The collection is currently housed at the old location. Given the new museum, it is unclear if the Ft. Wayne Engineering building will remain.