National Register of Historic Places

Golden Hill Historic District

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Listed
August 28, 1991
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
91001163

About this property

Golden Hill is an affluent and historic neighborhood overlooking the White River in Indianapolis, Indiana. The district is bounded on the east by Clifton Street, which is west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly Northwestern Avenue); on the west by the White River and the Central Canal; on the south by Thirty-sixth Street; and on the north by Woodstock Country Club, immediately south of Thirty-eighth Street. Golden Hill is noted for its collection of homes designed by several of the city's prominent architects. The estate homes reflect several styles of period revival architecture. The district is known as for its community planning and remains an exclusive enclave for the city's prominent families. Golden Hill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Originally platted by 1872, the area remained undeveloped until David McLean Parry, a wealthy Indianapolis industrialist, acquired a 100 acres (40 hectares) tract on a ridge overlooking the White River between 1900 and 1907. The neighborhood takes its name from Parry's Golden Hill estate home. Scottish landscape architect George MacDougall designed its grounds. Further development began after Parry's death in 1915, when Parry's heirs hired MacDougall to plan an elegant residential subdivision. Platted as Golden Hill Estates, it was among the city's elite neighborhoods by the 1920s. Fifty-four grand homes, several of them designed by Indianapolis's leading architects, were built along Golden Hill's winding, tree-lined streets. All but eleven of them were built between 1915 and 1940, the historic district's period of significance. The neighborhood's oldest home dates to 1895. One of Golden Hill's unusual features was an Alaskan totem pole that once stood near on the Parry estate. Totem Lane is named in reference to the local landmark, which was one of fifteen totem poles that Alaska's district governor, John Green Brady, collected from villages in southeastern Alaska in 1903. They were displayed at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis in 1904. (The one that ended up at Golden Hill was placed outside the Esquimau Village.) A replica of the Golden Hill totem pole is installed at The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis.

Location

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
39.81961, -86.18444

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
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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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
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Nearby Historic Sites

Woodstock Country Club
Colonial
0.4 mi
Oldfields
Civil War
0.5 mi
Oldfields
Industrial
0.6 mi
Crown Hill National Cemetery
Listed
0.6 mi
Crown Hill Cemetery
Civil War
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Golden Hill Historic District listed on the National Register?

Golden Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Golden Hill Historic District?

Golden Hill Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Golden Hill Historic District?

The period of significance for Golden Hill Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Golden Hill Historic District?

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