Posted in: Then & Now No Longer Standing- 2408 N. Meridian

Meridian Street. The name alone has prestige. Say you live or have an office on this street, and you have instant cool and cache. The mention of the name of our city’s east/ west division...

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Posted in: Then & Now Then & Now: Independent Turnverein, 902 N. Meridian

Postmarked 1917 Independent Turnverein Post Card, (courtesy HistoricIndianapolis.com) How lucky Indianapolis is that such detailed and well-crafted buildings still stand today–an unapologetic and ornate vestige of  yesteryear. This one, a magnificent red brick and limestone building...

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Posted in: Then & Now Then & Now: Southside Synogogue, 609 South Meridian

Merrill Street didn’t always dead end into Meridian Street. The unassuming lot dabbed in trees today betrays no hint of its bustling former life. Merrill Street continued east, all the way to Noble (Noble later became...

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Posted in: In the Park In The Park: Alice Carter Place

“Don’t blink or you’ll miss it!” could be the slogan for Alice Carter Place in Midtown Indianapolis. Though small in size, this green space is a picturesque gateway to the North Meridian Street Historic District....

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Posted in: WTH WTH Wednesday: Commercial Corridor

WTH? Will this hurt? Will this help? Location: 1800 block North Meridian Though difficult to see the red brick on the greatest length of this building pre-dates the front alterations.   Remove economic motivations, remove...

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Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: Oxmoor Apartments

(photo by Dawn Olsen) It was a sunny afternoon, and the breeze, though light, brought with it the scent of smoky decay. It breathed through the once boarded-up windows of the Oxmoor Apartments and engulfed...

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Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: 3470 N. Meridian (Frontenac Apartments)

3470 N. Meridian, the Frontenac Apartments (photo by Dawn Olsen)“Is that a jail?” The query came from a curious youngster, a boy out for a walk with relatives. With one foot on the ground and...

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Posted in: A Room with a View Room With a View: Meridian at 21, St. James

Right across the street from Joseph Rink’s old mansion, an early 20th century stuccoed apartment building stands on the northwest corner. The Saint James advertised a flat for rent in 1919 at $80/ month and...

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Posted in: Indianapolis Collected Indianapolis Collected: The Bridges of Marion County

My husband and I recently celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary by driving around Indianapolis and photographing old bridges. It was a little like The Bridges of Madison County, except that I was the Clint Eastwood...

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Posted in: Friday Favorites Friday Favorite: Rink Mansion, Meridian at 21st

Until a few decades ago, all major cities had independent department stores in their downtowns, commonly named for whichever enterprising man had started it. In Indianapolis, most people still recognize the names L.S. Ayres and...

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Posted in: A Room with a View Room With a View: From the City’s Epicenter, Atop the Monument

Many thanks to weekly “Building Language” contributor, Raina Regan for these shots from atop the Monument at the very heart and epicenter of our beloved Capital City. View to the Capital, directly west (above) and...

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Posted in: Sunday Prayers Sunday Prayers: 1733 North Meridian

Yikes. No, you haven’t been teleported to Gary, Indiana–this potential gem is in the 1700 block of North Meridian and was undoubtedly a real show stopper back in the day. Despite having a list of...

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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...

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