Reader’s Question:
I’m curious if you know anything about the old Parry Mansion in Golden Hill. I cannot find a record of the house’s address, as most folks refer to all of Golden Hill as his estate, which it was at one time. Google Earth shows the home overgrown, even in the time of the photo. ~ Mindy Haskett, South Broad Ripple
HI’s Answer:
The Golden Hill mansion that started its distinguished existence as the home of the Parry family is located at 3650 Spring Hollow Road. When it changed hands last fall, the residence had previously had only three sets of occupants in its 112 years of life. As the home was still substantially in the same condition in November of 2012 as it was when the previous owners bought it decades ago, it is now undergoing an extensive renovation by its new owner, Jerico Properties.
In 1900, Indianapolis manufacturer David McLean Parry purchased 100 acres of land four miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis. The densely wooded tract was just south of the original location of the Indianapolis Country Club, near W. 38th Street and Michigan Road. In 1914, the membership of the club split, with Woodstock Club remaining at the original site, and the Country Club of Indianapolis building a new facility on the far west side. The Central Canal and towpath are adjacent to the land, and the property also overlooks the White River.
Originally, one had to pass through a gatehouse in order to enter the Parry estate. The gatehouse is now a private residence. (photo courtesy of Jerico Properties)
David Parry had made a fortune with his Parry Manufacturing Company, which was established in Indianapolis in 1886. The company first made carts, then buggies, and then automobiles. At the time Parry decided to move to the outskirts of town, he and his family were living in another magnificent Indianapolis home at 1305 N. Delaware Street. Built in 1874 by Hervey Bates, Jr., the castle-like property later became home to the Knights of Columbus. Sadly, that noteworthy residence was demolished in 1963.
The Parry-Atkins-Taube Residence circa 1930 is on an elevated tract of land overlooking the Central Canal and White River (photo courtesy of Richard D. Feldman, M.D.)
As noted in the ”HI Mailbag” inquiry, David Parry named his country estate “Golden Hill.” He built an incredible residence of approximately 16,000 square feet of finished rooms above ground, as well as a full basement below the living areas and a 1,100 square-foot garage. The Parrys moved into the property in about 1903. In 1915, David Parry fell ill after a trip abroad and died at the age of 63. After his death, Parry’s widow and children divided the 100 acres of Golden Hill into residential building lots, but retained about 4.5 acres surrounding their own residence on Spring Hollow Road. After a quarter of a century in the home, Parry’s widow, Hessie (Maxwell) Parry, sold the estate in about 1927. She, as well as some of her children, lived in other Golden Hill residences in subsequent years.
1916 Baist Map of the newly platted Golden Hill Addition (map courtesy of IUPUI Digital Library)
The new owner of the Parry residence was William Avery Atkins, nephew of Elias Cornelius Atkins. Members of the Atkins family operated E. C. Atkins & Co., the world’s largest manufacturer of saws and other related cutting tools. Coincidentally (or perhaps not!), a few years earlier, E. C. Atkins & Co. had purchased the city block-long building at S. Illinois and W. South Streets that had formerly housed David M. Parry’s company, Parry Cart Works. Today, that block is the Main Office of the U.S. Postal Service.
Another view of 3650 Spring Hollow Road circa 1930 (photo courtesy of Jerico Properties)
William A. Atkins’s first wife was Suemma Vajen Coleman, who died in childbirth in 1924. The Suemma Coleman Home for Women was built in her memory. William Atkins married two additional times, to Eunice DuPuy and Mary Helen Sayles. He remained in the Golden Hill property for the rest of his life. During the years Atkins was the owner of the property, he made changes to both the exterior and the interior of the home that altered its original appearance considerably.
The Central Canal and White River can be seen in the background, beyond the formal garden on the west side of the house. (photo courtesy of Jerico Properties)
After William Atkins’ death in 1958, his third wife lived in the property for another decade. She sold the property to its third owners, Jack and Betty Taube, in 1968. Jack Isadore Taube was an ophalmologist. He was born in 1923 in Toronto, Canada, and came to Indiana for an internship at St. Vincent Hospital and a residency at Indiana University. The Taube household consisted of five daughters, all now grown. After residing in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood for a few years, the Taubes moved to Golden Hill.
