The North Irvington Gardens Historic District is a neighborhood and national
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 ...
in
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 ...
. It was placed 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 ...
on June 27, 2008.
It is immediately to the north of the
Irvington Historic District, which has been on the National Register since 1987, sharing the same east and west boundaries of the older district (Arlington Avenue and Emerson Avenue, respectively), and extending north to 10th and 11th streets. It is a neighborhood of mostly residential buildings dating primarily from 1910 to 1950, with no one distinctive architectural style, including a house associated with the historic Osborn Farm. Except for one church, the only buildings contributing to the historic nature of the district are 843 houses and 551 garages. Most fences in the district mark the perimeter of the individual properties; very few are along the streets.
[ ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs]
The district was placed on the register for three reasons. First, it reflects residential development trends during its time of significance. Second, noted author
Margaret Weymouth Jackson
Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian.
Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
lived in the district between
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Finally, it reflects the various styles used in residence in a "textbook" manner, particularly "small houses".
One of the prominent structures in the district is Harold's Steer-In, built in 1951. It is a contributing building even though it was built one year after the era of notability. Originally named Northways Restaurant when it opened in 1951, it became Laughner's Cafeteria from the mid-1950s to 1964, at which time it gained the name Harold's Steer-In. It has remained open since then except for three weeks in 2004 when it seemed to have closed for good until two employees invested in the restaurant and reopened it in time for a special
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden a ...
feast for loyal customers. It is one of the few surviving authentic
drive-in
A drive-in is a facility (such as a restaurant or movie theater) where one can drive in with an automobile for service. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk or rollerskat ...
s left in Indianapolis.
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
once filmed a commercial for
MasterCard in the building in 2005.
The Irvington Development Organization was the driving force in obtaining National Register status for the district. Money from a
Preserve America
Preserve America is a United States government program, established under President George W. Bush, intended to encourage and support community efforts to preserve and enjoy the country's cultural and natural heritage.
As of 2017, more than 900 c ...
grant given to the organization funded this effort.
References
External links
Peyton Manning's Mastercard video featuring Harold's Steer-in
{{Historic Places in Indianapolis
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana
Historic districts in Indianapolis
National Register of Historic Places in Indianapolis