05.28.2024

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🏠 If these walls could talk

The oldest houses in Indianapolis

INDYtoday: INDY_Governor Ray House Park Avenue_MAY24

This house of Governor Ray’s isn’t the only one still standing; another of his homes in Brookville was recently restored by the Franklin County Citizens for Historic Preservation (FCCHP). | Photo by Helen Small

Ever wondered how old that Victorian on your street is? Or what historic district homes have graced your neighborhood the longest? We did some research to uncover the interesting true stories of the oldest homes in Indianapolis.

The Sanders-Childers House | 1820 | 1020 E. Palmer St.
This two-story brick farmhouse in Bates-Hendricks is the oldest house in Indianapolis. It was constructed by William Sanders and has endured several cycles of degeneration and restoration. The home was most recently sold in 2018.

INDYtoday: INDY_Thomas Askren house historic places_MAY24 — Thomas Askren, a Pennsylvania native and veteran of the War of 1812, arrived in Indiana in 1825 and built his home on approximately 1,000 acres of land.
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Photo via Wikimedia commons

The Thomas Askren House | 1833 | 6550 E. 16th St.
This two-story, Federal style brick I-house has stood at the end of a tree-lined drive since about 1833 and is believed to be the second-oldest building in Marion County. It’s even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fun fact: The term “I-house” was coined in the 1930s by folk architecture specialist Fred Kniffen because the style was commonly built in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa — all states beginning with the letter “I”.

The Governor Ray House | 1835 | 302 N. Park Ave.
This Greek Revival house has stood at three different locations since its construction by former Governor James Brown Ray. It stood at the corner of Pearl and Alabama streets until about 1897, when the site was acquired for the Marion County Jail and the house was moved to 905 St. Peter St. In 1977, the house was moved one final time to its present site in Lockerbie Square and was faithfully restored to its original glory.

INDYtoday: INDY_Byram-Middleton historic house_MAY24 — The two-story Byram-Middleton home was built in the Italianate style.
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Photo via Wikimedia commons

There are many other houses that have also stood sentinel over Indianapolis for well over a century. How many can you name?

5 more historic homes

Events

Tuesday, May 28

Tuesday Taco Walk x Cultural Trail | Tuesday, May 28 | 5:30 p.m. | Vermont St. Bridge, 350 Canal Walk, Indianapolis | Free admission | Take a scenic walk along the canal followed by $2 tacos and $5 margaritas at Brew Link.

Wednesday, May 29

Live at the Center: Nate Wolfe | Wednesday, May 29 | 7:30 p.m. | The Center for the Performing Arts, 1 Center Green, Carmel | $10 | Listen to tunes that tell stories of life and love from this Midwest singer-songwriter.

Thursday, May 30

Air Bee n’ Bee Open House | Thursday, May 30 | 2-6 p.m. | 4-H INDY Studio in Discovery Hall, Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St., Ste. 200, Indianapolis | $5 | Kids in third-12th grade will learn about pollinators and create a bee hotel, bat house, and butterfly puddler.
Book Club | Thursday, May 30 | 7-9 p.m. | North Mass Boulder, 1411 Roosevelt Ave., Indianapolis | Free | Connect with fellow book-loving climbers + stay for a drink after the discussion.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Festival

Bring on the bubbly at Uncork Me Indiana

BrothersMolloy_UncorkMeIndy_INDY_MAY2024

Tickets range from $55 to $95. | Photos provided by Brothers Molloy Events; GIF created by INDYtoday

Cheers, Hoosiers: Unlimited wine sampling festival Uncork Me Indiana returns to Military Park in less than a month.

Held Saturday, June 22, this fest features 100+ Indiana wines, meads, and ciders, plus:

Local food vendors like The Garnacha Spot + Treats By Fee
Music from DJ MaryJane
Drag and aerial performances
And more

General admission tickets include unlimited wine samplings, a commemorative tasting glass, and entry from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

We'll cheers to that

News Notes

Sports

Josef Newgarden won his second consecutive Indy 500, becoming the first driver in 22 years to win back-to-back. See the final results. (WTHR)

Trending

The US Olympic Swimming Trials are less than a month away, and crews are hard at work transforming the grounds of Lucas Oil Stadium into two-and-a-half Olympic-sized pools. Take a look at behind-the-scenes photos. (WTHR)

Ranked

Indiana is home to dozens of restaurants that are (or should be) famous — and according to Business Insider, the most legendary of them all is St. Elmo’s Steakhouse. Its fame beyond state borders is chalked up to its appearance in an episode of “Parks and Recreation”.

Food

What better way to get your hands on fresh fruits + veggies all summer long than by supporting local Indianapolis organizations? Check out this list of five charitable groups you can get produce (or help growing your own foods) from. (Mirror Indy/WISH)

Finance

If you spent your whole Sunday reorganizing your closet, here’s another spring cleaning suggestion: Move your credit card debt. This card offers 0% interest on a balance transfer until nearly 2026. That’s almost two years to pay off your balance, sans interest. Plus, you’ll earn 2% cash back on purchases.*

The Buy

The Buy 5.28.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

A Going membership, so you’ll get emailed when flights are 40-90% off — like a $166 flight to Cancun or a $260 flight to Paris (yes, those prices are legit). We like the two-week free trial of the Premium plan, which includes international flight deals and custom destination alerts.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Shea

From the editor

Hope you all had a restful Memorial Day weekend. Doing all this research on old homes refreshed my appreciation for good architecture — and reminded me to revisit one of my favorite websites of all time for some laughs at terrible builds.

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