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 wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy ...

, includes Irvington Historic District, a

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

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. 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 Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1987. That year, the district included 2,373

contributing buildings 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 dist ...

, 5 other

contributing structures 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 distr ...

, 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 distr ...

. ''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 List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, 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 and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

. 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 in and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65 in Indiana, Interstate 65, Interstate 70 in Indiana, Interstate 70, and the White ...

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. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

, 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 (a nickname shared with U.S. Route 66), is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid- ...

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 to support historic preservation 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 The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission (IHPC) is responsible for preserving historic areas and structures in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It oversees the exteriors of historic landmarks, such as ensuring that walls, light f ...

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, United States. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study within six colleges in the arts, business, 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 as 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. At its ...

and the

B&O Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 until 1987, when it was merged into the Chessie ...

tracks. Buildings at the campus eventually included the Main Building (1875), Science Building (1892), Women's Dorm (1880s), Bona Thompson Memorial Library (1903, later the 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 became Irvington United Methodist Church, locally called the "Church on the Circle"). The Bona Thompson Memorial Center is the home of the

Irvington Historical Society 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 of Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially kn ...

. 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

Historic 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. 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 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 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.

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, Indiana, ...

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 Mort ...

. 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 (Indianapolis, Indiana), Irvington Historic District of Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally Chartered by Ball State University, ICS, Inc is ...

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 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 combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...

French Second Empire The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...

Victorian Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

, 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 arch ...

and

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture, also known as mock Tudor in the UK, first manifested 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, in rea ...

. 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, former Irvington Masonic Lodge No. 666 and the Irving Theatre.

Benton House

The Benton House was built in 1873 by Nicholas Ohmer and was the home of

Allen R. Benton Allen Richardson Benton (October 1, 1822 – January 1, 1914) was an American scholar and academic administrator who served as the first Chancellor of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1871 to 1876, as the president of North-Western Chri ...

, 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 Fraternities and sororities in North America, sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, Monmouth, Illinois, United States. It has a membership of more than ...

students at Butler University in 1923. D. C. Stephenson 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 co ...

developed this park and Pleasant Run Parkway in the early 1900s as part of his Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System. 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 The Pleasant Run Greenway, also known as the Pleasant Run Trail, is a shared-use path in Indianapolis, Indiana. It runs for from Ellenberger Park, through Christian Park, to Garfield Park. It follows the general course of Pleasant Run Creek ...

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. Irving Circle Park occupies about of green space encircled by S. Irving Circle near the intersection of S. Audubon Rd. and E. University Ave. The park includes a fountain, a bust of

, and personalized brick paths. Band concerts are often held in the park 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, 200 ...

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.

Notable residents

Grace Julian Clarke Grace Julian Clarke (September 1865 – June 18, 1938) was a clubwoman, women's suffrage activist, newspaper journalist, and author from Indiana. As the daughter of George Washington Julian and the granddaughter of Joshua Reed Giddings, both of w ...

, suffragist, journalist and author * William Forsyth, artist *

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. The cha ...

creator * Helene Hibben, sculptor and educator * Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard, cartoonist, humorist, author, journalist * George W. Julian, politician, attorney and writer * Gertrude Amelia Mahorney, translator and educator, first African-American college graduate in Indiana * Dorothy Morlan, artist *

Constance Coleman Richardson Constance Coleman Richardson (1905–2002) was an American painter best known for her American Scene landscapes and interplay of light on figures, evocative of Edward Hopper. She attended Vassar College and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts a ...

, painter * D. C. Stephenson, convicted rapist, murderer, and Grand Dragon of the

Indiana Klan The Indiana Klan was the state of Indiana 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 cor ...

* Clifton Wheeler, artist *

H. H. Holmes Herman Webster Mudgett (May 16, 1861 – May 7, 1896), better known as Dr. Henry Howard Holmes or H. H. Holmes, was an American con artist and serial killer active between 1891 and 1894. By the time of his execution in 1896, Holmes had engaged ...

, serial killer and con artist, committed the murder of Howard Pitezel in Irvington in October 1894.

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
* ttps://www.irvingtonhistory.org/ Irvington Historical Societybr>Irvington - Narrative

Historic Preservation - Irvington

Historic IrvingtonEllenberger ParkIrvington Development Organization (IDO)
*https://vintageirvington.blogspot.com/ {{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