history

Posted in: Ladies Lounge Ladies Lounge: First Woman of Indianapolis Bar Association- Adele Ida Storck

Adele Ida Storck, First Woman to be admitted to the Indianapolis Bar Association A holiday dedication to two ladies who dare: Jennifer L. Jones, and Erin Albert–you know why. If you are a female attorney...

2 Comments

Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: Demo List House on Woodlawn

Was wandering around Fountain Square and other parts east of the Mile Square earlier this week (more foreshadowing: got an upcoming article about why my next house in Indianapolis would be in Fountain Square) and...

Posted in: Historic Miscellania Deep rooted history in Mapleton-Fall Creek

Usually, I gravitate towards the neighborhoods nearest to the Mile Square–the older, the better for this gal; and I assumed all of the longest inhabited areas in the city are only centered around that original...

15 Comments

Posted in: WTH WTH? Check out that beautiful Historic Neighborhood… gas station?

This may quickly devolve into an outright rant, so let me first say: this is my opinion only, and my angle/ agenda is for the highest good of two historic neighborhoods that I love, respect,...

24 Comments

Posted in: Building Language Building Language: Quoin

St. Mary’s Academy/Academy of the Arts, 429 Vermont Place with Quoins Quoin. Constantly trying to find ways to use the intractable letter Q into your Scrabble vocabulary? Today’s Building Language term should help your plight....

Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: A Hail Mary Saves Bush Stadium

Surely you’ve heard by now: Bush Stadium is not going to be flattened, but rather, is going to be creatively integrated into a new complex of “Stadium Lofts,” and in so doing, preserving a beloved...

5 Comments

Posted in: Building Language Building Language: Buttress

Buttress. In its simplest form, the buttress is a pier (column-like solid projection) reinforcement placed on a wall to provide additional structural support. The buttress is primarily found on exterior walls of brick or masonry...

2 Comments

Posted in: Building Language Building Language: Balustrade

Indiana War Memorial, Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, Balustrade along staircase to second level. Balustrade. Today’s Building Language term is commonly used as part of the architectural vernacular and an item ubiquitous around Indianapolis. The...

Posted in: Building Language Building Language: Porte-Cochère

Porte-Cochère. The literal French translation equates to carriage (cochère) door (porte). Originally, porte-cochères provided a covered entrance for individuals to exit horse carriages. The porte-cochère gained prominence in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, commonly found...

Posted in: Building Language Building Language: Corbelling

Corbelling found on 431/433 Massachusetts Avenue Corbelling. Corbelling derives from the use of a corbel, defined as brick or stone projecting from a wall, intended as a structural support. Corbelling occurs upon the succession of...

Posted in: Historic Miscellania His name was Dr. Cool. And he was one of our earliest…

…Drunkards. Yep, you read that right. HI’s October ‘theme’ is “Beers, Booze & Bars,” so in doing a little research on the early temperance movement in Indianapolis, chanced upon the story of Dr. Cool in...

Posted in: Building Language Building Language: Rose Window

Rose Window on Union Station, 39 Jackson Place Editor’s Note: We thank outgoing BL contributor Connie Zeigler for her prior contributions and are pleased to welcome Raina Regan to our team of contributors. Check out a...

2 Comments

Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: A Cottage For a Herron-Morton Home

This dear little Herron-Morton Place cottage was likely built when the smells from the State Fair undoubtedly wafted over this roofline. Yes, it borders a small east-west alley and is next to a parking lot...

1 Comments

Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Ad: the Model Clothing Store, 1895

From 1895 is this advertisement for the Model Clothing store. How children’s fashions have changed! The Model was located at 41-49 East Washington Street and 2-22 South Pennsylvania Street in the late 1880s and 1890s....

Posted in: What’s in a Name? How Spades Park got its name

We pass so many names throughout the city–mostly of people long forgotten. So let’s rescue one from the history books and affirm that Spades Park did get its name from a man who donated the...

1 Comments

Posted in: Historic Miscellania The “Feast of Lanterns.” 1898

Did you know “Feast of Lanterns” started in Woodruff Place during the Victorian era? Came across a little article about the event in 1898. Above, likely decorated for “Feast of Lanterns” in the 1890s or...

Posted in: Editorial Top 10 Reasons to Live Here- Part II

If you missed last night’s post, a.k.a. the first 5 of the top 10 reasons to live within King Park Area, check out the previous post. And probably should have mentioned that these 10 are...

Posted in: Editorial Top 10 Reasons To Live Here- Part I

“And may I leave my corner of the world better than I found it.” Anonymous Leaving a corner of the world better, (or a defined geography of many blocks, in this case) is what a Community Development Corporation...

Posted in: Friday Favorites 20 Things About Columbia Club You May Not Know

In honor of President Benjamin Harrison’s 178th birthday it seemed the appropriate time to feature The Columbia Club. Guests with the last name Harrison get a small gift! Tell a friend! All vintage photos courtesy of...

9 Comments

Posted in: Ladies Lounge Ladies Lounge: Where Julia Child and Indianapolis intersect?

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” ~Julia Child Today, August 15, 2011, beloved chef extraordinaire, and global culinary inspiration, Julia Child would have been...

Articles