National Register of Historic Places

Cottage Home Historic District

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Listed
February 23, 1990
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
90000328

About this property

The Cottage Home Historic District (also known as the Cottage Home Conservation District) is a historic district and neighborhood located on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. A small portion of Cottage Home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places while a larger area is listed on the state and local levels. Known for its preponderance of "cottage-style" homes built with strong Victorian influences, Cottage Home has historically been a working class neighborhood. Numerous industrial buildings are also scattered throughout the district, providing a base of economic activity. Today, however, many of these buildings are vacant, providing a special challenge to preservation and urban renewal efforts. After a period of decline in the mid to late twentieth century, Cottage Home is now among the most desirable urban neighborhoods in the city. Key to the area's improvement was the establishment of the Cottage Home Neighborhood Association (CHNA) in 1984, whose efforts halted the razing of residential properties by local businesses, and revived interest in restoring the district's historic housing stock. The Ruskaup-Ratcliffe house and store are the most architecturally significant buildings in the district, anchoring the district's addition to the National Register in 1990. Cottage Home was further expanded to its largest bounds at the state level in 1995 and local designation of the Ruskaup-Ratcliffe house and store followed. In 2008, the state bounds, encompassing 320 parcels and 292 properties, were designated as a Conservation District by the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission.

Location

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
39.77819, -86.13815

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Cottage Home Historic District

This page lists Cottage Home Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

U.S. Arsenal (Arsenal Technical High School)
Early Republic
0.2 mi
James E. Roberts School 97
Industrial
0.3 mi
Prosser House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District
Listed
0.5 mi
Chatham-Arch Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cottage Home Historic District listed on the National Register?

Cottage Home Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Cottage Home Historic District?

Cottage Home Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cottage Home Historic District?

The period of significance for Cottage Home Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Cottage Home Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Cottage Home Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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