The Emelie was built in 1902 by German immigrant Frederick Schmid and named for his wife. The building was saved and restored by Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects to serve as the company's corporate headquarters from 1987 to 2003. It is three stories, constructed of red brick and gray limestone. The building also includes a garden level (below ground). It is built in the German

Renaissance Revival Architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

style. It has fine decorative detailing, totaling . It has also served as an apartment building and commercial space. ''Note:'' This includes , , , and Accompanying photographs In 2003, the building was sold to Black Orchid Realty. The law firm Katz Korin Cunningham, PC moved to the building in 2004 and donated the use of several of its rooms to the

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is dedicated to championing the literary, artistic, and cultural contributions of the late writer, artist, and Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. It opened in January 2011 and was located in The Emelie, a ...

, which subsequently moved to its current location in January 2019. The space used for the library was the former home of the

Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art Indianapolis Contemporary, formerly known as the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art or iMOCA, features exhibitions of contemporary art. Currently, the organization has a new show every season. In 2020, the gallery's board voted to begin clo ...

. In late 2019, Katz Korin Cunningham undertook a massive interior restoration and remodel of the building. In homage to former businesses in the building, the space which had previously housed the Vonnegut Museum was renamed "The Vonnegut Study" and "The Black Orchid Lounge." The Black Orchid was a bar, reputed to have also been a betting parlor, that was one of the businesses that had been housed in the building circa 1970. In 2021, Katz Korin Cunningham placed an historical marker plaque on the building. The building was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on September 15, 1983. On July 1, 2022, the law firm of Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC moved into the building and currently occupies all floors.

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* Buildings and structures in Indianapolis National Register of Historic Places in Indianapolis Renaissance Revival architecture in Indiana Residential buildings completed in 1902 Residential buildings in Indianapolis Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana {{Indiana-struct-stub