The neighborhood of Irvington, named after

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

, includes Irvington Historic District, a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

. The historic district is a area that was listed 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 v ...

in 1987. That year, the district included 2,373 contributing buildings, 5 other contributing structures, and 2

contributing sites In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

. ''Note:'' This includes
Site map
and Accompanying photographs

Historic Irvington

Founded in 1870 by Sylvester Johnson and Jacob Julian, Irvington was originally created as a suburban town of

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. It formed along winding roads of dirt and brick that reflected landscape design in the

Romantic era Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. The town was built as a quiet suburb where artists, politicians, military generals, academics, and heads of local industry resided. In 1902, Irvington was annexed by Indianapolis. Irvington is located five miles (8 km) east of

downtown Indianapolis Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Ma ...

on the western edge of Warren Township. The neighborhood is situated on Washington Street, which is the route of the historic

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the Federal Government of the United States, federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Pot ...

, a

National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

US 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

was formerly routed along the road. Through the early 1900s, a commuter rail/trolley system ran from Irvington to downtown Indianapolis along US 40. Irvington is the largest locally protected historic district in Indianapolis. The district includes roughly 2,800 buildings and about 1,600 parcels of land. Seventy-eight percent of Irvington homes were built before 1960. Irvington began petitioning its residents in 2001 through the efforts of the Historic Irvington Community Council. The Irvington Historic District Neighborhood Plan was adopted by the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission on October 4, 2006.

Butler University

From 1875 to 1928, Irvington was the home of

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...

. Butler transformed Irvington into a college community. The campus grew in the southwest corner of Irvington, between the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

and the

B&O Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

tracks. Buildings at the campus eventually included the Main Building (1875), Science Building (1892), Women's Dorm (1880s),

Bona Thompson Memorial Library The Bona Thompson Memorial Center, formerly the Bona Thompson Memorial Library, is a historic building on the original Butler University campus in the Irvington Historic District (Indianapolis, Indiana), Irvington Historic District of Indianapoli ...

(1903, today known as Bona Thompson Memorial Center), and a World War I era gymnasium. The

Christian Woman's Board of Missions The Christian Woman's Board of Missions (CWBM) was a missionary organization associated with the Restoration Movement.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Ch ...

built a missionary training school in 1909 adjacent to the campus. By the 1910s, the university had over one thousand students. All the Butler buildings have since been demolished except for the Bona Thompson Memorial Library and the President's Home (which is now Irvington United Methodist Church, locally called the "Church on the Circle"). The Bona Thompson Memorial Center is the current home of the Irvington Historical Society. It houses the society's art collection and historical documents. The art collection can be viewed in the rehabilitated gallery space. Also on display are various art shows, including a yearly juried show. Events from meetings to weddings and receptions are held at the Center.

Events

Irvington Halloween Festival

The Irvington Halloween Festival is a non-profit event founded in 1947 by the Irvington Community Council in an effort to bring together residents, neighborhood organizations, and businesses in Irvington for a celebration of heritage and community. The festival encompasses the week leading up to October 31, culminating in a street festival on the final Saturday. East Washington Street is closed through downtown Irvington to hold the street festival. Events include a run, a pageant, musicians, contests, Halloween-themed movies, storytelling, ghost tours, live theater, roller derby, a haunted puppet show, and dozens of other events.

Arts

Irvington was the birthplace and home to the only historic art movement in Central Indiana named for a specific place, the

Irvington Group The Irvington Group was a group of artists residing in Irvington, a suburb on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana, during the 1920s and 1930s. This group of artists included some of the most well-known Hoosier artists, such as William Forsyth ...

. In the early 1900s, this group of artists lived, met, practiced and exhibited art in Irvington. Many of the artists' homes and studios remain standing throughout the community. The Irvington Lodge, Bona Thompson Memorial Library, and The Studio School & Gallery are public venues where arts are currently taught and displayed throughout the Irvington neighborhood.

Irving Theatre

Built in 1913, the Irving Theatre was originally 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-1990s. It sat unoccupied until 2005, when it was reopened, and since then has been looking for funds for renovation. The theatre is a hub for live music, films, and art, community, and private events. Three apartment units are on the second floor. The Irving is one of the city's largest all-ages music venues. With a capacity of over 700 people, the theatre aims to attract bands that would otherwise pass on an Indianapolis visit. The Irving Theater now hosts WOOT-FM Community Radio Project in the far western storefront. WOOT-FM is a not for profit community radio station featuring local musicians and acts. WOOT-FM's plan is to receive their LPFM license in the year 2014 serving the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

Churches

One of the oldest churches in Irvington is an African-American congregation, Irvington Baptist Church. Formed in 1887, it is one of the oldest African-American congregations in Marion County. Other churches, such as 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, as the Methodists had done in the decades before. Catholics petitioned for a parish in 1909, which became Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. All of these denominations maintain historic houses of worship today.

