Google Streetview Reveals Lost Structures of Greater Irvington Area, Part I

      Since 2007, someone has been driving around in a little Google car with a camera on top, photographing streets and alleys around Indianapolis and beyond. Thankfully, Google archives these images and keeps them on their website. During a particularly rainy period, I got on Streetview and "drove" around from within the confines of my little home office. What I found saddened me as dozens of structures have vanished in the nineteen years since Google first arrived. When you see some of the photographs, you will shake your head and wonder how they even survived another day. Others were lost to development or parking lots. A few tragically burned, upending the lives of the families inside. While the core of Irvington is protected by the Indianapolis Preservation Commission, that still does not guarantee that a house or commercial building will survive into the next decade; however, most of the structures below had no protections and no chance to survive. Let's take a journey and see a sample of what is missing.

135 South Arlington Avenue

     The cute cottage located at 135 South Arlington had been on the same lot since the 1890s. A white couple named James and Jennie Milton resided here for decades. After her death in 1916, numerous long-time Black families resided in the home. Thomas and Carrie Handley lived here during the late 1910s and early 1920s. Mr. Handley was a jack of all trades and remodeled the house. They hailed from Kentucky. The Dobsons, Blythes, and Pitts lived here during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Harland and Rita Nuckols purchased the property in 1959 and their family remained for decades. Mr. Nuckols worked for International Harvester for many years. Their children attended Howe High School. The Google car captured the image below in 2009. In my mind, I see flowers growing out of that pretty flower box and curtains in those upper dormer windows. Today the site is an empty lot. 

135 South Arlington, Google Streetview, 2009

The Nuckols family was a fixture at 135 South Arlington Avenue for many years. In this montage you can even see Mrs. Nuckols standing on her stoop speaking to some kind of salesman. (images courtesy of Kisa Cunningham via Ancestry.com) 

569 South Arlington Avenue

     Some houses have been flattened for development. That is what happened to the nearly century-old bungalow located at 569 South Arlington Avenue. It had the misfortune of being in the way of a proposed convenience store and gas station. In the early years many tenants rented the property. In 1932 it cost $18 a month to live in the two-bedroom residence. It was never a grand place, but dozens of people built their lives here. 

569 South Arlington Avenue, Google Streetview, 2016

The cute little dog was the subject of this photograph in 1941, but behind the pooch you can see 569 South Arlington Avenue. (courtesy of Helen Hunt) 

5902 Beechwood Avenue

     William Wuest opened his grocery store at 5902 Beechwood Avenue in 1922. Over the years the structure served as a beauty shop and as apartments. By 2010 it was in rough shape. I kept thinking that the building could be saved. Perhaps an antique dealer or chocolatier or a rare book dealer would buy it and turn the fortunes of fate around, but all of that was lost when a teenage-arsonist destroyed the property in the spring of 2010. 

     

5902 Beechwood, Google Streetview, 2009

The grocery store formerly located on the northeast corner of Good and Beechwood Avenues can be seen in this photograph snapped in 1953. Pictured (left to right) Linda Bevis, Debbie St. John, Claudia St. John, Donna Bevis, and Jean Ferling. (photo courtesy of Bill Ferling) 

40-42 South Butler Avenue

     Although this beautiful double sat in the preservation district, it did not survive a disastrous fire. Built in the early 1920s, dozens of families resided in the duplex (I thought it was older!). From 1948 until 1968 John and Mary Flanagan owned and lived in the property. They rented out the other half to family members. This stylish double had both hipped and gabled rooflines. 

40 South Butler Avenue, Google Streetview, 2009

John Flanagan posed with his daughter, Theresa on the day of her First Communion at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in 1960. Behind them you can see the double formerly located at 40-42 South Butler Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Flanagan family and Paula Schmidt)

501-03 North Emerson Avenue

     The substantial brick commercial building had been on the northeast corner of Emerson Avenue and Michigan Street since at least 1910. Frank Wright and others operated a grocery store at 501 North Emerson for decades. In the 1920s, it was known as Forsyth Pharmacy. Most long-time residents will remember the corner as McShane's Parkway Tavern. Apparently, the St. Patrick Day celebrations here were legendary. It was torn down sometime after 2007. The only saving grace for the loss of this structure is that at least in 2026 it is now the site of beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. 

