Life along Layman and Lowell Avenues in the 1940s

     Orville and Marjorie Peters raised their four children at 312 North Layman Avenue. Family scrapbooks reveal the busy childhoods of each of the kids. Most of the photos for this post were taken in the 1940s and show life along North Layman Avenue. While children were clearly the focus of the images, many Layman Avenue residences can be seen behind the family members. 

Layman Avenue 

In 1945, a group of scouts gathered in the front yard of the Peters home at 312 North Layman Avenue. Behind the group you can see the homes located at 315 and 321 North Layman Avenue. Marjorie Peters served as the den mother. Orville Peters, her husband, taught the boys how to build and fly a kite. He can be seen standing in the back clad in a black hat. We do not know the names of every boy so if you recognize someone, let me know. Pictured:  Dick Parish in the plaid jacket and next to him, David Peters in the dark jacket; Max Woodbury in the striped shirt; and Steve Lane kneeling in the front. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Billy Cline posed with his friend Susan Peters c 1948 along Layman Avenue. Behind the kids, you can see the homes located at 327, 331, and beyond. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

308 North Layman Avenue

     When Marjorie and Orville Peters moved into 312 North Layman Avenue, likely one of the first neighbors to say"hello" might have been the Weavers at 308. Marjorie had grown up at 312 and would have known this family her entire life. Harry and Mable (Myrle) Weaver had lived at 308 North Layman Avenue since the 1910s. Their children would have grown up next to Marjorie.  

Donald and David Peters (left) posed with their friend, Price Garland, who lived at 328 North Layman Avenue c1943. Behind the boys, you can see the Weaver home at 308 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Mable and Harry Weaver posed for this photograph in July of 1917. They lived at 308 North Layman Avenue for decades. (photo courtesy of the Weaver family descendants via Ancestry.com) 

316 North Layman Avenue

     In 1940, when the Peters family moved into 312 North Layman Avenue, Orley and Mellie May resided next door at 316 North Layman Avenue. Various photographers frequently posed family members facing north so the May home appeared quite frequently in their photos. Mr. May died at the age of 56 after a tragic accident in 1942. Mrs. May passed away in 1950. The home sat empty through most of 1951 until the Victor family moved in. 

Marjorie and Orville posed for this photograph c1944. Behind the couple, you can see both 316 and 320 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

David and Donald Peters posed c1944 in their front yard at 312 North Layman Avenue. Behind the boys, you can see the May home at 316 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Donald Peters prepared to pass the football c1945. Behind him, you can see the May home at 316 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Donald Peters was ready for his Little League game c1948. Behind him, you can see the May home at 316 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Left to right: David Peters, Marjorie Fox, and Susan Peters, c1948; Behind the kids you can see up Layman Avenue including the May home at 316 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Susan Peters looked on as her father, Orville Peters, displayed his great catch of fish, c1948. Behind them, you can see the south side of 316 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Susan and David Peters rode their bikes near their home at 312 North Layman Avenue c1947. Behind the kids, you can see 316 and 320 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family) 

315 North Layman Avenue

     While we do not know the exact month, Mrs. Frances E. Ensworth, a retired bank clerk, moved into 315 North Layman Avenue during the same year as the Peters family across the street in 1940. Impressively, Mrs. Ensworth, a career woman, spent most of her time at American Fletcher National Bank. By the time she moved into her Layman Avenue home at the age of 68, she had already been a widow for twelve years. Her time in the home ended with her death in 1955. Later the Downey and Hill families moved in. 

 Susan Peters, the third child of Orville and Marjorie Peters, smiled for the camera in this shot from 1944. Across the street, you can see the home belonging to Mrs. Frances Ensworth at 315 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family) 

Susan and Marjorie Peters posed along the front yard at 312 North Layman Avenue c1944. Behind them, you can see both 315 and 321 North Layman Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

5514 Lowell Avenue

     The Huggins and later Alexander families lived in the two-story Arts and Crafts bungalow at 5514 Lowell Avenue in the 1940s and 1950s. The backyard of the Peters family at 312 North Layman abutted the side yard of 5514 Lowell Avenue so the eastern side of that home frequently showed up in family photos. 