Dr. Taube passed away in October of 2010, and his widow sold the property to its present owner in November of last year. Of the three sets of homeowners who have enjoyed the property, the Taube family owned it the longest — just shy of 45 years (the Parrys lived there about 25 years and the Atkinses, about 40 years). When renovations are completed, the home will be a single-family, 8 bedroom, 8 bath, and 2 half-baths. The third-floor ballroom is also being restored, cutting down on the number of bedrooms there had been in recent years.
The home at 3650 Spring Hollow Road is currently undergoing a complete restoration (photo by Sharon Butsch Freeland)
If you have a question about Indianapolis history, please send it to historicindianapolis (at) yahoo (dot) com, with “HI Mailbag” in the subject line, and I will do my best to answer it.
~ Sharon
24 Comments on "HI Mailbag: Parry Mansion in Golden Hill"
The Golden Hill area has always been fascinating, so unlike the rest of Indianapolis, being hilly versus “level” in terrain. Saw on an old map that an Armstrong family owned a general area north of 30th, west of Michigan Road, and south of 38th, east of White River, and the area of the Woodstock Club was called “Armstrong Park”. That family also owned the Indianapolis Ice Company on 38th. Is there any history in that regard?
The purchaser of the land patent that included the property that eventually became Parry’s 100 acres and Golden Hill was named Thomas Bishop. He obtained the land from the U.S. government in 1822.
Appreciate it, Sharon. Still wonder how “Armstrong” got in there. Also, can’t remember the name of the man who owned what is now Crown Hill Cemetery (that includes the hill there where Riley is buried)…
I do not have access to the names of all of the owners of the land prior to David Parry’s purchasing it. According to Tom Davis of Crown Hill Cemetery, the Armstrongs didn’t come to Indiana until 1847, so perhaps John Armstrong bought the land from the original patent holder, Thomas Bishop.
Great article! It is truly an honor to be working on such a beautiful and historic home! This home is built like a fortress and seems to have been built by commercial contractors. Everything is overbuilt and proving to be a challenge to deconstruct in areas that need restoration. When we purchased the home in November, the house pretty much remained untouched since 1927, in which the Atkins family had done major renovations to the Parry home. The home that remains today is mostly Atkins. Not much of the Parry home/design remains. It now stands at 21,000 square feet. One fact in the article needs to be noted. The home was donated to IU by the Atkins family in 1965. The home sat for two years vacant before IU decided to sell the home to the Taubes for $50,000 in 1967.
Parry was an extremely powerful man in his day. He was one of the Titans of Indiana industry. He was the president of the National Association of Manufacturers. He founded the Overland Automobile Co. He allegedly gave Henry Ford his first financial assistance. He was the President of the Industrial Association of America. He was the owner of Parry Manufacturing Co., which produced horse drawn buggies and carts. They produced 1000 buggies and carts a day. The world’s largest buggy manufacturer! At one time, Parry Manufacturing Co. employed 2,800 people. He was president of the Indianapolis Southern Railway. He was also touted as a possible running mate for Theodore Roosevelt in the 1904 presidential election. The name David MacLean Parry has unfortunately been forgotten by Indianapolis but he played an important role in making Indy what it is today.
You can follow the progress and see many more pictures of the mansion renovation on Facebook. Just search for Jerico Properties and “like” our page.
Thank you for the correction. I was not aware that the Atkinses donated the home to IU, or that Dr. and Mrs. Taube purchased it from IU. I don’t have access to the actual real estate transactions. I went on the fact that there was no other name listed at that address in city directories of the time period. I made an assumption that the Taubes bought the property from the Atkinses (and you know what “they” say about making assumptions). I appreciate your providing the correct information to HI readers, as well as to me.
