Important Indianapolis Black-Owned Landmark Discovered in Sumner Images

      For the past several years, a group of local researchers have been busy trying to identify hundreds of images in the Osbert Sumner photo collection. Mr. Sumner, who lived in Irvington, documented many scenes throughout Marion County in between 1898 and 1903. Some of the photos have stymied our faithful researchers as Mr. Sumner was originally from Canada. As you would expect, he also snapped images there. We wondered about a tall three-story structure located on a body of water. Was this in Oakville, Ontario? The answer was no. Last week, historian Deedee Davis, solved the mystery. The Park House sometimes known as the Franklin House stood at 126 North Missouri Street along the Central Canal in what is today, downtown Indianapolis. 

      While the story of this building is still unfolding, here is what we know. The Indianapolis Sentinel recorded that Thomas Nelson took out a building permit for the large house in 1865. An Indianapolis News article indicates that it was Black-owned by at least 1870. Over the next several decades, dozens of black families and individuals moved in and out of the boarding house. Its position along the stagnant and defunct canal and across the street from a large brewery did not make it an ideal location. Numerous additions to the sprawling structure also provided rooms for folks who might not be staying long in the city. If you zoom in on the Sumner image, you will see the word "Hotel" on the sign. We also know that black members of the Grand Army of the Republic (Civil War veterans) held a reunion in the house in 1890. 

     By the late 1890s, a dispute over the ownership and the deterioration of the building led many city officials to call for closing the boarding house.  In 1900, the city condemned the building and ordered that it be demolished. Dozens of people lost their home. Before its removal, a census taker named Frank D. Hester arrived on June 1, 1900, and recorded the last residents. His documentation revealed that 22 people still lived on the property. Many had been enslaved in their younger years. While most could read or write, some of the older residents could not.  Most were from the South and had moved north during the beginning of the Great Migration. George W. Harris managed the house and lived there with his wife, Alice, and several of their children, including Effie Jane, Ida May, Geneva, Susana, Charlotte, Edna, and Jeanette. Mary and Joseph Dobbins leased rooms from Mr. Harris. She was a cook and he worked as a day laborer. Other people to live in the house that year included: Clarabel Huston, 39; Spencer Brown, 60; Abram and Augusta McCallister; Samuel Haddox, 59; William Turner, 28; William Shiflett, 40; John Scott, 56; Perry Fishback, 57; Martha and Florence Neal; and Berry Crabtree 18. 

     Now we have to get to the question as to why Osbert Sumner photographed this landmark. Believe it or not, his maternal grandfather's name was Thomas Nelson! We believe that he was likely documenting a structure built by his grandfather before it was torn down sometime in 1900 or 1901.  How did Deedee Davis solve this mystery? While researching another topic she came upon the Indianapolis News article and photo seen below. Stay tuned as we continue to identify more images from the Osbert Sumner collection. 

Irvington resident, Osbert Sumner, photographed the boarding house at 126 North Missouri Avenue one block from the Indiana State Capitol building c1900 (Irvington Historical Society)

If you look closely, you can see "Park House" printed on the side of the boarding house formerly located at 126 North Missouri Street. You can also see the footbridge that used to cross the canal. (Indianapolis News, December 1, 1900, p. 3)

The 1898 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows the exact location of 126 South Missouri Street along the bend in the canal in between Market and Ohio Streets. Across the canal workers toiled in the American Brewery Company, a large brick industrial building. (Library of Congress)

Google satellite imagery reveals that nothing remains of the former neighborhood except the canal where the Park/Franklin House once stood. (Google Earth)

     To See Sumner's images of the Benton House in Irvington, click on the link below:

Benton House by Osbert Sumner

    

I wish to thank Deedee Davis for her tenacious research on the Sumner Collection.

Sources:  Building Permit--Indianapolis Sentinel, March 16, 1865, p. 3; Black owned hotel--Indianapolis News, May 27, 1870, p. 4; Indianapolis News, July 23, 1870, p. 1; Ads for boarding house--Indianapolis News, April 12, 1872, p. 1 and Indianapolis News, November 29, 1872, p. 29; Refurbished A.T. Ramsey--Indianapolis News, June 2, 1874, p. 1 and Indianapolis News, June 12, 1874, p. 1; Reunion for GAR--"Reunion of Colored Soldiers," Indianapolis Journal, September 27, 1890, p. 5; Legal issues--"A Complicated Mortgage Case," Indianapolis Journal, September 11, 1896, p. 8; Condemnation--"Franklin House Condemned," Indianapolis News, November 26, 1900, p. 8 and "Board of Works Routine," Indianapolis Journal, November 29, 1900, p. 8.