501-03 North Emerson Avenue, Google Streetview, 2007

McShane's Tavern at 501 North Emerson Avenue in 1962 (photo courtesy of Frank Widner)

5507 Greenfield Avenue

     For years I used to drive by the sweet house with the fieldstone front porch on Greenfield Avenue.  You can imagine how surprised I was to learn that it had been torn down! Built in the late 1890s, the dwelling was home to William M. and Harriett C. Baker, two of the earliest Black residents of Irvington. Mr. Baker worked as a teamster while Mrs. Baker served as a laundress. Her old-fashioned Christmas fruitcake recipe made the Indianapolis Times in 1926. The Bakers lived there until the 1940s. Another long-time Black family, James and Opal Drake, resided here for many years. Mr. Drake served as the Chef for the Holloway House Cafeteria for decades. The couple were very involved at St. Bridget's Catholic Church...also gone! Had their home been three blocks north it would have been protected from demolition. 

5507 Greenfield Avenue, Google Streetview, 2019

James and Opal Drake celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the house on December 21, 1974 (Indianapolis Star, December 22, 1974, p. 98) 

5139 East Michigan Street

     The beautiful American foursquare located in the Pleasanton subdivision of Irvington had been on the site since 1924. The immaculate home sadly burned and was demolished in 2017. An ad in 1925 described the property as a "four-bedroom house, close to Pleasant Run Blvd. and Ellenberger Park. One of the best locations east." The price at $10,000 made it one of the more expensive residences in the neighborhood. The Gisler family lived in the house through much of the mid-twentieth century. Various Democratic mayors of Indianapolis appointed Albert H. Gisler to various boards. Today the site is an empty lot.

5139 East Michigan Street, Google Streetview, 2009

In 1947 Mayor Finney appointed Albert Gisler to the Board of Safety for the police and fire departments. His photo appeared in the Indianapolis News on December 3, 1947.

Up Next:  Google Streetview Reveals Lost Structures of Greater Irvington, Part II

Sources:  135 S. Arlington--Polk's Indianapolis City Directories, 1897-1959; Federal Census Records, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950; Obit for Thomas Handley--Indianapolis Recorder, June 6, 1936, p. 14; Obit for Harland Nuckols--Indianapolis News, September 20, 1961, p. 7; 569 S. Arlington--Ad for rent--Indianapolis News, February 29, 1932, p. 23; 40-42 S. Butler--Interviews with Flanagan family by Paula Schmidt; 501-03 North Emerson--Ads from News, Star, and Times 1910-1962; 5507 Greenfield Avenue--Federal Census Records 1900-1940; 5139 E. Michigan--Ad--Indianapolis News,  June 12, 1925, p. 40.

Swedish Couple Moved to Irvington

     Hulda Paulina Axberg of Karlstad, Sweden bade goodbye to her father, step mother, and numerous siblings on May 4, 1906, as she traveled alone to the coastal city of Gothenburg to board a ship bound first for Liverpool, England and then for the United States. Like millions of other immigrants, she arrived at Ellis Island, New York with little money but with hopes for a new life. Her older sister, Elin, who arrived earlier, served as her sponsor. She listed "servant" as her occupation and in fact, she would serve as a domestic in various American homes throughout her life.

     Three years later, another Swede, Hilding Urban Hendrickson, departed from the small coastal Swedish town of Simrishamn where his father served as a ship captain.  Unlike Hulda Axberg, nearly all of Hilding's siblings immigrated to the United States. Some of his brothers settled in Rochester, New York, while he and his brother, Francis, moved to Indianapolis. Lars Hendrickson, the father of Hilding and Francis, insisted that his sons have a trade. Both Hilding and Francis listed "tailor" as their occupation when they arrived at Ellis Island. 

Hulda Axberg shortly after her arrival in the United States from Sweden c1906 (image courtesy of Donna Sanderson)

Hulda Axberg moved from Karlstad, Sweden, a beautiful city along Lake Vanern (photo--public domain).

