Do you live in a historic home? 🏡

Historic home guidelines in Indianapolis, IN

A Historic Fletcher Place sign with apartment building in background

Fletcher Place gets its name from one of its first residents, Calvin Fletcher. | Photo by INDYtoday team

With more than 250 registered historic buildings and nine National Historic Landmarks — most of which were built during the 19th century — there’s no shortage of sites for the history buffs out there.

But what about when it comes to residential houses? Whether you’re looking to buy in a historic neighborhood or you’re curious if your old bungalow qualifies, keep reading.

What makes a home historic?

Despite the number of centuries-old buildings in Indy, a home only needs to be more than 50 years old to be considered “historic,” so anything built before 1973 could qualify. However, there are a few catches if you want your home to be on the National Register.

Houses must:

Be associated with a person or event of historical significance
Have architectural or engineering integrity or have high artistic value
Be built 50 or more years ago with no major renovations

What makes a district historic?

Historic districts should have high marks in the following areas:

Consist of structures in the same locations they were originally built
Maintain the proper aesthetic based on style and details
Have defined boundaries
Contain original physical elements and materials
Show effort in structural quality
Be associated with people, groups, or events of historic impact

There are 12 historic districts in Indianapolis: Wholesale District, Fountain Square, Woodruff Place, Lockefield Gardens, The Old Northside, St. Joseph, Lockerbie Square, Chatham Arch and Massachusetts Avenue, Monument Circle, Herron-Morton Place, Fletcher Place, and Irvington.

How can my home get historic recognition?

We have a few tips for finding out if your home is historic, including:

See if your property is already listed by checking the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures inventory, The National Park Service or The Indiana Division of Preservation and Archaeology
Check if your house’s information has already been compiled by asking your local library or your district’s preservation commission
Learn more about your home’s architectural style and construction date by using the Bureau of Land Management‘s online database

Once you’ve gathered all of your information, you can start the registration process.

Have more questions? We recommend checking out Indiana Landmarks and Indiana DNR for more info.

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, Jan. 19

Ice Rink at Holliday Park | Thursday, Jan. 19-Sunday, Jan. 29 | 11 a.m.-9 p.m. | Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Spring Mill Rd., Indianapolis | $13 | Skate figure eights around this new rink with proceeds going toward the Holliday Park Foundation Endowment.
G. Love & Special Sauce + Donavon Frankenreiter | Thursday, Jan. 19 | 8 p.m. | The Vogue Theatre, 6259 N. College Ave., Indianapolis | $35-$40 | Catch the three-member alternative, blues, and hip-hop band from Philadelphia on tour.

Friday, Jan. 20

Samantha Glover: “Healing Escapism” | Friday, Jan. 20-Sunday, Jan. 29 | Times vary | Full Circle Nine Gallery, 1125 Brookside Ave., Ste B23, Indianapolis | Free | Dive into Samantha’s “weird” alternate dimension of art.

Saturday, Jan. 21

Vintage Movie Night: Antony and Cleopatra (1913) | Saturday, Jan. 21 | 7 p.m. | Garfield Park Arts Center, 2432 Conservatory Dr., Indianapolis | $5 | See one of the first feature-length films ever made at this regular movie night.

Sunday, Jan. 22

Lunar New Year Celebration | Sunday, Jan. 22 | 2-3 p.m. | Carmel Clay Public Library, 425 E. Main St., Carmel | Free | Register in advance for this Lunar New Year celebration with traditional Chinese music and dance.

Tuesday, Jan. 24

Penn & Teller Present The Foolers | Tuesday, Jan. 24-Saturday, March 18 | Times vary | Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis | $25-$45 | Enjoy an evening of jaw-dropping illusions curated by Penn & Teller.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

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Every beer is non-alcoholic (0.5% ABV or less). | Photo by Athletic Brewing Company

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Weather

54º | Rainy | 45% chance of rain

Development

Downtown’s Allen Plaza (1 Virginia Ave.) has been sold at an undisclosed price to a group of local investors. The structure was built in 1948 and includes an 8,500-sqft outdoor plaza that was previously used by Scotty’s Brewhouse. The building will now be called One Virginia and it will be fully renovated. 🏢 (IBJ)
A former Brownsburg Marsh has been chosen to be a local motorsports team’s new headquarters. About $5 million will be spent to transform the old grocery store for HMD Motorsports that competes in the IndyCar Series. Construction is already underway and the team expects to move in this summer. 🏎️ (Inside Indiana Business)

Announced

The lineup for the Indy 500’s Snake Pit festival has been announced, including headliner Kaskade, Subtronics, John Summit, DJ Diesel (aka Shaquille O’Neal), and Jauz. General admission and VIP tickets are on sale now, and attendees must be at least 18 years of age. 🐍 (WRTV)

Coming Soon

Little Flower eatery Open Kitchen is moving into the former Jailbird’s spot (4022 Shelby St.) near UIndy’s campus. The gourmet comfort food restaurant is planning to open on Friday, March 10 and will go from a small 15-person dining room to a 2,000-sqft building. 🍴(IBJ)

Closing

After 10 years in business, Ember Urban Eatery will be permanently closing its doors in the Fountain Fletcher District on Saturday, Jan. 28. The spot was known for its wings and mac and cheese.

Closed

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument will be undergoing some renovations later this month. The 121-year-old landmark’s north side will be closed for step repair, fencing, and waterproofing. The preservation project will cost around $7 million and more repairs will be made to its south side later this year. ⚒️ (WISH)

Real Estate

Riverboat Louis Armstrong is for sale — again. The state’s first riverboat casino is on the market for $16 million. It opened with the original name of City of Evansville back in 1995 and has undergone renovations since then. It holds 3,000 passengers. Take a tour of the boat.

Show

Hoosier Mike Epps’ “Straight Jokes! No Chaser” comedy tour is launching right here in Indianapolis with a show on Saturday, March 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Special guests for the performance will include D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, Earthquake, and DC Young Fly. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. (IndyStar)

Drink

Looking to hone your hosting skills in 2023? St. Elmo Steak House Cocktails are available to purchase online and ship straight to your door so you and your guests can enjoy ready-to-pour cocktails (Espresso Martini, Cherry Vanilla Bourbon, Old Fashioned, or Cosmopolitan) at any time. Please sip responsibly. 🍸 *

Travel

Scott’s Cheap Flights is going, going...Going. The travel membership that saves you hundreds on flights has a new name, and in honor of the rebrand, you can get 30% off a Premium membership with code 6AMCITY30. What you’ll get: last minute weekend trips, mistake fares, and early deal alerts. ✈️*

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Travel and Outdoors

Ellenberger Park Family Center got a makeover

The park and family center is located in Historic Irvington. | Photo via @parksalliancein

100. That’s how many volunteers gathered to fix the Ellenberger Park Family Center earlier this week as part of Citizens Energy Group’s Sharing the Dream project.

They spent two days helping with more than $150,000 worth of renovations, including a brand new exterior mural. Hours for the newly renovated family center are by appointment only.

More improvements are in the works for the park, including:

Restrooms
Concessions
Murals
Exterior building work
A new community space

Curious which other Indy parks have take part in the Sharing the Dream project over the past 15 years? Get more info.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Anna.

Editor’s pick: Let’s play a little game of “Be the Broker.” If you could choose any restaurant to take the spot that Scotty’s Brewhouse left in the newly renamed One Virginia building, what would it be? Let us know and we just might include your answers in an upcoming newsletter.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Diversify your taste buds during Winterfest.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Anna Bowman, Nicole Hernandez, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Nicole Fancher | Advertise with us.

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