Downey Avenue Christian Church Founded 150 Years Ago

      On September 19, 1875, 40 people gathered for the very first formal religious service conducted in the new town of Irvington. With just a smattering of houses scattered here and there, the community welcomed what would be known as Butler University in 1875. Ovid Butler, the founder of the college, associated the university with the Disciples of Christ, a denomination founded in the United States in the early nineteenth century. The new administration building on campus had a chapel and it was in that room that the Disciples worshipped and prayed for 18 years. Most of the members came from the college, but services were open to all. Butler students were required to attend during those early years.

     The weather on that Sunday in 1875 turned cooler and into the 40s so Professor John O. Hopkins recommended that the congregants move into his classroom where it was warmer. He also preached the first sermon. Later that year, the church welcomed 87 charter members. Nearby, many local residents gathered at Pleasant Run Creek for baptisms. An Indianapolis News article in 1879 reported that the church baptized 30 new members in the icy stream. As both the town and the college grew, the Disciples needed a larger space. That dream became a reality in 1893 with the dedication of a new brick church located at 111 South Downey Avenue. 

The chapel in the Administration Building (Butler Hall) served as the first space for members of the Disciples of Christ in Irvington to worship. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

The Brick Church (1893-1952)

     On September 5, 1892, church members broke ground at 111 South Downey Avenue for their first sanctuary away from the Butler campus. Designed by William F. Sharpe of Crawfordsville, Indiana, and erected by J.H. Jameson, the brick structure had several gables and a bell tower. At the dedication ceremony on April 9, 1893, congregants sat on carved oak pews and heard a sermon by the Reverend Carey E. Morgan, a Butler University graduate. Many of his former teachers sat in the pews before him.   

     Participation in the church swelled with the new facility. In 1914, the board added an education building just south of the church. The arrival of the Christian Board of Missions nearby also increased membership as many employees attended services at Downey Avenue Christian Church. Sunday schools, Boy Scout troops, and Camp Fire Girls increased the participation of younger Irvington residents in the church. 

     With the church population rising and repairs needed on the 59-year-old structure, the board of directors made the surprising decision to tear down the brick structure for a modern stone edifice.  There is no evidence that church members disapproved of this decision although it was likely that a few might have mourned the loss of the pretty church. 

       

Sketch in the Indianapolis News, February 24, 1892, p. 6

View of Downey Avenue Christian Church from South Downey Avenue looking north towards Julian and Downey Avenues in 1952 (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1952 from Julian Avenue; You will note the Education Building was  just south of the structure. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Members of the Downey Avenue Christian Church at 111 South Downey Avenue could enter through doors on Julian or Downey Avenues. This photo was likely taken in 1952. Frederick William (Bill) Wiegmann served as the minister. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Easter services in 1952 served as the final time that Downey Avenue Christian Church members attended worship in the brick church. The structure was razed shortly after this service. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Members of a Sunday School program posed for this photograph in 1934 at the Downey Avenue Christian Church at 111 South Downey Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

The Stone Church (1953--?)

     After the board decided to build a new church building, they hired Edward J. Clark to design the new structure. The architect had designed numerous churches in Indiana including the nearby Linwood Avenue Christian Church at 4424 East Michigan Street. The new church, a "modified" Gothic, was to be clad in limestone from southern Indiana. With a seating capacity for 475 people in the main hall, Clark also added room for 375 additional people in "Fellowship Hall." He included a youth chapel, rumpus rooms, and parlors. The cost came in at $250,000. 

     On a snowy Sunday morning on December 14, 1952, hundreds of church members gathered on the site for the cornerstone laying. Paul F. Brown, the board president, presided while Frederick W. Wiegmann and other dignitaries offered prayers and words. Ida Lamberson Russell, who had the distinction of being present at the 1893 dedication, "helped" to put the stone in place. Also assisting was Hilton U. Brown, the venerable publisher of the Indianapolis News. Both of them had witnessed Irvington grow from a small village into a thriving neighborhood. Several members placed items into the cornerstone box. John D.  Bruckman added a bible. Other items included an invitation to the 1893 dedication, a ceremonial shovel used to break ground, and various church programs. 

