Herron-Morton Place Neighborhood Preview

Year Built: 1897 &1924

Architecture Style: Colonial Revival / Mission Revival

Key Features:

• Curved Corner Tower
• Semi-Circle Parapet
• Balconies
  
• Stucco Walls
• Arched Lights Above Door
• Symmetrical Facade

These partner theaters have a long history as various theaters and other businesses. 1849 North Alabama Street was constructed in 1897, also known as Historic Hedback Corner, as a combination drugstore/barbershop, grocery store, laundromat and printing shop. The upper two floors were apartments.

Nextdoor, what is currently Footlight Musicals, was originally constructed for the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre. The building was built in 1924 and a theater program that was initiated at Herron (1914) relocated to a building on this site in 1926. By 1970, the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre moved outside the city, but Footlight Musicals bought and continues to occupy the building, having done an exterior renovation to the original structure.

The Epilogue Players group was the creation of Bertha Starkus. The troupe now operates out of the Headback Theatre, but this was not always the case. Their first production was at the Children’s Museum. From there the group moved to the Command Playhouse at Fort Harrison at the invitation of the Commanding General. The group remained at the Fort for four years until the new command closed the theatre. This did not dampen their spirits and they kept presenting plays at various churches until 1984, when they were able to rent space from Hedback Community Theatre. With funds from their treasury, funding by Phil Hedback, plus a lot of hard work from the Epilogue members, this space, once just an “ugly duckling,” was transformed into one of the most charming little theatres in Indianapolis.

Read more about both buildings here: https://historicindianapolis.com/hi-mailbag-epilogue-theatre/

Visit the groups at their webpages here: http://epilogueplayers.com/ & http://footlite.org/

​Year Built: 1897

Architecture Style: Tudor Revival

Key Features:

• Decorative Timbering and Clapboard Siding
• Decorative Masonry on Porch
• Large Pillar Porch Supports

Built in 1897 by the Shearman family, who operated the “Adams and Shearman” shop located at 60 South Alabama Street, which sold items such as mince meats, jellies and preserves. A later resident was Harry M. Gentry in the early 1900s. He was Treasurer & Secretary of the Aetna Trust & Savings Company. The house was converted into 2 units in 1915, and eventually converted back to a single family home within the past couple decades

Year Built: 1900

Architecture Style: Queen Anne

Key Features:

• Tower and Circular Porch with Decorative Detailing
• Bay Windows
• Palladian Window

One of the larger and more flamboyant examples of the Queen Anne style prevalent in the neighborhood.

The 2000 block of New Jersey Street is lined with beautiful esplanades. This is a great example of the type of esplanades that used to be very popular in the city.

Originally Carol and Everybody's Barbershop, this small cinderblock building on the corner is now home to Studio KG, a hair salon and boutique.

Carol's was the first barbershop owned by an African American woman in Indianapolis. Carol's had moved to 2713 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. It is now permanently closed.

Year Built: 1894

Architecture Style: Queen Anne

Key Features:

• Hipped Gable
• Decorative Timbering
• Fish Scale Siding

This home is example of one of the many homes that was converted into apartments in the 1940s. This was converted into 2 units. Many of the families that lived in Herron-Morton Place during the time when families were fleeing urban American cities for the suburbs were immigrant families.

Year Built: 1896

Architecture Style: Queen Anne

Key Features:

• Limestone Porch
• Rounded Tower
• Column Porch Supports

This home is a good illustration of some of the nicer, upper-class homes built in the late 1800’s. Built in 1896 by the Ittenbach family (John G. and Mary). John was one of the sons of Gertrude Ittenbach, owner of the G. Ittenbach Stone Company (constructed some of the limestone churches downtown). One prominent feature is the limestone porch (uncommon for the area). The urns were taken by a former owner of the house (1940s-1970s) when he left for the east side of Indianapolis. A later owner of the house (1996-2010) met with the earlier owner and bought the urns back. Now they are secured to the porch railing! Historic bollards in the tree lawn (originally used for hitching horses). These are some of the few remaining bollards of this type in Herron-Morton Place.

Year Built: 1909

Architecture Style: Federal

Key Features:

• Pedimented Dormer with Decorative Columns
• Keystones over Windows
• Elaborate Door Surround and Porch Entablature

This home was built in 1909 and was originally home of John Barnhill, a physician who wrote medical tracts and historical novels. He sold the house to William Gatch in 1922, who was Dean of Indiana University Medical School and inventor of the first adjustable hospitable bed. Gatch lived there until mid-1960s

Year Built: 1897

Architecture Style: Queen Anne

Key Features:

• Palladian Window
• Exposed Roof Beams
• Bay Windows

In 1941, the home was called Wishard House or Wishard Mansion. Built in 1897, it was the family home of Dr. William Niles Wishard. In 1907, Wishard helped establish Indianapolis City Hospital(which became Wishard Memorial, now Eskanazi). There was a succession of owners after that until the house was turned into seven apartmentsin the late 1940s. The house was bought by local John Richardson in 2011 and completely renovated, converted back to a single family home.

When the Civil War began in 1861, the area was requisitioned by Governor Morton to be used as a recruiting camp (camp bounded by 19th, 22nd, Talbott and Central). Fairground buildings served as living quarters for 5,000 new soldiers, and the encampment was named Camp Morton. It is marked here with this small marker.

