Beacon Renovation – IU Methodist
One of the tangible aspects of building construction is the legacy of the many buildings, structures and landmarks that remain for a lifetime. The historical “Lighthouse Health” Beacon that has sat atop the IU Health Methodist Hospital since 1933 is one of these structures. The renovation revitalized the declining structure, originally built with a gift from Mary Hanson Carey, a local philanthropist who donated money for several capital projects at the hospital before her death in 1953. The project included replacing the copper exterior with an 18-gauge, paint-grip metal (the copper will be made into commemorative items with proceeds going back to Methodist Health Foundation), maintaining the same historical blue/white colors with inlaid LED lights, an electric motor and drive shaft operating the rotational lighted-cross was replaced with a new gear box to keep the cross in rotation and four halogen light beams that spotlight the Beacon were replaced with LED fixtures.
