The will of Indianapolis druggist Stephen D. Tomlinson, who had died on November 14, 1870, provided that the residue of his estate would, upon the death of his wife, Mary Todd Brown Tomlinson, be given to city of Indianapolis to construct a "public building" on the western portion of what was then East Market Square, a farmer's market that had operated since the 1830s.

[1][2] Tomlinson Hall was inaugurated on June 2, 1886, as a part of the Grand Army of the Republic Music Festival that raised money for the construction of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.

[1] On June 27, 1888, the hall was the site of a large celebration honoring the nomination of Benjamin Harrison for president of the United States.

[3] The hall was destroyed by fire on January 30, 1958, allegedly after a pigeon dropped a lit cigarette on the roof of the building.

[2][5] The city issued a contract to demolish the building, but a group of citizens who wanted to maintain the civic landmark obtained a restraining order on March 10.

The judge subsequently vacated the order on May 13, finding that because Tomlinson Hall was not part of the original market trust, the city was within its rights to raze it.