This area was greatly influenced by the Herron Art School students, many of whom moved here in the 1970s and helped to shape the Bohemian style of the neighborhood. Many of the homes on Talbott Street are multi-unit, which served as apartments for the art school students.

Art school alumni started the Herron-Morton Place Association in the 1970s. Today, the Talbott Street Art Fair is still active. It began in the mid-1950s and stretches all along Talbott Street each June.

Year Built: 1896

Architecture Style: Craftsman

Key Features:

• Half- Timbering
• Exposed Porch Roof Beams
• Clapboard Siding
• Double Gable Front

This house was moved to this location in 1984 and called the Mick-Wallace home. It originally sat at 1840 N. Pennsylvania Street and was built in 1896. The back portion of the house was added in 1902. It was protected from demolition because of the interior woodwork that had survived relatively unscathed for 100 years.

Year Built: 1905

Key Features:

• Gambrel Roof
• Dormers
• Brick Construction

Many of the homes in Herron-Morton at one time had carriage houses behind them, since the neighborhood was occupied by many affluent residents in the late 1800s. It's not uncommon to find horseshoes, bits, etc. when digging up backyards.

This carriage house was turned into a home.

Year Built: 1893

Architecture Style: Queen Anne

Key Features:

• Wide Porch with Column Supports
• Bay Window
• Symmetrical Design
• Dentils Along Roofline

This home was built by Willard Coburn of Middlesworth Benson & Coburn Company in 1893. it was later bought by John Barton in 1924 when he was only 18, and the Barton family owned it until 1970. Barton served as mayor of Indianapolis from 1964 to 1968 (John Barton Tower – public housing – downtown is named for him). Barton was responsible for converting the house into 4 units in the 1940s.

When renovating the kitchen, found 1942 and 1943 issues of Better Homes & Gardens and Ladies Home Journal in the walls, in perfect condition Barton got in trouble for building the carport using city workers, on city time, in the mid-1960s.

Year Built: 1909

Architecture Style: Tudor Revival

Key Features:

• Decorative Timbering
• Bay Windows and Brick Construction
• Gable Front

This home as well as the next two homes were all bought by Herron School of Art in the early 1960s. This home was used as classrooms for ths school. It is now a single family home.

Year Built: 1900

Architecture Style: Tudor Revival

Key Features:

• Decorative TImbering
• Diamond Leading Windows
• Shingle Siding

This home was bought by Herron School of Art in the early 1960s. It was used as a painting and photography studio. It is now a single family home.

Year Built: 1910

Architecture Style: Tudor Revival

Key Features:

• Decorative Timbering
• Flat Roof on Porch and Thin Porch Supports
• Stucco Wall

This home was bought by Herron School of Art in the early 1960s and used as a stage. It is now a single family home.

Year Built: 1922

Architecture Style: Colonial Revival

Key Features:

• Full Decorative Entablature
• Bay Windows
• Pilasters on Lower Level

The apartments were built in 1922. By 1923, 68 of the 80 apartments had been rented.

Herron-Morton Place had a lot of apartment buildings built in the early 1900s, and at that time these were still considered very affluent addresses. What is now the Thirsty Scholar was, for most of its history, a pharmacy. One of the earliest building tenants was a florist; it has also housed a laundry. McHenry’s Model School, a tool shop, an engineering company, and overflow space for Herron Art School students.

To learn more about the tenants of this building, check out this article: https://historicindianapolis.com/friday-favorite-thirsty-scholar-the-penn-arts-building/

Year Built: 1928

Architecture Style: Colonial Revival

Key Features:

• Brick Construction with Stone Detailing
• Pedimented Parapet on Roof
• Balustrade on Roof

The apartments opened in 1928. To construct this building, builders began with razing former home of Indiana Attorney General Alonzo Green. The first floor has housed barber shops, dentists, doctors, cleaners and restaurants during its tenure.

Notable former residents:

• Tree House Yoga Studio
• Penn & Palate Restaurant
• Kenneth Kunkel – head of state conservation commission in 1930s
• Wilfred Borinsten in the 1950s – Indianapolis social elite, heir to family salvage business.

A very grand penthouse at the top still boasts many art-deco decorations. Lucy Arnez and many other celebrities have attended parties there.

Year Built: 1906

Architecture Style: Italian Revival

Key Features:

• Symmetrical Aesthetic
• Full Entablature and Decorative Frieze
• Windows Only on Lower Level
• Elaborate Door Surround

The Art Association of Indianapolis established John Herron Art Institute (museum and art school) in 1902, after receiving surprising bequest by John Herron. The building was built in 1906, designed by Vonnegut & Bohn architects. The main classroom building was designed by Paul Philip Cret in 1929. It was the second facility in the nation designed expressly for art education. Herron’s initial faculty included Brandt Steele (son of storied Hoosier Group painter T.C. Steele), J. Ottis Adams, Alfred B. Lyon, Virginia Keep and Helen McKay.

In 1967 the school functions of Herron became part of Indiana University as plans for moving the museum got underway. Two years later, IUPUI was formed. Herron Museum collection formed the nucleus of what would become the IMA, which opened its doors at the new location in 1970

In 1970, the Art Association changed its name to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and moved to its current location at 38th Street & Michigan Road. The building continued to house the Herron School of Art and Design until the early 2000s, when the School of Art moved to the campus of IUPUI, and the building became the home of new charter school, Herron High School.

This is the last home on our tour!

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