The Buddenbaums of Irvington

Louis Buddenbaum (1868-1931) ran a lumber company and became an active Mason with the Scottish Rite Cathedral near downtown Indianapolis.  At age 38, he married 18-year old Helen Cross (1888-1970).  Buddenbaum's new father-in-law was Charles Cross, a prominent realtor and developer of numerous Irvington homes.  It is possible that the two men had been in business together long before their families united.  The couple first dwelled at 307 South Audubon Road and then moved to 18 South Irvington Avenue.  In 1910, the couple went on an extensive vacation to Mexico.  Mrs. Buddenbaum remained very close to her parents who dwelled at 322 Downey Avenue.  She was an active club woman.  She also helped to raise her nephews, the Townsend brothers.

Louis and Helen Cross Buddenbaum pose with their nephew Louis Townsend around 1920.  The three Townsend brothers (Charles, Donald, and Louis) would later live  with the Buddenbaums before starting their own families.  

The Buddenbaums first dwelled at 307 South Audubon and later at 18 South Irvington Avenue.  

Mr. Buddenbaum's lumber store remained profitable and the couple retired to an apartment in the luxurious Marrott Building on North Meridian Street near Fall Creek.  Mr. Buddenbaum's untimely death in 1931, left Mrs. Buddenbaum a widow for nearly forty years.

Lost Irvington--Cross Home

Charles and Laura Lott Cross moved to Irvington in 1891 and built this beautiful home on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and South Ritter Avenue.  Notice that the house sat on a large lot with a tall barn behind it.  Mr. Cross was into real estate and developed several streets and homes in Irvington.  He later sold this dwelling and moved the house so that it faced South Ritter Avenue.  The front of the lot was developed for commercial purposes including a corner building utilized as a bank (still standing in 2012).  This lovely home served as a fraternity for Butler University in the 1920s, but it was eventually torn down for parking.

Cross Family Home at 5507 East Washington St. before is was turned to face South Ritter Avenue.

In the 1920s the home faced South Ritter near Washington Street and was home to a Butler fraternity. It was eventually demolished. (Photo courtesy of Amy Friedly)

Mrs. Cross loved to write and she studied Shakespeare.  Sadly, several of the Cross children died young.  Two boys died of tuberculosis while one daughter died during the Great Flu Epidemic that swept the world in 1918 and 1919.  Another son, Harry, fought in World War One and took aerial photos from his plane.  He would survive the war and return to Indianapolis.

Laura Lott Cross was a writer and studied Shakespeare.  

Extended Cross family in 1917 at their Downey Avenue home:  Standing (left to right)--Harry Edgar Cross in his WWI uniform, Mary Wright Cross, Helen Cross Buddenbaum, Charles Mercer Cross; Seated: (left to right)  (possibly Mary Cross Wright's mother) Anna Lott (holding infant) Louis George Townsend, Jr. (infant), Laura Cross, and the Townsend brothers are on the ground--they would be raised by Mr. and Mrs. Cross after the death of their mother.

In the 1910s, Mr. Cross developed several homes along Ohmer Avenue.  He often had his son or other family members live in the houses while they were under construction to protect the expensive plumbing supplies inside from theft.  The Crosses eventually moved to 322 Downey Avenue.  (see Cross Family link)

These photographs and historical information are courtesy of Susan Morgan.

The Cross Home--An Irvington Gem

Charles and Laura Lott Cross first moved to Irvington in 1891.  They built a large home on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Ritter Avenue.  Mr. Cross was a prominent real estate speculator and may have built several homes in Irvington.  In 1913, he sold his home so that investors could build a bank on his lot.  (more on this story later)

The family moved to 322 Downey Avenue across the street from the Benton House in 1913.  The home had been standing since 1898 and sat in a beautiful part of Irvington.  The family spent the remainder of their years here.  Mrs. Cross died in 1928 while Mr. Cross passed away in 1932.  These historic images show the home between 1915 and 1918.  You will note that in the second photo, the family has hung a small banner in the window indicating that they had a son fighting in World War I.  You will see that the house appears to have been painted two different colors with the upper story slightly darker than the lower.  I especially love the photo of the couple sitting on their porch.

The Cross Family moved to 322 Downey Avenue in 1913.

Charles and Laura Lott Cross enjoy a moment on their front porch. The small WWI banner in the window was for their son, Harry Edgar Cross, who was away fighting the war.  

Charles and Laura Cross in their backyard around 1918.  

The contemporary image, shot on September 2, 2012, shows that the current owners have done a beautiful job of maintaining and preserving this special Irvington home.

Members of the Cross family would have no trouble recognizing their sturdy home in 2012 as it is beautifully maintained.