Schools and libraries

Irvington is home to local schools and a branch of the

Indianapolis Public Library The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), formerly known as the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, is the public library system serving the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis. The li ...

George Washington Julian George Washington Julian (May 5, 1817 – July 7, 1899) was a politician, lawyer, and writer from Indiana who served in the United States House of Representatives during the 19th century. A leading opponent of slavery, Julian was the Free Soi ...

Elementary School #57, to be grades K-8 for the 2019-2020 school year is part of the

Indianapolis Public Schools Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is the largest school district in Indianapolis, and the second largest school district in the state of Indiana as of 2021, behind Fort Wayne Community Schools. The district's headquarters are in the John Morton ...

. There are also four charter schools.

Irvington Community School Irvington Community Schools is a K-12 charter school corporation located in the Irvington Historic District of Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally Chartered by Ball State University, ICS, Inc is currently chartered by the Indianapolis Mayor’s Off ...

for grades K–5, Irvington Middle School for grades 6–8, Irvington Preparatory Academy for grades 9–12, and Thomas Carr Howe Academy for grades 9–12. Together, these schools offer public education for grades K-12. Irvington is also home to the Roman Catholic school Our Lady of Lourdes, available for grades K–8. 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 particular structures. In 1956, the Hilton U. Brown Library, named in honor of the Irvington resident, opened on East Washington Street. In 2001, a new, state-of-the-art Irvington Branch Library opened at 5625 East Washington Street. The former Brown Library building is now used for early education by

. Irvington was also home to the Children's Guardian Home on University Avenue, before it was converted to a new high school for the Irvington Preparatory Academy.

Historic structures

Irvington is both architecturally and culturally significant to Indianapolis and Marion County. The area contains excellent examples of every major American architectural style from 1870 to 1950, including

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

French Second Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the Second and the Third Republic of France. Historians in the 1930s a ...

Victorian Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

, Queen Anne,

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archit ...

and

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

. However, Irvington is perhaps best known for its fine collection of Arts & Crafts architecture, including the only known example of a

Gustav Stickley Gustav Stickley (March 9, 1858 – April 15, 1942) was an American furniture manufacturer, design leader, publisher, and a leading voice in the American Arts and Crafts movement. Stickley's design philosophy was a major influence on American ...

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

Benton House

The Benton House was built in 1873 by Nicholas Ohmer and was the home of Allen R. Benton, a former president of Butler University. The Irvington Historic Landmarks Foundation was formed in 1966 to oversee the purchase and restoration of the house. In 1973, the home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only house on the National Register on the Indianapolis East Side listed in the Historic Register that is available to the public.

Stephenson Mansion

The Stephenson Mansion was listed on the

as the William H. H. Graham House in 1982. The home was built in 1889 for William H. H. Graham, who was associated with the Benjamin Harrison administration. It also served as a sorority home for

Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma (), also known simply as Kappa or KKG, is a collegiate sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, United States. It has a membership of more than 260,000 women, with 140 collegiate chapters in the United States a ...

students at Butler University in 1923.

D. C. Stephenson David Curtis "Steve" Stephenson (August 21, 1891 – June 28, 1966) was an American Ku Klux Klan (KKK) leader, convicted rapist and murderer. In 1923 he was appointed Grand Dragon of the Indiana Klan and head of Klan recruiting for seven other s ...

acquired the home in 1923 and remodeled it to resemble a Civil War-era plantation home. The home is one of several in the neighborhood that are of interest to people who believe in haunted houses.

Parks

Ellenberger Park is located in northern Irvington. The park was named for John Ellenberger, the farmer who owned the land prior to the city's original purchase of the woods for the community in 1909. Additional acreage was purchased in 1911 and 1915, increasing the size of the park to . Landscape architect and urban planner

George Kessler George Edward Kessler (July 16, 1862 – March 20, 1923) was an American pioneer city planner and landscape architect. Over the course of his forty-one year career, George E. Kessler completed over 200 projects and prepared plans for 26 comm ...

developed this park and Pleasant Run Parkway in the early 1900s as part of his

Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System The Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System is a group of parks, parkways, and boulevards in Indianapolis, Indiana, that was designed by landscape architect George Edward Kessler in the early part of the twentieth century. Also known as the Kessler ...