Orville Peters posed with his sons, Donald and David, in the backyard of 312 North Layman Avenue c1943. Behind them, you can see the side of 5514 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

David and Donald Peters displayed their catch, c1948, in the backyard of 312 North Layman Avenue. Behind the boys, you can see 5514 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

5602 Lowell Avenue

     Several families lived in the two-story American foursquare located at 5602 Lowell Avenue during the Peters' era at 312 North Layman Avenue. The Johnson, Kenner, and Moore families lived across the street from the Peters family and that home frequently appeared in family photos. 

Marjorie Peters joyfully held up her new baby daughter, Susan, in 1943. Behind them, you can see the west side of 5602 Lowell Avenue. Richard and Marguerette Johnson resided in the home at the time. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Donald Peters tried out his new bike along the brick street in front of his house at 312 North Layman Avenue in December of 1946. Behind him, you can see the home located at 5602 Lowell Avenue. (photo courtesy of the Peters family) 

David Peters, c1948, in his front of house at 312 North Layman Avenue. Behind him, you can see 5602 Lowell Avenue. A post office box can also be seen at the corner. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

Susan Peters posed for this photograph along the front walk of her home at 312 North Layman Avenue. Behind her, you can see a milk delivery truck parked near the intersection of Layman and Lowell Avenues. (photo courtesy of the Peters family)

I wish to thank Doug, Donald, David, and Susan Peters for their photos and stories. 

Sources:  Interview with Douglas Peters, 2024; US Federal Census records, 1930, 1940, and 1950; Polk's City Directories for Indianapolis 1939-1956; Information for the Weaver family came from Ancestry.com; Orley and Mellie May--Obituaries, Indianapolis News, January 31, 1947, p. 7; Indianapolis News, October 24, 1950, p. 24; Frances Ensworth obituary--Indianapolis News, October 6, 1955, p. 12.

Layman Mansion Visible Behind Sweet Girls--1927

Another image of the Layman Mansion has surfaced from the photo collection of Nancy Ostrander. In 1927, Eva Ham and Nancy Ostrander posed for this photo just south of the Audubon Court Apartments. Behind the girls, you can see part of the north side of the Layman home at 29 South Audubon Road. The house was later bulldozed in the early 1950s to make way for the Saxony Apartments. The gorgeous home was actually built for Jacob Julian, a founder of Irvington in 1870. The Laymans moved into the residence in 1887 and still lived in the house when little Eva and Nancy sat for this picture. To learn more about the Layman or Ostrander families, click on the links below.

Eva Ham and Nancy Ostrander were cousins and grew up together in the same house at 323 North Audubon Road. In 1927, they sat for this photo near the Layman home at 29 South Audubon Road. The girls dwelled in the nearby Audubon Court Apartments before moving three blocks north. (Image courtesy of Nancy Ostrander)

The gorgeous home belonging the the Julian and Layman families was  likely designed by architect Isaac Taylor in 1870. Jacob Julian was a founder of Irvington.  The Layman family moved into the residence in 1887 and remained until the 1950s. (image courtesy of Isabelle Layman Troyer) 

Who Lived Here? A Young Attorney and His Family

On March 8, 1915, thirty-three-year-old Earl J. Askren, an attorney, purchased lot number seventeen from Theodore Layman in the Chamber's Addition of Irvington with the plan to build a bungalow upon it. By 1916, Mr. Askren and his wife and two sons resided in their stylish new home at 5630 East Michigan Street.

Earl Askren had been the pride of Elwood, Indiana. He graduated from high school and had earned a reputation as a talented student. He then went on to graduate from the Indiana School of Law near the top of his class. In 1908, he moved to Indianapolis to start his law career, but it was nearly over before it started. On January 7, 1910, the young attorney traveled to Kokomo, Indiana to meet with Oscar Welty over business. The meeting did not go well and the two got into a physical altercation. Mrs. Welty tried to intervene and was punched in the face. Mr. Welty claimed that Earl Askren stabbed him in the forehead although a jury acquitted Mr. Askren as Mr. Welty had an unscrupulous reputation.

Ethel Hillis Askren, the wife of Earl was thirty-two-years-old when the couple built their home along Michigan Street. She immersed herself in club work and presented several papers. For instance, on May 27, 1919, she invited the Irvington Reading Club to her home for a picnic. She also stayed home to raise the couple's two sons, Robert and William.  Sometime during that year, sixty-two-year-old Esther Askren, the mother of Earl, moved in with the family and passed away in the house on October 30, 1919. A few days later, the Askrens held a small service for her at their Michigan Street dwelling.