Hilding Urban Hendrickson moved to the United States along with several of his brothers. He is shown here as a young man already living in Indianapolis and earning a living as a tailor c1915. (Irvington Historical Society)

The Hendrickson brothers moved from Simrishamn, Sweden, a small town along the eastern coast, to the United States in the early twentieth century. (photo--public domain)

     The Swedish community in Indianapolis in the early twentieth century was not large so it is not surprising that Hulda Axberg met Hilding Hendrickson as they had much in common. They married on May 2, 1914, at the Woodruff Place United Presbyterian Church. Mr. Hendrickson was just beginning to build his reputation as an outstanding tailor. He and his brother opened a shop in downtown Indianapolis providing an income for the two young immigrants and their wives. Hilding and Hulda rented numerous homes on the eastside of Indianapolis before purchasing a beautiful home at 824 North Rural Street.  The couple celebrated the arrival of their two sons, Robert in 1916 and James in 1918. Both young men attended and graduated from Arsenal Tech High School.

     When World War II erupted, Hilding and Hulda, like millions of other American parents watched and likely fretted as their sons went into that conflict. Robert Hendrickson served in the European Theater as a bomber pilot over Germany while James Hendrickson had the grim task of assisting with the clean up of Nagasaki, Japan after the city was destroyed by an atomic bomb. 

Hilding and Hulda Hendrickson posed with their sons, Robert and James, c1919 in Indianapolis. (photo courtesy of Irvington Historical Society) 

James Hendrickson playfully teased his mother while on leave from duty during World War II. Mrs. Hendrickson clearly enjoyed having her son home at 824 North Rural Street in Indianapolis c1944. (Photo courtesy of Donna Sanderson)

James Hendrickson, on leave from his service during World War II, posed next to the family home at 824 North Rural Street in eastern Indianapolis c1944. (photo courtesy of Donna Sanderson)

Google Streetview captured 824 North Rural Street in 2007 shortly before it was demolished. 

     With the war over and their sons now out of the house and starting their own lives, Hilding and Hulda sold their Rural Street home and moved into a small cottage in southern Irvington at 406 South Butler Avenue. Hilding's brother, Francis and sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hornbrook Hendrickson, lived nearby at 47 Whittier Place. Hilding and his brother dissolved their tailor shop and he then worked for Blocks Department Store for twenty years.

      At their little cottage on South Butler Avenue, the couple hosted family celebrations. Donna Sanderson, the granddaughter of Hilding and Hulda Hendrickson, remembers the delicious smells emanating out of the kitchen as her grandmother baked some Swedish specialities. She also remembers staying in the attic-turned-bedroom and listening to the rain hit the roof lulling her to sleep. The tall grandfather clock visible in the photos sat in each of the Hendrickson homes. 

The Hendricksons moved into this southern Irvington cottage at 406 South Butler Avenue after World War II. (photo snapped on June 24, 2021)

Hulda Axberg Hendrickson relaxed in her oversized chair at her home at 406 South Butler Avenue c1957 (photo courtesy of Donna Sanderson) 

The extended Hendrickson family frequently gathered at 406 South Butler Avenue for the holidays. In this photo, likely snapped in 1957, Hulda Axberg Hendrickson (on the end) sits next to her daughter-in-laws, Freda Hendrickson (later Brown), Florence Hendrickson, Jane Hendrickson, and her nephew, Charles Hendrickson. (photo courtesy of Donna Sanderson) 

Hulda Axberg Hendrickson posed next to her grandchildren, Jim Hilding Hendrickson and Donna Hendrickson on Christmas Eve, c1955 at 406 South Butler Avenue. The two kids can also be seen in the photo on the table. (photo courtesy of Donna Sanderson) 

Hilding and Francis Hendrickson, both immigrants from Sweden, looked on as their grandchildren were photographed on Christmas Day, 1957 at 406 South Butler Avenue. The kids in the photo are: Donna Hendrickson, Jerry Hendrickson, Mary J. Hendrickson, and Jim Hendrickson. Note the beautiful grandfather clock in the corner of the room. (photo courtesy of Donna Sanderson)

      In their elder years, the Hendricksons moved to 958 North Hawthorne Lane in northern Irvington in 1962. They likely owned the home before that date and they seem to have rented the residence to Swedish natives, Ellen and Glenn Bertelsmann in the early 1960s. Mrs. Bertelsmann was Hulda's sister. In her later years, Hulda worked as a domestic for the Ruckleshaus family in Indianapolis.