     The sanctuary opened in 1953 and for 72 years, the structure has been part of the neighborhood. In 2005, the congregation had a shock when an arsonist attempted to damage the building. Quick work by the fire department saved the structure allowing the congregation to restore the church. The Downey Avenue Christian Church is the oldest denomination within the boundaries of Irvington followed by the Irvington Methodist Church and First Baptist Church. On December 7, 2025, the congregation will be hosting a special service celebrating 150 years in operation with a reception afterwards. 

Frederick William Wiegmann, Francis W. Payne, and Paul F. Brown placed the ceremonial box into the cornerstone on December 14, 1952. We do not know the name of the boy in the photo so if you recognize him, let us know! Behind the crowd, you can see the Creighton Apartments located on the northwest corner of Julian and Downey Avenues. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

On December 14, 1952, Downey Avenue Christian Church members gathered to lay the cornerstone of their new church. Beyond the group you can see the former Scot Butler home at 124 South Downey Avenue. In 1952, the house served as the American Legion Post No. 38. To the north of that house you can see the side of 5339 Julian Avenue. That home along with the Butler residence and another house at 5319 Julian Ave were torn down to make way for the new mid-century Board of Church Extension structure. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

On December 14, 1952, Downey Avenue Christian Church members filed past their new building under construction. Behind the beams, you can see the former educational building that had served the church since 1914. It was later razed for a new fellowship hall. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Workers placed beams into position for the new Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1952. Behind the crew you can see the Creighton Apartments and homes along both Julian and Downey Avenues. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Workers for E. B. Ball finished the new Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1953. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Associate Minister Enos Nelson preached to a packed congregation at the Downey Avenue Christian Church in 1953. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

Teens gathered for a Friday night dance in Fellowship Hall adjacent to the church c1955 (photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

The board added a new education wing to the church in 1962. (Photo courtesy of Don Rouse)

The congregation added beautiful stained glass windows to the sanctuary in 1975 in honor of the centennial of the church. (photo courtesy of Don Rouse) 

     I wish to thank Don Rouse for his generosity in loaning me photos for this post, and for providing key historical information.

Sources: George Earle Owen,  A Century of Witness: A History of the Downey Avenue Christian Church, 1875-1975, Indianapolis, 1975; Early Years--"City News," March 31, 1879, 4; Brick Church--"A New Church in Irvington," Indianapolis News, September 5, 1892, p. 2; "Irvington's New Church," Indianapolis News, December 24, 1892, 6; "New House of Worship," Indianapolis Journal, April 10, 1893, 3; "Irvington Church Dedicated," Indianapolis News, April 10, 1893, p. 6; Stone Church--"Downey Avenue to Break Ground," Indianapolis News, May 3, 1952, 4; "Downey Avenue to Lay Stone," Indianapolis News, December 13, 1952, 3; "New Irvington Church Ceremony to be Tomorrow," Indianapolis Star, December 13, 1952, 12; "Downey Avenue Congregation to Dedicate New Edifice," Indianapolis Star, October 31, 1953, 10; Architect--"Edward J. Clark Dies: Designed Many Churches," Indianapolis Star, January 29, 1965, 9. 

Brown's Hill Was a Popular Sledding Site

     Newspaper publisher Hilton U. Brown and his wife Jennie Hannah Brown purchased five acres of land on the southwest corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue in 1891 for $3500. Mr. Brown first heard about the opportunity from an Irvington realtor named Charles W. Brouse. The property came complete with a pioneer farmhouse previously owned by the Weesner and White families. Mr. Brown demolished that residence but used the hewn walnut and oak timbers for a barn that an Englishman named Hector Fuller constructed on the site. The Browns erected a large home on the site using boulders from the nearby Pleasant Run stream. The couple raised their ten children on the expansive grounds complete with an orchard and an ice house built into the hill near the stream. 

     Soon after the home was finished, the Browns allowed local children to sled down the hill. Mr. Brown did have rules for the children. They were not to quarrel nor to throw snowballs. Over the decades thousands of local children flocked to the site. Jean Brown Wagoner, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brown and an author, noted in one of her newspaper columns that, "It made a fellow suck in his breath and then let out a yell as he started down." With the arrival of spring, the Browns frequently had to reseed the hill to keep it from being a muddy mess. 