Mr. Askren's success as an attorney allowed the family to think about moving to a larger residence. In 1925, he applied for a building permit to construct a garage on the property. The family stayed one more year and eventually moved to the north side of Indianapolis in 1927.

Sadly, Mr. Askren would outlive all of his immediate family members. His son, John William, was killed in a battle during World War II in Papau New Guinea in 1944 and his other son Robert died in helicopter crash in 1960. His beloved wife, Ethel passed away in 1959. Mr. Askren passed away in 1961 at the age of 80.

Photo appeared in Fellow Citizens of Indianapolis (1926)

5630 East Michigan Street in 2016

Information for this story came from the following sources:  Elwood Daily Record, January 7, 1910, 1; Elwood Daily Record, February 12, 1910, 1; Indianapolis Star, June 27, 1948; Anderson Herald, August 2, 1960, 3; Anderson Herald, November 12, 1961, 2.

South Audubon Road Scenes--1940s

Carrold and Blanche Bastin Stevenson leased a double at 72 South Audubon Road from 1943 until 1951. Mr. Stevenson was a pipe fitter and later a foreman for the New York Central System Rail. The Stevensons had extended family members living in Irvington. They would eventually move to Euclid Avenue just west of the neighborhood. Photos likely taken by Mary Stevenson of 112 Johnson Avenue not only show family members, but also nearby houses. Joanne Stevenson, the daughter of Carrold and Blanche Stevenson, was the subject of many of the photos. Another family member, Ted Lollis, who lived at 5866 Julian Avenue, can be see with Jerry Land. Behind the boys you can see the Layman mansion at 29 South Audubon Road as well as homes at 55 and 61 South Audubon Road.

Jerry Land and Ted Lollis stood on the sidewalk of 72 South Audubon Road c1944. Behind them, you can see the Layman mansion at 29 South Audubon Road and the Westover home at 55 South Audubon Road. In the distance you can see the Audubon Court Apartments. 

Betrand Jonathan and Maude Darnell Westover moved into this beautiful home at 55 South Audubon Road in 1924. Other families had dwelled there like the Gordons and Duwars, but the Westovers remained until 1970. The couple raised their two children here and in 1943 they carved the grand home up into at least four apartments. They named the house the Westover Apartments and they moved into a downstairs unit. While the abode began as a single family residence, it has been home to apartment dwellers for most of its existence.  

Carole Sue Stevenson of 72 South Audubon Road posed in the front yard c1948. Behind her you can see the house at 61 South Audubon Road.  

Joanne Stevenson posed (on the right) with a friend c1948 in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Behind her you can see the homes at 61 and 55 South Audubon Road. You can also see an open lot where 63-65 South Audubon Road sits today. 

Pliny and Maud Wolfard were not the first to dwell at 61 South Audubon Road, but they certainly lived here a long time. The Wolfards set up housekeeping at this residence in 1930 along with their two children, Margaret and Philip.  Mr. Wolfard passed away first, but Mrs. Wolfard continued to dwell in the bungalow until 1967.   

Joanne Stevenson in her Girl Scouts uniform posed for this photo c1944 in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Towering trees spanned the street during this era. 

Joanne Stevenson held her sister, Carole Sue Stevenson c1947, in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Behind her you can see the open lot of what today houses a small brick double at 63-65 South Audubon.  

Joanne Stevenson posed with her sister, Carole Sue, c1947, in the front yard of 72 South Audubon Road. Behind her you can somewhat see the front porches at 68 and 60 South Audubon Road.

Ennis Stevenson, the brother to Carrold Stevenson, posed for this photograph c1944 along the front sidewalk of the Stevenson home at 72 South Audubon Road. Behind him, you can see the brick bungalow at 69 South Audubon Road (formerly numbered 65 South Audubon Road). Many families had dwelled in that home by the 1940s.  In 1944 the Rumrills lived there. Mr. Rumrill was "traffic motorman."  Mrs. Rumrill continued to reside at that corner as a widow for many years. Note the wonderful street light on the corner!  