      On May 3, 1964, the extended Hendrickson family gathered at the Hawthorne Lane home to celebrate the fiftieth wedding anniversary of the Swedish couple who took a chance on the United States. Five years later, Hulda Axberg Hendrickson, the immigrant from Karlstad, died in 1969. Tragically, Hilding Urban Hendrickson, the tailor from Simrishamn, met his ending in an auto accident after being struck by a train at the dangerous intersection at Sherman Avenue and Massachusetts Street in 1970. 

The last home for Hulda and Hilding Hendrickson was at 958 North Hawthorne Lane in northern Irvington. (photo taken on June 24, 2021) 

Credits:  I wish to thank Donna Sanderson, the granddaughter of Hilding and Hulda Axberg Hendrickson. Her attention to detail and family history documentation made this an easy post to write. 

    

Sigma Chi Fraternity Images 1913-1915

The Sigma Chi Rho Chapter has been a part of Butler University's three campuses since 1865. When the college moved to Irvington in 1875, the fraternity followed. By 1913, the club had eleven active members and several pledges. They lived in a variety of houses throughout Irvington. Howard Caldwell, Sr, for instance, resided at his family's home at 30 North Bosart Avenue. The club leased  a room at Moore's Hall, formerly located at 130 South Audubon Road, for their chapter meetings. Both the Butler Collegian and Indianapolis News reported in 1913 that the men of Sigma Chi had the highest GPA of any of the fraternities on campus with an average of 73.04%. Of course, the campus average was 75.5% and the Delta Pi Omega Sorority had an average of 82%.

Each year the club sponsored a dance. In 1913, a Sigma Chi alum managed to secure the Columbia Club in downtown Indianapolis for the event. In 1914, they held the dance at the Propylaeum on North Delaware Street. A formal photo from 1913 shows the men in standard pose while other photos reveal the more candid and playful side of the group.

Sigma Chi Rho Chapter Butler University 1913, front row: Joseph Ostrander, Robert Buck, Murray Matthews, Dan Trone, Robert J. Masters; second row: Howard C. Caldwell, Sr., Carlos Bonham, Halsey R. Keeling,  Bruce Robison, Carbs Harrison,  Kenneth Barr (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Members of the Sigma Chi fraternity at gathered at the north end of Butler's campus in1913 near the Pennsylvania Railroad. Behind the men you, can see the residence at 143 South Butler and the double at 137-39 South Butler Avenue. We only know the names of a few of the young men. Seated in front: ?; Second row: ?, ?; Third Row:  ?,?, Robert J. Masters; Fourth row: ?, Dan Trone, Howard C. Caldwell, Sr,; Top row: ?, Halsey Keeling, ? (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

The members of Sigma Chi gathered for this photo most likely in 1913. The building next to the young men was possibly the Butler Observatory located at the northern end of the campus near the Pennsylvania Railroad. Howard C. Caldwell, Sr. is standing next to the building. Looking up to him is Halsey Keeling. We do not know the names of the other in the men in the photo yet. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst) 

Howard Caldwell, Sr. lived at 30 North Bosart Avenue with his parents although tragedy struck the family when his father, Benjamin Caldwell, died in 1913 at the 47. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Howard Caldwell, Sr. graduated from Butler University in 1915. He was a writer and would later run his own advertising agency. (photo courtesy of Ginny Hingst)

Sources:  "Sigma Chi Plan Luncheon," Indianapolis Star, November 28, 1913, 13; "Ella Weaver Heads Honors List at Butler," Indianapolis News, April 17, 1913, 4

I am indebted to Ginny Hingst, the granddaughter Howard C. Caldwell, Sr., for these images.