    Over time, the Brown children moved out. Mrs. Brown died first, but Mr. Brown lived on until the age of 99. He passed away on September 20, 1958. His family sold the property to the Washington and Emerson Corporation shortly after his death. Several people in the neighborhood wondered what would become of the grand old place. Grace Booth Bay, in an Indianapolis News newspaper article, called for the home to be a senior home. She had grown up near the residence and remembered the boulders being put into place. Others hoped it would be turned into a museum. Some thought it might become a funeral home. On May 15, 1959, vandals broke into the empty house and broke windows, tore off a fireplace mantel, and littered the house with material they snatched from desk drawers. 

     Without public input, the community likely reacted with shock on June 24, 1959, as a crew began to demolish the beautiful home. The hill, however, remained for another ten years. Sledders continued to fly down the slope. Then, despite public opposition, including from Mayor Richard Lugar, the Indianapolis Board of Zoning Appeals (Division 2) allowed Howard Fieber, the President of Washington and Emerson Corporation, to flatten Brown's Hill for a filling station.  Today, the laughter and thrills from that incline linger on in memories and in photographs like those below. 

The Widner brothers, who lived on Farrington Avenue, enjoyed a slide down Brown's Hill c1962. Across the street, you can see the Forsyth family home at 15 South Emerson Avenue. William Forsyth was a renown-impressionistic artist. He purchased the house in 1908 from the Parker family, who predated the foundation of Irvington. Developers razed that home in 1966 or 1967 for a filling station. You can also see the double located at 25-27 South Emerson Avenue and the cottage next door at 29 South Emerson Avenue. (photo courtesy of Estate of Frank N. Widner)

This view of Brown's Hill was snapped in 1962 from the Forsyth property at 15 South Emerson Avenue. The Brown mansion had already been torn down, but the hill still existed on the southwest corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue. It was later flattened for a filling station. (photo courtesy of Susan Forsyth Selby Sklar Collection at the Irvington Historical Society)

Hilton U. and Jennie Hannah Brown built their stunning home at 5087 East Washington Street on a hill in 1892 at the southwest corner of Washington and Emerson Avenue. It was demolished in 1959 and the hill was removed in 1969 for a filling station. This photo shows the home in a publication celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the neighborhood in 1912. (image courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Robert Selby, the son-in-law of William and Alice Forsyth, painted this image of Brown's Hill. You can also see the Brown home in the painting. (photo courtesy of Irvington Historical Society) 

     I would like to thank members of the Widner family and Susan Forsyth Selby Sklar for their incredible photographs and Paula Schmidt, the archivist at the Irvington Historical Society. 

Sources:  Information about the construction of the Brown home and the rules for sledding on Brown's Hill--Hilton U. Brown, A Book of Memories, Old Swimmin' Hole Press, Greenfield, IN, pp 278-288; Jean Brown Wagoner, "Downhill All the Way," Indianapolis News, December 23, 1975, 13; Last years of the Brown home and hill--"Hilton U. Brown Home Sold, Indianapolis News, March 31, 1959, 15; Wayne Guthrie, "When Mary's Marry, It's a Grand Mix-up," Indianapolis News, April 15, 1959, 13; "Hilton U. Brown Home Entered by Vandals," Indianapolis Star, May 16, 1959, 4; "Landmark Passes," Indianapolis News, June 24, 1959, 23; Art Harris, "Brown's Snowy Hill May Lose its Slide," Indianapolis News, October 12, 1968, 1;  Wayne Guthrie, "Efforts to Save the Hill Laudable," Indianapolis News, February 6, 1969; "Saving Brown's Hill," Indianapolis News, April 21, 1969, 6; Letter to Editor, Mary Elizabeth Ramier, "Disenfranchised," Indianapolis News, June 9, 1969, 9; Information William Forsyth family--Rachel Berenson Perry, William J. Forsyth: The Life and Work of an Indiana Artist, Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2014. 

The Forsythes Move to Beechwood Avenue

Editorial Note:  Much of the information for this post is courtesy of Suzette (Becker) Hagan, whose grandparents used to dwell at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. She began to wonder as to who else might have lived in the beautiful home. Her research led her to many newspaper clippings and even to the granddaughters of the Forsythe family. I am indebted to her for her kindness and generosity in sharing her copious notes and collections. I also wish to thank Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt, the granddaughters of William and Sarah Forsythe.  