69 South Audubon Road in 2015

The American Four Square double at 72 South Audubon Road and 5654 Julian Avenue in 2015

    To learn more about the extended Stevenson/Lollis or Layman family click on the links below. The historic images are courtesy of Ted Lollis.  

Kingsbury Home on Layman Avenue

James L. Kingsbury and his wife Minnie likely moved into 348 North Layman Avenue in the late nineteenth century.  Mr. Kingsbury's father lived around the corner at 71 North Ritter Avenue.  The elder Kingsbury published a newspaper in Crawfordsville and eventually moved operations to Indianapolis in the 1870s.  Upon James G Kingsbury's passing in 1913, his son, James L. Kingsbury  took control of the Indiana Farmer.  James L. Kingsbury would later serve two terms in the Indiana House of Representatives as Irvington's legislator in the 1920s. A loyal Republican, James L. Kingsbury also served as the Warren Township Assessor in his elder years.

Minnie and James L. raised their two sons, John Kaylor and Layman Dwight Kingsbury, in the beautiful two-story Gothic Revival home in northern Irvington. The Kingsburys possessed a large tract of land and had lovely orchard. They remained in the home until their deaths in the 1940s and 1950s.  Their oldest son, John, became a physician and would make history as the doctor who took the death bed confession of Madge Oberholtzer, a woman who was brutally raped and attacked by the powerful Ku Klux Klan leader, D.C. Stephenson, in 1925.  Her words helped to bring down the KKK in Indiana and in America.

Kingsbury Family Portrait:  James L. Kingsbury can be seen standing next to a tree in the center of the photo. Standing in front of him, you can see John Kaylor Kingsbury. Nearby, stood Layman Dwight Kingsbury. Presumably Minnie Kingsbury is one of the ladies in the photo, but which one? The older lady standing at the far right might be Mrs. Kaylor, the mother of Minnie Kaylor Kingsbury.  (c1905)

Kingsbury home and orchard (c1900)

 
To see a contemporary photo of 348 North Layman Avenue, click on the link below. The historic images are courtesy of the Larry Muncie Collection Irvington Historical Society.

A Stroll Down East Washington Street in 1910

Please dress accordingly.  Men, you are to wear a jacket and tie.  Ladies, please put on your long dress and your finest hat as we are going to take a walk along East Washington Street and I don't want any of you scandalizing our community.  Formality is the rule of the day.  I will be giving you a tour so please try to keep up.  There will be time for shopping later.

5420 to 5502 East Washington Street c1910

Our tour begins in front of the Irvington Post Office at 5502 East Washington Street.  You will note that it is a very fine modern building. More letters come in and out of this building than just about any other in the city. Many of those notes are from college students likely asking for more money from their families. George Russell (60 North Ritter Avenue) is our postal clerk.  He is a man who wears many hats.  Men, if you are looking to buy real estate in our fair community then dash upstairs and have a visit with Mr. Russell.  Ladies, you will note that Mr. Russell also sells school supplies.  Some people say that Mr. Russell is the unofficial mayor of our fair suburb.  If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact him.

 

Irvington Post Office at 5502 East Washington Street c1910

We shall now cross Ritter Avenue and head west.  You will note that the streetcar tracks are in the middle of Washington Street and are relatively new.  Many in our community work in downtown Indianapolis so it is quite easy to get from Irvington to near Monument Circle in short order.  We have recently bricked most of the streets in the neighborhood. Don't these paths look lovely?  May I remind the men in our tour that you are to walk closest to the street as we do not want any of our lovely women to get splashed from a puddle by those blasted new automobiles.  They are loud and annoying, but what can you do?  Everyone in the neighborhood seems to want one.  I prefer my horse and buggy. Onward, please.

Weesner Drug Store at 5464 East Washington Street c1910

Our next stop is Weesner Drug Store at 5464 East Washington Street.  Gentleman, feel free to bring  your wives here for a soda.  Theodore Weesner (4850 Julian Avenue) is the proprietor of this popular establishment.  You may know that Butler College is located near here and the students love to stop for an ice cream sundae.  I don't approve of the young women who come in here without a chaperone.  I have complained to Mr. Weesner and he is sympathetic, but he is also a businessman. Upstairs you will find various offices for local physicians and dentists if you need one.  Dr. Gilbert Layman (351 North Ritter Avenue) is here if any of you need a tooth pulled.  Please pass under the awning and note that Benjamin F. Staley (5441 Julian Avenue) operates a jewelry store. Next door, is my favorite spot along our fair street!  Can you smell that wonderful aroma? Charles W. Stevens operates a bakery here.