Prominent Architect Designed Emerson Avenue Duplexes--1944

After Butler moved away from Irvington in 1929, many people began to wonder what would become of the abandoned campus structures and 30 acres. Throughout the 1930s, the college tore down most of the original university buildings. There was talk of donating the land for an Indianapolis high school and some people wanted the area to become a park. Neither idea materialized and eventually the acreage was sold for redevelopment. Beginning in the early 1940s, Meridian Construction Company began building small cottages along Ohmer and Butler Avenues in what became known as the Campus Terrace Addition. The builders worked around some of the huge trees planted by the college although some of the groves vanished with the extension of University Avenue to Emerson Avenue.

In 1944, the Meridian Construction Company partnered with architect, Leslie F. Ayres, to design fourteen brick duplexes facing South Emerson Avenue. Still a young man at 38 years old, Ayres had already designed many impressive homes and commercial buildings throughout the country. He specialized in Tudor-Revivals early in his career, but by the late 1930s and early 1940s he had embraced the Art Moderne style.  The Wilkinson Home in Muncie, Indiana represents the peak of his his design during the Art Moderne period.  He also drafted "modernized" colonial revival homes which is what he termed the Emerson Avenue structures. Most of his incredible work still exists today along streets like Washington Boulevard on the north side of Indianapolis. He also designed the very beautiful Harry Moore Chapel along East Michigan Street. Beginning in the 1930s, Ayres was awarded the prestigious honor of being the architect of several Indianapolis Home Show residences. These dwellings were constructed at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and then often times reconstructed in various neighborhoods in northern Indianapolis. His untimely death of heart disease when he was only 45 robbed the world of an amazing architect.

Today, most east side residents of Indianapolis drive by the line of unusual doubles and do not know that these residences were designed by a brilliant architectural star. Mr. Ayres was also an accomplished artist and his work was exhibited by the Hoosier Art Salon. One of his early mentors happened to be his art teacher, Frederick Polly, an instructor at Arsenal Tech High School and resident of Irvington.

On September 8, 1944, the Indianapolis News featured the duplex at 251-253 South Emerson Avenue. The unnamed author described each of the rooms beginning with the living room with its long windows and tan-striped wall paper. The dining room sat in an alcove and the L-shaped kitchen featured two rows of white-painted cabinetry. Two bedrooms upstairs had "generous" closets with another closet in the hallway. The bathroom, also located upstairs, boasted a recessed tub and a "Venetian Mirrored" medicine cabinet. The double opened on to a large uncovered terrace. Hundreds of residents moved in and out of the 28 units over the years including former Indiana House of Representative, Dan Burton.

251-253 South Emerson Avenue under construction in the autumn of 1944 (Indianapolis News, September 8, 1944, 25)

217-219 South Emerson Avenue in 1948 can be seen behind Alfred Moffitt, who dwelled at 218 South Emerson Avenue (photo courtesy of the Moffitt family via Ancestry.com)

Duplexes in the 200 block of South Emerson Avenue in 2017

Duplexes in the 200 block of South Emerson Avenue in 2017

Leslie Ayres (1906-1952), a brilliant architect, designed many homes and structures in Indianapolis. (photo courtesy of Ball State Digital Archives) 

Leslie Ayres designed this residence for the 1941 Indianapolis Home Show

Leslie Ayres designed this home for the 1940 Indianapolis Home Show. 

The Wilkinson House in Muncie, Indiana was designed by Leslie Ayres. (photo courtesy of Indiana Landmarks)

Sources:
"1941 Home," Indianapolis News, April 18, 1944, 37.
"Campus Terrace Addition," Indianapolis News, September 8, 1944, 25.
Lucile Morehouse, "Drawings of Historical Interest," Indianapolis Star, August 25, 1946, 53.
Obituary for Leslie Ayres, Indianapolis Star, September 7, 1952, 21.

To see some of Leslie Ayres beautiful renderings click on the Ball State digital site below:

Leslie Ayres

Four Years!

     Four years ago this month, I started down an unknown path.  Could I create a blog that concentrated on collecting historic photos of the Irvington neighborhood in Indianapolis?  Would people visit the site?  Would the site become self-sustaining?  In other words, if I built it...would you come?  Needless to say, Vintage Irvington has exceeded my expectations.  I have been fortunate in that several people have been very generous with their family collections. Some of have sought me out from all corners of the country. It turns out that this neighborhood has been very special in the lives of so many people.