William G. and Sarah E. Harris Forsythe moved into their stunning newly-built home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue in early September of 1911.  Designed with both Tudor and Arts and Crafts influences, the residence was the first to be erected between Audubon Road and Burgess Avenue. Although not confirmed, Charles Byfield was likely the architect of the house. He designed a similar residence in northern Indianapolis.

The large residence with its spacious rooms, hardwood floors, beamed ceilings, a gorgeous staircase, and a substantial fireplace, must have seemed like a dream to the Forsythes. Mr. Forsythe worked as a railway mail clerk and Mrs. Forsythe stayed at home to tend to the couple's three children, Helen, Marjorie, and William, Jr. Mr. Forsythe should not be confused with the artist William Forsyth, who lived at East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue.

To celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary in December of 1911, the Forsythes invited many friends over to play "500."  They had to set up ten tables for the event. The couple decorated the rooms with holly and trimmed the fireplace with branches of the Christmas Berry. They received several gifts that night, but one was very special. Howard Chandler Christy, a prominent artist and cousin to Mr. Forsythe, sent a beautiful piece of crystal. The artist would later go on to paint portraits of Presidents and other important world leaders.

The Forsythe children had a beautiful space in which to play as the house, during their tenure, sat on a large lot with no immediate neighbors. Across the street and to the west, they could see the older homes nearby along Burgess Avenue. Helen, the oldest child, graduated from Shortridge High School while living in the house. Her marriage to Clarence Volz on November 10, 1917, made the society pages of the local Indianapolis newspapers.

The wedding surely must have been one of the prettiest in the city. The couple decided that there could be no more of a finer location in which to be married than in the gorgeous Forsythe home. As the guests took their seats in the living room, Mrs. Marie Dawson Morrell played beautiful pieces on her violin while Mrs. Franc Willhite Webber strummed the harp. Mr. Forsythe walked his beautiful daughter to an altar near the fireplace. As it was in November, the family filled with the rooms "countless" chrysanthemums. In front of the fireplace, a florist placed tall ferns and pretty vines over lattice work. The future Mrs. Volz wore a beautiful white satin gown with a satin bodice and a long train draped from her shoulders. Her veil was arranged with pearls and she held a bouquet of lily of the valleys. The Reverend Lewis Brown of St. Paul's Episcopal Church administered the vows. After their wedding, the newlyweds honeymooned in Chicago. Their time together, however, would have to wait as World War One raged in Europe. Mr. Volz departed for France shortly after their lovely evening on Beechwood Avenue. Helen Volz lived with her parents in the Beechwood house until his return.

The Forsythes resided in the home for eight years before moving to a smaller place on Oak Avenue in 1919. The family continued to dwell in Irvington for many more decades. To see more historic photographs of this house click on the "Forsythe Family" link below.

5621 Beechwood Avenue on March 4, 2019 (photo by Bill Gulde)

The Forsythe family was the first to call 5621 Beechwood Avenue "home." They moved into the house in early September in 1911.  This photo was likely taken in 1912. (photo courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Sarah Harris Forsythe, the matriarch of the family, posed for this photo next to her home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue in 1915. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

William Grant Forsythe of Zanesville, Ohio posed for this photo on November 7, 1898. He later became a railway clerk and married Sarah Harris. The couple moved into 5621 Beechwood Avenue in 1911. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt) 

Sarah Harris Forsythe stood on her drive  at 5621 Beechwood Avenue likely in 1914. Behind her, you can see the tall Queen Ann styled home at 336 Burgess Avenue. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Sarah Harris Forsythe posed with her children, Helen, Bill, and Marjorie 1909. Two years later, they moved into 5621 Beechwood Avenue. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Marjorie and Bill Forsythe posed on the front porch stoop at 5621 Beechwood Avenue in 1913. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

Marjorie and Bill Forsythe posed for this photo in 1913 perhaps on the Forsythe property at 5621 Beechwood Avenue. (Image courtesy of Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt)

5621 Beechwood Avenue on March 4, 2019 (photo by Bill Gulde)

Sources: Newspaper Clippings from the Suzette Hagan Collection; Wedding Anniversary-"Society," Indianapolis Star, December 27, 1911; Wedding--"Beautiful Wedding is Solemnized at Home in Irvington," Indianapolis Star, November 11, 1917. Interview with Nancy Allen and Charlotte Whitt, 2019 by Suzette Hagan.