. Kessler's design retained much of the original character of the site, including a refusal to install walkways other than the preexisting paths. In 1922, the city parks board renamed the park as Jameson Park in honor of Dr. Henry Jameson, the chairman of the board when the park and boulevard system was designed and constructed, but protests by Irvington residents resulted in the reversal of that decision in 1926. In 1930, the park added a pool, and in 1962, an ice rink was installed, which was later closed in 2009. The park also includes two playgrounds, eight tennis courts, a baseball diamond, softball diamond, football field, fitness trail, beach volleyball court, and a hill perfect for winter sports such as sledding and snowboarding. Ellenberger Park hosts outdoor movie screenings in the summer. In recent years, the city of Indianapolis has finished constructing the Pleasant Run Trail greenway. The trail currently runs and connects Ellenberger Park with Garfield Park, the oldest park in the city, on the near south side of Indianapolis; significant northern and southern expansions are planned for the trail. At the center of Irvington is South Irvington Circle Park, surrounded by a round-about street intersection. The park includes a fountain, a bust of

, and personalized brick paths. Band concerts are often held on the circle throughout the summer season. In September 2009, Mayor

Greg Ballard Gregory Alan Ballard (born November 20, 1954) is an American politician, author, and businessman who served as the 48th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Marine Corps. On November 6, 20 ...

and local citizens celebrated the opening of the Pennsy Trail, a walking, running, and biking trail between Arlington Avenue and Shortridge Road. Named for the

that ran through this area until its tracks were pulled up in 1982, most of the trail abuts residential housing. It also connects the Bonna Shops at Bonna and Audubon, and the Irvington Charter Elementary school.

Businesses

There are many businesses in Irvington, including eateries (Bittersweet Bakery, Rock Cola 50's Cafe, Wyliepalooza Ice Cream Emporium, Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza, Heartbreaker Burgers, Black Acre Brewery, Strange Bird), Lodge Design Marketing & Advertising, drug stores ( CVS), auto shops, doctor's offices, coffee houses (Coal Yard Coffee Shop,

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

), hair salons (Snips, tHAIRapy Salon, Evolve Salon), real estate (The Deb Kent Gallery of Homes), recording studio (Playground Productions Studio), banks, gift shops, interior design and home furnishings shop (Hampton Designs), James Dant Menswear, Black Sheep Gifts, Bonna Shops, "What's in the Attic?" Estate Liquidation and Appraisal Service], gabion and water features builder (ALSinc) and several other small businesses. The Irvington Plaza, located in east Irvington, has several businesses such as: furniture stores, barbershop,

Dairy Queen Dairy Queen (DQ) is an American chain of soft serve ice cream and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc. (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway since 1998) which also owns Orange Julius, and formerly owned Karmelkorn and ...

Taco Bell Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includi ...

, and Flea Market.

Notable residents

Johnny Gruelle John Barton Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and ...

, illustrator and

Raggedy Ann Raggedy Ann is a character created by American writer Johnny Gruelle (1880–1938) that appeared in a series of books he wrote and illustrated for young children. Raggedy Ann is a rag doll with red yarn for hair and a triangle nose. Gruelle r ...

creator * Constance Coleman Richardson, painter *

, convicted rapist, murderer, and Grand Dragon of the

Indiana Klan The Indiana Klan was a branch of the Ku Klux Klan, a secret society in the United States that organized in 1915 to promote ideas of racial superiority and affect public affairs on issues of Prohibition, education, political corruption, and morali ...

Gallery

File:South Circle Irvington, Indiana.jpg, File:Irvington home, Irvington, Indiana.jpg, File:Irvington Lodge, Irvington, Indiana.jpg, File:Irving Theatre and Jack & Jill's Antique Mall, Irvington, Indiana.jpg, File:Business strip, Irvington, Indiana.jpg, Image:Snips.JPG, File:Starbucks, Irvington, Indiana.jpg,

References

External links

Historic Irvington Halloween FestivalHistoric Irvington Community Council
* ttp://www.polis.iupui.edu/RUC/Neighborhoods/Irvington/IRVNGTNNARRATIVE.htm Irvington - Narrativebr>Historic Preservation - IrvingtonHistoric IrvingtonEllenberger ParkIrvington Development Organization (IDO)
{{Historic Places in Indianapolis National Road Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Neighborhoods in Indianapolis Historic districts in Indianapolis National Register of Historic Places in Indianapolis Former municipalities in Indiana