There is no time to lag.  Let's gather under this tree.  Next to me is one of the most important buildings in Irvington as it is our Independent Order of Odd Fellow's Lodge Hall at 5454 East Washington Street.  Many of us utilize the second floor for important meetings.  Our residents have strong opinions on most subjects so our gatherings can be...how shall we say...animated?  On the first floor, Theodore Portteus (306 North Irvington Avenue) sells dry goods.  If Mr. Portteus doesn't have what you need then no one in Irvington does either.  He has the most complete inventory in eastern Marion County.  Next door, Elmer E. Allen (19 South Butler Avenue) runs the neighborhood hardware store.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall at 5454 East Washington Street c1910

Let us continue walking west.  Please note that I will not be stopping because our time is short so I will mention some of the important highlights in this block. Ernest Bloemker's grocery is located here at 5446 East Washington.  Mr. Bloemker and his clerk, Gaeo Stevens will deliver to your home. Ah yes, and here is Mr. Christian Cook.  He is a our local tailor.  Gentlemen, I can personally vouch for our barber Orville Heady (251 South Ritter Avenue) as I have been very pleased with his shaves.  I like to stop by and chat with other like-minded people to catch up on the latest news.  It was in the barber shop where I learned that the city of Indianapolis wants to put in a boulevard along Pleasant Run stream.  I am very much opposed to to that idea.  Continuing by these smaller storefronts, you will note the hostler, Lawrence W. Sorrell.  I have personally utilized Mr. Sorrell's services and he has taken very good care of my horses.  I worry that he will be out of job soon if everyone buys one of these auto-contraptions.  Speaking of horses, next door George W. Burks (5524 East Michigan Street) runs the Irvington Transfer Company.  What does he transfer you ask?  Sadly, he works with local mortuaries to take our deceased loved ones to Crown Hill, Anderson, and other nearby cemeteries. He charges a very reasonable fee.

5524--5546 East Washington Street c1910

I know I am rushing you, but I couldn't wait to show you our beautiful wood-shaked and gabled fire station at 5432 East Washington Street.  Isn't it lovely?  You see, in Irvington, aesthetics do matter.  We hired architect John Stem to design it.  It was completed in 1903 and we have needed the services of these brave men because we have had a few bad fires recently.  We lost the school twice and some of our lovely homes.  We have several fire signal stations located throughout the neighborhood although we do ask you to talk to your children about the seriousness of false alarms.  The company recently put in a telephone so if you see a fire you can actually phone the station instead of looking for a fire box!  I don't personally have a telephone, but my neighbor does so I will run over to his house if I smell smoke.

Irvington Fire Station at 5432 East Washington Street c1910

Our final stop today is front of the Masonic Hall.  Gentlemen, I can tell you that the Masons are the most popular fraternal organization in our community.  We are growing by the month and may need a new building soon.  You can probably tell I am a proud Mason. Ladies, we do have a dinner every year on George Washington's birthday.  We will be sure to invite you along with your husbands that evening.  We perform skits, roast various prominent members of the community, and dine on delicious food.  You won't want to miss it.  Of course, you must understand that only Protestants are Masons. The Pope seems to have some issue with our organization.  While we are here, you can see that on the first floor of this wonderful building, you can stop by and order your meat from Joseph Karns (5432 Julian Avenue).  He obtains his pork and beef from reputable farmers here in Warren Township.

Masonic Building in Irvington at 5420 East Washington Street c1910

I would love to take you beyond Whittier Place, but I have many important engagements. I hope you have enjoyed your stroll down part of our business corridor.  You will find more commercial enterprises west and east of here.  We also have a small business district along South Audubon Road.  I would like to remind you that if you choose Irvington as your home, please know that garishness is not welcome here.  This is a quiet place where one has time to read and write letters, visit with neighbors on their verandas, and take walks under our canopied boulevards.  Spirits are also forbidden.  Thank you so much for your interest in our community.    