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The Taubes were neighbors of my family, before they moved to Golden Hill. Barb Taube and Kate Taube were childhood friends of my youngest sisters, Cathie Butsch and Maria Butsch (I’m the oldest girl in a family of five sisters and two brothers). The Taubes continued to own their previous house in the 4300 block of N. Pennsylvania Street for several years after they purchased 3650 Spring Hollow Road.
I’m enjoying the photos on your Facebook page, which are helping to tell the story of the home’s reincarnation.
Thank you! It is quite a story to tell!
For Basil regarding the Armstrongs: Armstrong, John (1811 – 1902) Buried Section 5 Lot 10
In 1847, John Armstrong moved from Ohio and purchased 240 acres along the west side of Michigan Road northwest of Indianapolis and started farming. Naturally, he took a great deal of interest when the land just east of his farm was purchased from his neighbor Martin Williams and others to form a large cemetery, Crown Hill Cemetery, and his interest resulted in his becoming one of the original board members, a post he held until his death in 1902. His being so close by may have also contributed to his being one of the only corporators on record as having attended the cemetery’s first funeral, that of Lucy Ann Seaton, on June 2nd of 1864. He took with him a fourteen-year old neighbor boy who had stopped at his farm that day on an errand, telling him prophetically: “You are the youngest person here today and you may see the time when you are the only one living who was present at this first burial service.” The boy, Frank P. Johnson, was buried himself on June 11, 1940 in Section 42 Lot 66.
As a neighbor, as well as a board member, he also became close friends with Superintendent Frederick Chislett, who lived in a house on the cemetery grounds with his family. But eventually he sold his land to real estate developer William Elder, who himself became a board member in 1908. Elder turned the farm into one of the many subdivisions he added to the city.
Appreciate this information on the development of North Indianapolis through the Armstrong family and the family who originally owned most of Crown Hill, and later developments. Enlightening!
VERY impressive! Right “up there” with the Lillys and Fortunes!
Basil, Martin Williams owned land that included the hill that is now called Crown Hill. The Crown Hill Cemetery Association purchased about 240 acres in September 1863, including 156 acres from Williams and 40 acres each from two Quakers, James Trueblood and Jonathan Wilson.
Thank you very much! i cannot remember the farm owner who owned the land now occupied by the State Fairgrounds on 38th, when it relocated from the former Camp Morton (ironically, Camp Morton was purchased by the state for a state fairgrounds just before the Civil War; I think it was called “Henderson’s Grove, a popular out-of-town picnic ground…)
John Johnson bought 80 acres of land on the west bank of Fall Creek, a portion of which is now part of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. John was the son of Jeremiah Johnson, who moved to Indiana from Kentucky in about 1800. When land became available for purchase from the federal government, Jeremiah and his three sons went to Marion County to look at the properties available for purchase, and all of the Johnson men bought land. As their purchases were considerable in size, over the years they donated quite a bit of their land for public use — like the Indiana State Fairgrounds, IPS School 70, Meridian Heights Presbyterian Church, and the land alongside Fall Creek that became parkland and Fall Creek Boulevard (now Parkway).
Outstanding! Sounds like some of that land was developed as part of Johnson’s Woods addition north of 38th (maple Road), west of what became the Monon RR. I think school 70 was the site of a Washington Township school, too; could be wrong.
Yes, Johnson’s Woods was owned by Jeremiah Johnson’s son, Oliver Johnson. Oliver’s own home still stands today. Some of the land that was his farm was eventually divided into the building lots on which the Johnson’s Woods homes now stand. It was Oliver who donated the land for School 70 and Meridian Heights Presbyterian Church. My father and aunt (who passed away yesterday at the age of 92) went to School 70.
My condolences, Sharon. That’s interesting info on the Johnsons. There was, according to some old maps I saw in the downtown library branch, a farm on the now “Near East Side” along Washington Street that was owned by some Johnson, as well…west of Rural. North of there was also a farm owned by the Rupp family, who then moved east around Emerson between 10th and 16th sometime around 1900…when I was “little”, my Mom and I would walk up to 16th and Emerson (southeast corner) to shop at Grace Rupp’s general store. That site became Walt’s supermarket and then a pawn shop, where my late wife and I bought her another wedding ring that reminded her of her Dad’s ring when he was alive. That was in 2006 when we were up in Indianapolis for my Mother’s funeral; the lady at the pawn shop gave us a good price, too. Just trivia here! I’ll stop digressing!
