Washington Park Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Washington Park Historic District

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Listed
June 23, 2008
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
08000565

About this property

The Washington Park Historic District is a national historic district located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 24, 2008. It comprises nearly 60 acres (240,000 m2) and is located 4 miles (6.4 km) north of downtown Indianapolis, in the south-central part of the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. The district includes all properties south of 43rd Street and north of 40th Street, and west of Central Avenue and east of the alley running north and south between Pennsylvania and Meridian Streets; Washington Boulevard runs north–south through the center of the district. It includes 110 contributing buildings, ranging mostly from mansions to small bungalows, and three non-contributing buildings. Washington Park was annexed by the city of Indianapolis in 1906. The streets would not be paved until November 1916, with 43rd Street not having sidewalks and pavement until 1923. The apartments in the district, built in the 1920s and 1930, attracted young professionals who not only liked the neighborhood, but saw it as "prestigious". The buildings in the district are a church (the former Holy Trinity Hellenic Greek Orthodox Church), two duplexes, a four-unit apartment building, eight doubles, 101 single houses, most of which were built before World War II, and two non-contributing (historically) brick houses built in 1986 and 1987 that do not contrast with the other buildings. Many of the contributing buildings are of different Revival architectural styles, particularly from Europe: Classical, Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance, and Tudor Revival. Of particular note is the Harry Hartley house, which was based on Château de Malmaison, a residence of Napoleon Bonaparte. Harry Hartley sent architect William Earl Russ to the original in France to replicate the French chalet in a smaller form, in effect creating a Napoleon complex in Indianapolis. Another prominent building is the home of United States Senator Albert J. Beveridge. It was here that he wrote his biography of John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, which won a Pulitzer Prize.

Location

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
39.83383, -86.15178

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL HISTORYARCHITECTURE
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
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Thompson, William N., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Johnson-Denny House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Johnson's, Oliver, Woods Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Coburn, Henry P., Public School No. 66
Industrial
0.6 mi
Cole, Joseph J., Jr., House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Washington Park Historic District listed on the National Register?

Washington Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 2008.

What type of historic resource is Washington Park Historic District?

Washington Park Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Washington Park Historic District?

The period of significance for Washington Park Historic District is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1931.

Can I research the history near Washington Park Historic District?

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