The historic postcard is courtesy of Carol Orbison.  Sadly, every structure pictured in this post has been demolished.  

A Snapshot of Life in Irvington in the 1940s

Editor's Note:  Richard Gaskill spent most of his formative years in Irvington. His family moved out of the neighborhood in 1947 and he has never been back.  Now in his 80s, Mr. Gaskill can still vividly recall his time here. He wrote that he remembers every inch of ground and he jokingly penned that he became quite acquainted with Principal Lloyd Blue at School #85. He would love to hear from any of his former classmates so drop me a note at williamfranklingulde@gmail.com and I will put you in touch.  

At the Edge of Irvington

By Richard C. Gaskill

The Gaskill family were the first to dwell at 35 North Elizabeth Street.  They lived here from 1941 to 1947.

When my parents and I moved into 35 North Elizabeth Street in 1941, I was seven years old, and we had lived at two other addresses in Irvington. First we lived at 5608 E. Michigan Street (1939-40) and after that, we moved into apartment six in the Audubon Court (1941). My parents were the first owners of the house on North Elizabeth Street, and we lived there until my dad changed jobs, and we left Indiana for Pennsylvania in 1947 when I was thirteen.

When we lived on North Elizabeth Street, there was nothing but fields, farm, and woods to the north and to the east. Edmondson Avenue was a dirt road, and I never even knew that it had a name.  At the north end of Elizabeth, there was a little creek, where we kids would turn over rocks, and catch crawdads. The fields and woods were well explored, and endless hours were spent roaming around the area away from the houses. The space between North Elizabeth and Edmondson Avenue was just an overgrown area where they piled the brush from clearing the lots to build the houses.

I would walk along the little creek to my friends' houses over on East Saint Joseph Street and vicinity. This was quite an adventure for a little kid, because the weeds and grasses grew up taller than we were, so we felt like explorers when we did that. We also rode our bicycles.

During my time at Audubon Court, all of the kids would play on what we called the "big lawn" around the Layman Mansion located just south of the apartments (demolished). The most exciting thing we did was to explore the utility tunnel which ran north under the eastern building of the Audubon Court. It was too scary to do more than a couple of times, though. Our mothers freaked out when we told them what we did, and instructed us not to go there anymore.

The Gaskill Family lived at #6 at the Audubon Court (5703 East Washington Street) in 1941. Now in his 80s,  Richard Gaskill noted that he and his friends used to play under the giant horse chestnut trees on the grounds of the Layman Mansion just to the south of Audubon Court. 

I remember less about East Michigan Street, except that I did manage to fall off the porch railing, one day when I evidently leaned too far back while sitting on it. I got a big surprise, and a quick trip to the ground, flat on my back between the shrubbery and the foundation of the porch.

The Gaskill family briefly dwelled at 5608 East Michigan Street from 1939 to 1941.  

I attended kindergarten at 9 N. Arlington Ave., where it appears that there is now a carpet store. My elementary schools were #57, #77, and #85, and one semester at Howe High. The original #77 was, of course still in existence, and in use then. I'm not sure how I got to #57, but for #77, I rode my bicycle during the end of my "tenure" there, and walked to #85, or rode my bike.

The streetcar only ran east as far as Sheridan Ave, so when I went to high school, I rode the streetcar (or the "trackless trolley") when the weather was nasty, or my bike if it was pleasant. Howe High School was very nice then, and the high school I attended in Lansdale, Pennsylvania was a real shock to a kid from Irvington. Fortunately, I only had to go there for a semester, while waiting for the closing on a property my folks bought in Bucks County.

I have never been back to Indiana, and I have no idea what ever happened to any of my friends, with the exception of Phil Padgett (see "Tragedy at the Tracks -- 1950," April 30, 2013 post) If there is anyone who was in either the Class of 1947 at IPS #85, or the Howe High School Class of 1951, please get my email address from Bill, and drop me a note. Those of us who are still here are 80 years old now, and I would like to hear from other childhood friends.