Contributors From the Last Year

     In the winter of 2013, I met Leland Dickerson, a World War II veteran, whose brother was tragically killed towards the end of the war.  He generously loaned me dozens of shots of the neighborhood dating back to the 1930s.  Barbara Sanders had deep roots in the area on both sides of her family.  Thanks to her generosity I was able to post shots of the former White Farm at East 10th and Shadeland Avenue as well as of nearby areas on East New York Street and North Butler Avenue.  Suzette Hagan's family photos of 5621 Beechwood Avenue depicted fascinating glimpses into the lives of 1950s-era Irvingtonians.  I also received wonderful photos and stories from Bill Ferling, Paula Schmidt, David Bailey, Richard C. Gaskill, Carol Oribison, D.J. Smith, Brad Amiano, Terry Wilgus, the Stroude Family, Brian Callahan, and Larry Muncie.  This blog would not be possible without the kindness of these current or former Irvington residents.  Do you have a scrapbook filled with Irvington photos?  I would love to speak to you!  You can reach me at williamfranklingulde@gmail.com.

     By the way, in the four years that Vintage Irvington has been in operation, the site has received 115, 367 hits.  While most of the readers hail from the United States, Vintage Irvington has received hundreds and in some cases thousands of hits from Russia, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Ukraine, Turkey, Latvia, and Poland. Curiosity seekers from dozens of other nations have also landed upon the blog.

Highlights From the Past Year

     I have always had a soft spot for photos that show men and women returning from World War II.  In this image, snapped in February of 1943, Harry Perkins, Leland Dickerson, and Curly Morris posed along the 5800 block of Lowell Avenue.  They look joyful as snow melted about them on the warm winter day.  (Photo courtesy of Leland Dickerson) 

     Bill Ferling was kind enough to lend me photos from the collection of the Irvington Presbyterian Church.  This beautiful image shows the stunning structure on an early spring day in 1953. Note the historic double still standing just east of the church where the parking lot sits today.

     David Bailey grew up along South Emerson Avenue near the former Butler University.  Mr. Bailey, an avid reader and history lover, contributed many stunning photos to this blog including this image of Butler students on "clean up" day in 1917.  

     Carol Orbison's family grew up in Irvington.  She generously loaned me photos from her father and grandfather's photo collection.  This image depicts the Orbison family home at 51 North Irvington Avenue in 1912.  

    Paula Schmidt has graciously not only donated images, but she has also been a guest writer several times on this blog.  One of her stories this year was of the Thormeyer family at 93 South Butler Avenue. Paula traveled to Austin, Indiana to learn more about these interesting people and came back with some wonderful stories and images.  In this photo taken c1935, the Thormeyer women stand near the family home on Butler Avenue.

     
     Barbara Azbell Sanders has deep roots in Irvington.  Her mother's people owned a farm just east of the neighborhood at 10th and Shadeland Avenue.  There is not a shred of a farm at that intersection today, so I am particularly grateful to Mrs. Sanders for being so generous with her collection.  In this photo, snapped in 1937, members of the White family gathered for a reunion at their farmhouse. (now demolished)

     Mrs. Sanders also contributed several other photos that showed life in other parts of the neighborhood.  I particularly loved this photo of Vivian and Barbara Azbell in their riding attire. Behind them, you can see 4910, 4914, and 4918-20 East New York Street in 1938.  

     Fred Azbell ran Azbell Distribution Company, a business that sold auto parts. In this photo, little Barbara Azbell sits atop one vehicle in the family fleet along the 1100 block of North Butler Avenue in 1943.  Her grandfather, Thomas White, briefly took over the family business while her father served in World War II. (Photo courtesy of Barbara Sanders)

     The Becker family dwelled in a stunning Arts and Crafts home at 5621 Beechwood Avenue.  On November 27, 1954, Julius and Gloria Pirtle Becker celebrated their wedding day in the Becker home.  Family members and friends from all over the Midwest traversed to Irvington to rejoice with the young couple despite the snowy conditions outside.  In this photo, members of the Pirtle and Becker family gathered for the wedding photographer.  (Photo courtesy of Suzette Hagan)