The Jenneys Built a Dream Home On a Bluff Above Pleasant Run Stream--1922

Walter and Alice Jenney purchased several lots from developer Arthur V. Brown near what would become Pleasant Run Parkway in 1911. They paid Mr. Brown the sizable sum of $6000 for the land. At the time, the Jenneys lived at 350 North Whittier Place with a view of Ellenberger Woods. Their new plot of land was north of the Pleasant Run Stream and east of Ritter Avenue. George Kessler, the noted landscape architect, designed the new boulevard that was soon to be expanded from Ritter Avenue to Arlington Avenue. Arthur V. Brown had already donated about six acres along both sides of the stream for a public green space.

Mr. Jenney held many jobs over the years as he was a salesman and an entrepreneur. His family moved to Irvington when he was young and he made headlines in 1895 when he and another Irvington child found some of the charred remains of Howard Pitezel, a victim of the serial killer H.H. Holmes. As a young man, he worked for his uncle Charles E. Jenney, who owned the Jenney Electric Company. Walter Jenney later struck out on his own as an advertising agent for the New York Store and for the Indianapolis Star  and News. After buying land from Mr. Brown in the Ellenberger Park Addition, Mr. Jenney opened a nursery where he sold peonies, lilacs, roses, and other beautiful specimens. The Irvington North Garden Historic District received its National Register name because of Mr. Jenney's beautiful nursery located near St. Clair Street and Lesley Avenue.

The land that the Jenney's purchased contained an older farmhouse, some outbuildings, and a windmill. Little is known about the original farmers who used to live in the house, but the historic residence still stands at 5665 East St. Clair Street. Mr. Jenney operated his nursery out of the house. Alice Jenney was involved in various Irvington clubs and taught Sunday School at the Irvington Methodist for 50 years. Amazingly, she would live to be 101 years old. She outlived her husband by 33 years. Her brother, Arthur J. Randall, and sister-in-law, Anna Hayes Randall, purchased land and built a home at 5660 East St. Clair Street. The siblings lived across the street from each other for decades.

Alice Randall Jenney stood on the site of her future home at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway (later 5701 E. St. Clair Street) in 1912. The couple would not start construction of their new residence until 1922.  (photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown)

Walter and Alice Jenney purchased land from a developer named Arthur V. Brown in 1911. They bought the farmhouse and and the adjacent bluff for a future home. Pleasant Run Parkway had not yet been constructed when this photo was snapped in 1911. (photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown) 

Walter Jenney snapped this beautiful photo in 1912 on the site of his future home at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway. (Photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown)

The North Irvington Garden Historic District used to be a farm. In 1911, Walter Jenney snapped this image eastward from his property at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway. The future 700 blocks of Audubon Road, Graham, Bolton, Campbell, and Arlington Avenues had yet to be developed. (photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown)

Alice Randall Jenney stood in the nursery and near the site of her future home at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway. Her husband, Walter Jenney, had opened the business in the farmhouse (not visible) at 5665 East St. Clair Street. His peonies won many prizes. Mr. Jenney, the photographer, faced eastward for this photograph. Note the windmill and the water tower. The photo was likely taken in 1914. (photo courtesy of Chris and Felicia Sears and Ann Schmidt Brown)

In this undated photograph, you can see that Pleasant Run Parkway is under construction. (c1912) The house that is visible in the image is the farmhouse that still stands at 5665 East St. Clair Street. (photo courtesy of Chris and Felicia Sears and Ann Schmidt Brown)

The old farmhouse at 5665 East St. Clair Street in 2018.

Walter Jenney operated a nursery out of the farmhouse at 5665 East St. Clair Street (Indianapolis Star, October 1, 1920)

It took some time, but eventually the Jenneys began construction of their dream home at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway (also known as 5700) in the summer of 1922. They chose to site the home on a bluff facing southward towards Irvington. Mr. Jenney designed the home while O. E. Pike served as the general contractor. An Indianapolis Star article profiled the new home on November 12, 1922. To get to the property, one entered from Pleasant Run Parkway, crossed over a stone bridge, and then up a steep and winding drive. Once at the top of the hill, a lovely "colonial" stuccoed home awaited visitors. Mr. Jenney designed a long living room across the entire front of the home complete with a mahogany fireplace and beautiful oak floors. Mr. Pike installed an heirloom buffet into the dining room. The Jenneys could sit in a beautiful side porch and gaze across the tree tops that grew along the stream below. The stunning location must have been a beautiful place to live in all seasons. For many years, the old windmill still stood near the dining room window.

