National Register of Historic Places

Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Listed
December 2, 1982
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
82000064

About this property

The Mass Ave Cultural Arts District, colloquially known as Mass Ave, is a designated cultural district in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The district centers on 0.86 miles (1.38 km) of its namesake Massachusetts Avenue, from its southern terminus at New York and Delaware streets to its northern terminus at Bellefontaine Street. The avenue is one of the four original diagonal streets included in Alexander Ralston's plan of 1821. Mass Ave also contains the Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District, a historic district included on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. Beginning in the 1990s, redevelopment helped propel the area from squalor to one of the city's more fashionable addresses. Today it lies at the heart of the city's unofficial theater district, home to the Athenaeum and Old National Centre. Dozens of locally owned and operated boutiques, bars, restaurants, and commercial offices line the avenue. The district also encompasses portions of the Bottleworks District, a mixed-use redevelopment on the northeast side of the district.

Location

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
39.77674, -86.14681

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORYPERFORMING ARTS
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 Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District

This page lists Massachusetts Avenue Commercial 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

Chatham-Arch Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Lockerbie Square Historic District Amendment (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.3 mi
Athenaeum (Das Deutsche Haus)
Industrial
0.3 mi
Massachusetts
Industrial
0.3 mi
Mayleeno
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District listed on the National Register?

Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District?

Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District?

The period of significance for Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Massachusetts Avenue Commercial 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 Massachusetts Avenue Commercial District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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