ornamental cast iron interior staircase lobby balustrade salvaged from the historic (non-extant) claypool hotel once located in downtown indianapolis, in. the c. 1890 renaissance revival hotel was designed by architect frank m. andrews. the decorative terra cotta was fabricated by the indianapolis terra cotta co. the 495-room, eight story claypool, was built at a cost of $1,250,000.00. named in honor of edward fay claypool, a wealthy connersville businessman, the new hostelry could boast of more bathtubs than any other hotel in the country and a telephone in every guest room. its lobby was reported to be the largest hotel lobby in the country. it also advertised a theatre, assembly hall, ballroom balcony overlooking the lobby, a roof garden, private renaissance dining rooms, and atrium caf patterned after the roman city herculaneum. dishes were washed by the art of electricity, refrigerators were cooled without ice, and a separate milk house chilled dairy products at ideal temperatures. the riley room, whose frescoes quoted from poems of indianas most famous poet, delighted guests. in short, it had every luxury known to commercial hospitality. so successful was the hotel in attracting local and interstate travelers that in 1912 the hotel added 105 rooms, bringing the total to 600 rooms, including ten private dining and meeting rooms, and a beautiful italian renaissance lobby. adding air conditioning after world war ii placed the hotel in an elite category, making it the first completely air conditioned hotel in the u.s. north of the mason-dixon line. the claypool met its end with a devastating inferno in the pre-dawn hours on june 23, 1967 and was eventually torn down in 1969. limited quantity available, priced per balustrade. 
Measures 27"(l) x 8.5" (w) x .875" (d)