Johnson Villa--Lost Irvington

Many of the early homes in Irvington are no longer standing.  They stood close to commercial businesses, were cut into apartments, and in some cases cleared for parking lots. The Johnson Home, sadly, is one of those dwellings long gone from the Irvington landscape.   Sylvester and Rachel Johnson were two of the first residents of the neighborhood.  They left their comfortable life in Dublin in Wayne County, Indiana to be a part of an exciting new dream--a suburban neighborhood.  Mr. Johnson partnered with Jacob Julian (another Wayne County resident) to buy the Sandusky farm in Warren Township.  Both men had been to Glendale, a suburb of Cincinnati, and decided to model Irvington after that beautiful place with its meandering streets and tall homes.

Built in the Italianate style, Sylvester and Rachel saw their dream home at 62 South Audubon Road come to fruition by 1872.  Jacob Julian built a matching villa across the street. (also demolished...see link below)  The Johnsons, both in their late 40s, brought their four adult children, Francenia, Eudorus, Martha, and Oliver, along with them. Eudoris would later build the "Castle House" at 5631 University Avenue in 1876.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were strict prohibitionist and they advocated for Irvington to be an alcohol-free neighborhood.  No saloon or bar would be welcome in the new enclave.  The Johnsons were Quakers as were other early founders of the upper-middle class utopia.  Mr. Johnson was an active horticulturalist and he founded the Indiana Horticultural Society.  His expansive lawn was filled with beautiful trees and flower specimens.  He became a renown expert on grapes and grew 185 species on his property.  He even judged grapes at the Chicago and St. Louis World Fairs in 1893 and 1904.  Butler University students frequently walked by his property and noted that Mr. Johnson was nearly always outside working in his yard even as he neared 90 years of age.  Sadness struck the Johnsons over the years as two of their children died at a young age and Rachel Johnson died in 1899.  Two years later, Mr. Johnson married Eunice Brown Gilkey at the age of 79.  She was 63!

In this historic photograph, likely taken around 1912, two children gather on a winter's day on the family estate.  One child is black and the other is white.  We do not know the names of the children.  Note the expansive lawn and the beautiful home.  The second image reveals the original plat of Irvington by Sylvester Johnson and Jacob Julian.  The Johnson home was located along Central (Audubon) and was situated on lot 52.  The Jacob Julian home was across the street on lot 39.  The George Washington Julian Home (still standing) can be seen on lots 60 and 61.

The historic image of the Johnson Home is courtesy of Larry Muncie.

Lost Irvington--Julian/Layman Villa

In 1952, the wrecking crews began to dismantle one of Irvington's original homes. First built for Jacob Julian, one of the founders of Irvington in 1871, the home passed to the Layman family in 1887. The three-story Second Empire villa was the site of the first wedding in Irvington on February 24, 1875, when Edgar Brown married Martha Julian, the daughter of Jacob Julian. The next day, the house became the site of one of the first crimes in Irvington when a thief entered the home and stole the bride's wedding gown and slippers.

Thirty-five years later on February 15, 1910, the Laymans celebrated the the joyous wedding of their daughter, Katherine to Harvey Elam. The next day, a terrible blizzard paralyzed the city of Indianapolis.

One of the Layman sons helped to develop the Audubon Court Apartments on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Audubon Road in 1914. Land became highly sought after as developers strove to construct apartment buildings along the National Road.

Entrepreneurs knocked down the house at 29 South Audubon Road in the winter of 1952 to make way for the Saxony Apartment Complex. The new site included 69 apartments and cost about $651,000 to build. Unfortunately, the neighborhood lost several of its crown jewels during this period of history. To view the home in its glory click on the "Julian Family" or "Layman Family" links below.

Lost Irvington--Two Houses on East Washington Street

In these rare photos, James Thompson Layman and his daughter Isabelle Layman (5731 E. Washington Street) pose for photos in their side yard around 1916. Behind them you can see a large Italianate home that has been gone for decades. The early Baist and Sanborn maps give the home's address as 5783 (sometimes 5753) East Washington Street. You can also see the rear of 5803 East Washington Street (demolished) as well. The homes sat on the southside of Washington Street two squares west of Bolton Avenue. The Irvington Edition, a supplement to the The Indiana Woman (1897), lists John E. Smith as living in 5783. Mr. Smith apparently owned two acres of ground around the house and it looks like that land was still not yet subdivided by the time the Laymans posed for these photos. Today, mid-twentieth century commercial buildings occupy the once park-like setting. These images are courtesy of Isabelle Layman Troyer.