Sharon — Once again, thanks for work well done.
Have you ever written about each of the old houses on the property of Marian Univ.? I have a bit of info for you personally about what I think is the “Allison” mansion on the far northeast corner of the school grounds. I have also attended meetings in another one of the houses farther south on Kessler Blvd. And at one time the English as a Second language operation that was housed in Marian Collelge’s quarters, but not run by them, may have used an old house to the north, between the library and the administation building , although the house faced Kessler.
My late sister Gloria (1953-2004) worked for the ESL group of which you speak that operated out of Marian College. I forget now who ran the program, but it must have been part of a nationwide network. I remember Glo came to Colorado for a conference at Denver’s Regis University during the years that Mike and I lived in Boulder (1990-2005). She made some wonderful friendships with young people and their families from all over the world. While she was helping them learn English, they taught her some of their language and customs. Glo even visited some of the ESL students in their native countries. You’re right that Marian allowed them to use one of its buildings for the group’s operations, but the ELS program was not officially a Marian-sponsored program. I just don’t remember the particulars right now, and sadly, I can’t ask my sister. I’ll have to dig out some old correspondence from Glo to jog my memory.
Thanks for the confirmation, Sharon. We had a young woman from Japan who was in that program and lived with us for a few weeks one summer. Funny — her name was Yoko, and her birthday, which she celebrated while she was here, was Aug. 6 — the date of the bombing of Hiroshima, although she was born many years late.
We also her a a friend. who was also in the program and came from Venezuela, to visit the Illinois State Fair. It was a fun day.
Unrelated, but on another occasion we had a young social worker from Paraguay who stayed with us. We went hiking at McCormick’s Creek St. Park and along the way met a stranger whom we did not know, but who greeted us with “Howdy Doody!” This young woman was so taken by the expression that for days after that she would say it and then laugh and laugh. I guess that fellow must have been a rustic Hoosier original.
With the history brought forth, question: I lived with my wife in a house that a neighbor said was moved from what is now is Garfield Park. As she told my wife, the first three houses on the east side of Ringgold Avenue (2100 block) were relocated from the park. I have seen the house in the attic and basement and there is a history that shows a definitive footprint that shows additions over time. 2165 Ringgold in the attic has wood shake shingles(bark on the rafters @ 30″ o/c) on two rooms and horse hair plaster in those rooms. In addition, the basement is of a frame to support a two room house. I have seen steps in Garfield Park that lead me to believe they are the remnants of those homes. They definitely have been altered as time and use changed. We have since moved, I know this is here say, but history has a way of being timeless and somewhat hidden. I don’t expect much to be discovered, it is revealing how we overlook the simplest of signs as being out of place and yet wanting to be found. Really a treasure to connect with our heritage. Not a lot to go on,I know, I appreciate history. Thank you for taking the time.
Hi Sharon, I am a resident of Golden Hill. Thank you very much for the historical information on the Parry Mansion. Do you happen to have information on “Westerley”? The mansion that once owned by Allen Crowes, and now gifted to IMA. I am interested in how the name “Westerley” come about and all its history. Thanks.
And what is IMA doing with Westerly these days?
To Sharon—great article and great comments. You must do a Bodner piece and it so happens a great NYC photog and local autnor did a hard cover book on our house–anecdotally, it too has had only 3, perhaps 4 owners since Bodner built it–said to be for his own residence so it has amazing architectural details (see IHLandmarks Wash Twp census for picture and its eligibility for national register.) But records show that apparently mid-stream Bodner sold it to George Settos, who became first resident, then to Richard Perk, from whom we purchased it. There is a great story in the Bodner DNA strain in homes in this Wash Blvd,Westfield,Kessler triangle.