Irvington Historic District

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Irvington Historic District
(U.S. National Register of Historic Places)
The Benton House, Downey Avenue, in the district
Location:	Indianapolis, Indiana United States
Area:	5,450 acres
Added to NRHP:	May 29, 1987
Reference #:	87001031

1 Historic Irvington
2 Butler University
3 Festivals and Events
4 The Arts
5 Churches
6 Schools and Libraries
7 Historic Structures
8 Parks
9 Businesses
- 9.1 The Irving Theatre
10 External links

[edit] Historic Irvington

Founded in 1870, Irvington was originally created as a suburban town of Indianapolis, Indiana. Irvington formed along winding roads of dirt and brick that reflected the Romantic landscape design era. In 1902 Irvington was annexed by Indianapolis.

Irvington is located five miles east of downtown Indianapolis in the western edge of Warren Township.

Currently, Irvington is the largest locally protected historic district in Indianapolis - Marion County. The district includes roughly 2,800 buildings and about 1,600 parcels of land.

[edit] Butler University

From 1875-1928, Irvington was the home of Butler University. Butler transformed Irvington into a college community atmosphere. The campus grew in the southwest corner of Irvington, between the Pennsylvania Railroad and the B&O Railroad tracks. Buildings at the campus eventually included the Main Building (1875), Science Building (1892), Women’s Dorm (1880s), Bona Thompson Memorial Library (1903, today known as Bona Thompson Memorial Center), and a WWI era gymnasium. The Christian Women’s Board of Missions built a Missionary Training School in 1909 adjacent to the campus. By the 1910's, the university had over one thousands students [1]. All the Butler buildings have since been demolished except for the Bona Thompson Memorial Library. The historic structure is now open as a small art gallery and meeting place for the Irvington Historical Society.

[edit] Festivals and Events

Irvington is a very family-friendly neighborhood. Throughout the year, several festivals are held in the community that allow friends and neighbors to come together and learn more about Irvington.

For over 10 years, the Irvington Historical Society has hosted an ice cream social at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library. Free ice cream, displayed art, and music attract neighbors to the event so they can learn more about Irvington and tour the library.

The Irvington Garden Club presents annual events to show local gardens, homes, and art. The Irvington Home Tour also allows the public to see the inside of several historic homes.

The most popular festival is the annual Historic Irvington Halloween Festival. Once a year, East Washington Street is closed through downtown Irvington to hold the festival. This festival attracts many vendors and politicians that allows them to promote their ideals. Irvington businesses, churches, and organizations construct booths so neighbors can learn more about what they have to offer. The festival traditionally concludes with a Halloween parade. The festival is one of the oldest in the city of Indianapolis.

[edit] The Arts

Irvington was the birthplace and home to the only historic art movement in Central Indiana named for a specific place, the Irvington Group. In the early 1900's, this group of artists lived, met, practiced and exhibited art in Irvington, and today many of their homes and studios remain standing throughout the community. [2]

The Irving Theatre has recently re-opened as a concert hall for bands. The theatre has held events that have attracted nearly 600 patrons.

[edit] Churches

Irvington Methodist Epsicopal Church, 1928

Church congregations came with the new families. One of the oldest is an African-American congregation, Irvington Baptist Church. Formed in 1887, it is one of the oldest African-American congregations in Marion County. Additional churches like Downey Avenue Christian Church first met in the Butler University Main Building, and later built a church in the 1890s. Presbyterians gathered to form a church in the early 1900s, Methodists in the decades before. Catholics petitioned for a parish in 1915 (Our Lady of Lourdes). All maintain beautiful historic houses of worship today. [3]

[edit] Schools and Libraries

Irvington is home to local schools and libraries. Thomas Carr Howe Academy and George W. Julian elementary school are both part of the Indianapolis Public Schools. Together, these schools offer public education for grades K-12. Irvington is also home to the Roman Catholic church school, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Irvington Charter School.

Irvington has a long history of libraries. In 1903 the Bona Thompson Library was open to Butler students and the public. Since then, a local Irvington library has always been open to residents in different locations ranging from homes to partiular structures. In 1956, the Hilton U. Brown Library, named in honor of an Irvington resident, was opened on East Washington Street. In 2001, the brand new, state-of-the-art Irvington Branch [4] of the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library opened at 5625 East Washington Street. The former Brown Library building is now used for early education by the Indianapolis Public Schools.

Irvington is also home to the Children's Guardian Home on University Ave.

[edit] Historic Structures

Stephenson Mansion, University Ave.

Irvington is both architecturally and culturally significant to Indianapolis – Marion County. The area contains excellent examples of every major American architectural style from 1870-1950, including Italianate, French Second Empire, Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival. However, Irvington is perhaps best known for its fine collection of Arts & Crafts architecture, including the only known example of a Gustav Stickley designed house in Indiana. [5]

Washington Street is home to several historic business buildings including the old bank (now Jack and Jill's Antique Shop) and Irving Theatre.

[edit] Parks

Ellenberger Park (est. 1903) is located in northern Irvington. Landscape architect and urban planner George Edward Kessler developed the park and Pleasant Run in the early 1900's. In 1930 the park added a pool and in 1962 an ice rink was installed. The park also includes two playgrounds, eight tennis courts, a baseball dimond, softball dimond, football field, picnic shelter, fitness trail, volleyball courts, and a hill perfect for sledding.

Ellenberger hosts outdoor moving screenings in the summer.

[edit] Businesses

The Legend Cafe, East Washington Street

Irvington has several local businesses, mostly located along East Washington Street. Restaurants, drug stores (Walgreens, CVS), auto shops, Doctor's offices, coffee houses (Darfour's, Lazy Daze, Starbucks), a hair salon (Snips), antique shops, and several other small businesses dot downtown Irvington. The Irvington Plaza, located in east Irvington, has several businesses such as a Marsh Supermarket, furniture stores, barbershop, Dairy Queen, and Flea Market.

[edit] The Irving Theatre

Irving Theatre, Lazy Daze Coffee House, E. Washington Street

Built in 1913, the Irving Theatre was originally used for a nickelodeon. In 1926, the theatre went under major renovations; adding six rental units, a second story, and lengthening the theatre. Throughout the decades, the theatre's uses differed until it closed in the mid-90's. The theatre re-opened in 2005 as a hub for live music, films, art events, community events, and private events. The Lazy Daze Coffee House is located on the east end of the structure and three apartment units are on the second floor.

The Irving is unique to Indianapolis because it is one of the city's largest "all-ages" music venues. With a capacity of 600 people, the theatre hopes to attract bands that would otherwise pass on an Indianapolis visit. [6]

[edit] External links

City of Indianapolis
History • Monuments • Cultural Districts • Education • Neighborhoods • Downtown • Suburbs • Indianapolis 500 • Famous Indianapolitans