BRICK OF THE MONTH: Malott Nyhart

Walking around the Circle, you may have noticed the faint etchings of names in the bricks. In the late 1970’s, Commission for Downtown began a revitalization project that included re-bricking Monument Circle and allowed citizens to have their names engraved there in return for a small donation. These are the stories of the individuals, families, and companies whose names can be found engraved along the most famous streets in the city.

Indy native Malott Nyhart has traveled around the country and now lives in Cincinnati, but the brick he donated to Monument Circle decades ago—found just west of the Circle on Market Street—still serves as a testament to his love of downtown Indy.

“I donated a brick because the Circle is a part of the city worth keeping,” says Nyhart, who remembers a time when the law stipulated that no downtown building could be bigger than the Monument.

Nyhart grew up in Zionsville and went to Park Tudor School before attending IU. He lived in Indy until 18 years ago, when he moved to Cincinnati to work for a large financial company. And while he no longer lives in Indy and hasn’t seen his brick in years, Nyhart still has a soft spot for his hometown.

“Indy has a government that works. It’s not nearly as contentious as other places,” said Nyhart. “And the people are different—they’re actually friendly!”

Know a story about one of the bricks? Contact Elyse Causey at ecausey@indymonthly.emmis.com.