The exciting thrill-a-minute Wikipedia page: "Angola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,612 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County.[7] Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore on June 28, 1838, and is home to Trine University. The town is served by I-69 and the Indiana Toll Road (I-80 and I-90)."

Anything more important to note first? No? Okay.

Here’s what you need to know about the downtown: it’s quite unusual.

How did this happen? Let's find out.
I’m assuming the vault was in the basement.

It’s the bare-minimum for a bank of the era, right down to the completely generic name.

Misbegotten stone around the entrance, mysterious faded sign, boarded up windows: not the building’s finest moments.

I like the sleepy-eyed building in the distance.

“I just got the order for the sign, and wanted to be sure - where, not how?”

“Just do your job, mister”

 
That can’t be original.

Did they just sandblast them too hard? No, that wouldn’t explain it.
City Hall is either a 60s / 70s disaster or an old building disastrously shaved.

The 1 & 2 theater? No, the Brokaw. Strange little site. Cinema Treasures, here.

Why?

It’s like the thin windows had wild tufts of hair.
 
IVENLIE IVENLIE

No, of course not.

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MOVE THE WORDS TO THE LEFT

Looks like the owner found the pediment in a ditch somewhere, cleaned it up, wondered what he could do with it. Sell it to someone who wants to make a library, maybe? No takers, so . ..

Really swell addition to the streetscape there.

I guess people were just gawkin’ in that window too much.
Behold the Chameleon Building, performing its marvelous tricks to evade predation.

 
And we circle back to this.


Local promo saite:

The most popular landmark in Angola is the Monument, referred to by locals as "The Mound" or the 'Circle. ' Built in 1917 by E.M. Heltzer, The Monument commemorates the Civil War. It has statues for all four branches of the military.

The Monument is the center of many town celebrations and festivities. It was unveiled on Thursday, September 13, 1917 at 1PM to much fanfare. On the Monument are plaques with the names of the 1,278 men from Steuben County who fought in the war. Per capita, more men from Steuben County enlisted for the war than any other county in Indiana.

 
 
What are the hooks for? Hanging lights in some civic festival, perhaps?

. . . but at least they have a tree.