Christian Women's Board of Missions Building--1926

During the winter and spring of 1910, Irvington residents watched as a commanding four-story brick building with a chapel began to arise along University Avenue behind the Bona Thompson Library. Commissioned by the Christian (Disciples of Christ) Women's Board of Missions, the facility would be loosely connected to Butler University. The purpose of the the imposing structure was to prepare missionaries for an overseas assignment. Thousands of people answered the call over the decades and served their posts in places like China, India, and Tibet. Often times, visitors from all over the world came to Irvington to train the missionaries on culture and language. The institution remained in Irvington until the 1990s even when Butler moved in 1928. In the 1990s, the facility was rehabbed and turned into senior housing.

In this photo taken in 1926, you can see the structure from the west. This view is no longer possible as the Disciples added a large addition in the 1940s. In the background you can see the Bona Thompson Library.