Mike Wolanin | The Republic A view of the refurbished piano inside the Indiana University Bloomington Eskenazi School or Art, Architecture + Design in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.
A recent donation of a storied artifact previously owned by a prominent Columbus couple has added a new element of creativity to an atmosphere already bursting with it.
When students in the Indiana University J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program aren’t studying architectural theory, the great works, painting or 3D-printing, they may very well be found at a piano with some Columbus lore that’s come to life in a new way.
Overlooking the former Republic building — where the J. Irwin program resides — are the former law offices of Joe Thompson at 207 Washington St.
Thompson was a prominent attorney in Columbus for decades. He and his wife Jean used to host dinner parties at their home at 1950 Franklin St., which featured a regal piano. They themselves did not play, but the Thompsons had a taste for the finer things in life, and that was reflective in the type of piano they purchased.
Jill Clotfelter, whose husband McClain is the assistant director of the architecture program, knew that music and architecture meld well together, and thought it would be worthy idea to look for a way to get a piano in the school.
Jill, who also works in education, noted how studies show that learning is improved when being done in concert with some sort of physical activity. Playing music can inform architectural pursuits and vice versa, but also can serve as a mechanism for relaxation.
“If you’re an artist then you’re usually a musician or can be a lot of times,” Clotfelter said.
Along came a Facebook posting of a piano on Franklin Street that the estate of the Joe and Jean, now deceased, was looking to sell.
The piano was in perfect condition, and Clotfelter was able to purchase it at a grand price of $15. The point of selling wasn’t for money, representatives of the estate told Jill, as long as they knew it would go to good use.
Students play music the Thompsons kept in the seat bench— sheet music and Americana songs — and have started to bring their own instruments as well to jam with guitars, harmonicas and ukuleles.
“It has spurred a lot of collaborative effort between professors and students to play together,” Clotfelter said.
The J. Irwin program has sought to embed itself with the community in collaborations with BCSC, Exhibit Columbus and the city, and the piano’s presence in the building is symbolic of that.