Numerous other families have called this beautiful place "home." Their stories should be told as well. I am particularly grateful to Ann Schmidt Brown, whose family lived here for much of the mid and late twentieth century. Todd Cloud and Chris and Felicia Sears have also been instrumental in providing information for this post. I wish to thank them all. At some point, Mr. Jenney gave a scrapbook full of photos to the Schmidt family. I was able to publish these photos due to the generosity of the Schmidts. More photos will be forthcoming so stay tuned!

Walter Jenney originally designed his future home at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway with a veranda around the house. He later modified his design. In this photo, he superimposed his original vision on a photograph in 1922. (image courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown)

Alice Randall Jenney sat on the front porch of her new home at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway (later 5701 East St. Clair Street) in 1922. (photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown)

Walter Jenney snapped this photograph in 1922 as he faced westward. (photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown) 

Mr. Jenney's peonies bloomed in the spring of 1923. Behind the garden, you can see the Jenney home at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway. (photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown)

The Jenney home and property at 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway shortly after it was built in the winter of 1922 (photo courtesy of Todd Cloud and Ann Schmidt Brown)

5701 East St. Clair Street (formerly 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway) in 2018

Indianapolis Star, September 14, 1944, 5

Editor's note: During the Schmidt-era of the home, the city changed the address of the house from 5702 East Pleasant Run Parkway to 5701 East St. Clair Street.

Sources: About the house--"Stucco Attractive Finish for Homes," Indianapolis Star, November 12, 1922, 61; Obituary for Walter E. Jenney, Indianapolis Star, September 14, 1944, 5; Obituary for Alice Randall Jenney, Indianapolis News, February 5, 1977, 13; About Howard Pitezel--"This Reminds Me," Indianapolis Star, March 10, 1951, 31; Arthur Brown donation--"Gives City Six Acres," Indianapolis News, July 28, 1911, 16. Interview with Ann Schmidt Brown, December 2, 2018; Interview with Chris and Felicia Sears, December 8, 2018.

The Randall Home in 1915 and in 2018

Arthur J. and Anna Hayes Randall moved into their beautiful new home at 5660 East St. Clair Street in 1915. They had purchased land in the summer of 1914 from Arthur V. Brown, a banker who owned many acres in the area. They paid Mr. Brown $3000 for lots 101, 107, and 110 at the northwest corner of Lesley Avenue and St. Clair Street. Mr. Randall was a successful printer. Mrs. Randall stayed home and raised the couple's three children, Ruth, Margaret, and Ralph. She was also very involved in the Expression Club, the Irvington Mothers' Study Club, and the Irvington Methodist Church. The historic photo was likely taken by her brother, Walter Jenney, who owned  land and a nursery across the street. He, too, bought plots from Arthur V. Brown and eventually built a bungalow across from his sister.

Walter Jenney sold peonies, lilacs, and other beautiful specimens from his land in the 5700 block of East St. Clair Street. He would later build a house on his property. In 1915, prior to any construction, he snapped this photograph of his brother and sister-in-law's home across the street. Arthur and Anna Randall had just moved into 5660 East St. Clair Street in 1915 when this image was taken. Note Mr. Jenney's beautiful peonies in the foreground. 

5660 East St. Clair Street in 2018

Arthur Randall, of 5660 East St. Clair Street was in the printing business for decades. This ad appeared in the Indianapolis Star on May 30, 1924. 

This photo was taken a few years before Arthur Randall's death in 1950. The family used the image for his obituary which appeared in the Indianapolis Star on November 5, 1950. 

On December 28, 1924, this photo of Arthur J. Randall appeared in the Indianapolis Star. The newspaper had published a story on his printing business. 

Anna Hayes Randall as she appeared in the Indianapolis Star on June 3, 1934: Mrs. Randall dwelled for many years with her husband and family at 5660 East St. Clair Street. 

The Randalls of 5660 East St. Clair Street had three children. In 1937, their daughter Margaret married E. Blair Harter. (Indianapolis Star, March 7, 1937)

The author wishes to thank Ann Schmidt Brown, Todd Cloud, Chris Sears and Felicia Sears for stories and information for this post. More information will be forthcoming about this area of Irvington.

Sources:  The Randall purchase of land--Indianapolis Star, July 21, 1914; Obituary of Arthur Randall, Indianapolis Star, September 5, 1950