Irvington Intersection Then and Now

     Renowned artist, William Forsyth, and his family used to live on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue with an address of 15 South Emerson Avenue. Over the many decades that the family lived there, they created a beautiful oasis with tall trees and gorgeous flower gardens. Mr. Forsyth often painted in his studio at the house. A few months after his death in 1935, Frank Hohenberger, a highly respected photographer, visited Alice Forsyth, the widow of Mr. Forsyth. He or perhaps the family likely wanted to document the place just as the great artist would have known it. He snapped at least twelve images soon after an early summer rain. In the top photo, you can see puddles on the shimmering sun-lit bricks. You can also see the streetcar line. Members of the Forsyth family continued to live on in the rambling house for over 30 years. After Dorothy Forsyth, a retired English teacher died, the two living sisters, Constance and Evelyn, who had made lives elsewhere, held an auction of the remaining paintings and sold the property. In a decision that still shocks, a developer snapped up the property along with the neighboring house at 5115 East Washington and razed both residences to put in a filling station. In 1967, ads appeared in Indianapolis newspapers that a new service station was open on the corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue. A beautiful corner of Irvington was gone. 

Intersection of East Washington Street and South Emerson Avenue showing the Forsyth family property at 15 South Emerson Avenue in 1935. Photo by Frank Hohenberger (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar)

The Speedway Gas Station located at 5103 East Washington Street on August 17, 2026; This service station replaced the Forsyth home and a nearby house in 1967.

Other Hohenberger Images of the Forsyth Property--1935

Photographer by Frank Hohenberger captured a path leading to the East Washington Street front porch at the Forsyth home on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and South Emerson Avenue, 1935 (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar)

Lush gardens in the backyard of the Forsyth property as documented by photographer Frank Hohenberger in the early summer of 1935. (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar)

Studio and house of William Forsyth snapped by Frank Hohenberger in the early summer of 1935 (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar)

Small porch facing South Emerson Avenue at the William and Alice Forsyth home on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and South Emerson Avenue. Photo by Frank Hohenberger, 1935 (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar)

Side yard respite complete with an arbor and many flowers at the Forsyth home at 15 South Emerson Avenue, 1935. Photo by Frank Hohenberger (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar) 

Earlier Images of the Forsyth Home and Studio

The multi-gabled Forsyth family home c1910 at 15 South Emerson Avenue; The girls in the photo are Dorothy, Constance, and Evelyn Forsyth. (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar)

William Forsyth often painted at home in his studio attached to the house located at 15 South Emerson Avenue. (courtesy of Susan Selby Sklar)

The House Lost Next Door--5115 East Washington Street

The neighboring house at 5115 East Washington Street was also razed by a developer to put in a gas station on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue. 

     I wish to thank Susan Selby Sklar, the granddaughter of William and Alice Forsyth, who donated these photos to the Irvington Historical Society. For more information on the great artist be sure to read a biography written by Rachel Berenson Perry called William J. Forsyth: The Life and Work of an Indiana Artist (Indiana University Press, 2014)

Electric Streetcar Serviced Irvington Until 1953

      As workers for the new Blue Line (a bus route) work on infrastructure along Washington Street in 2026, they are likely finding remnants of prior transportation systems including the rail lines for electric streetcars. Their tenure in the city lasted for sixty-two years and ended in 1953 in favor of city buses. For decades east side residents could catch a streetcar as far east as Sheridan Avenue and head downtown. Many people who worked in downtown offices rode cars in the morning and in the evening. Trains were also available on the weekends. As more people purchased automobiles after World War II, fewer people rode the streetcars. 

     In the photo below, an electric streetcar passed in front of the beautiful home located at 6202 East Washington Street in the Irvington Terrace neighborhood. You can also see some of the businesses in the 6100 block. The car went as far as Sheridan Avenue before it turned around and went back to downtown Indianapolis. Several cars came to Irvington throughout the day. 

The Washington Street-Sheridan Avenue Streetcar passed by 6202 East Washington Street in the Irvington Terrace neighborhood most likely in the 1940s when this photo was snapped by the Indianapolis Railways Co. If you look closely on the front of the streetcar you will see an ad for CV (Champaign Velvet) Beer brewed in Terre Haute, Indiana. (Irvington Historical Society)

Sources: Last electric streetcar: "A Streetcar named Expire," Indianapolis News, January 10, 1953, page 11; Charles Johnson Taggart, "Streetcars," Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, Revised March 2021 (online) I wish to thank Don Flick for his research on CV Beer. 

Irvington Plaza Held Grand Opening in 1955

     On May 11, 1955, local east-side residents flooded into the newly-built Irvington Plaza. Built on 22 acres of land just east of Irvington, the strip mall with its 17 shops offered just about any product one could need. Neighbors could buy their groceries at the Atlas Supermarket or at Kroger's. Schiff's and Marott's offered a variety of shoes while Jack and Mack's Men's Shop sold suits and ties. Would-be engaged couples could try on a ring at National Jewelry Co. Fran's Tot Shop sold items for children. Neighbors could drop off their clothes at Progress Laundry and Dry Cleaning and then buy some new bedding at Dayan's Linen Store. Hardware or other products needed for the home could be found at Atlas Department Store or at Haugh's Hardware. Prescriptions could be picked up at Haag's Drug Store. Residents who were not in the mood to cook could dine at the Flamingo Restaurant or pick up some pastries at Omar's Bakery. 

     For added convenience, the Irvington Plaza Corporation headed by C.B. Durham provided 1600 parking spots.  Drivers could use the "cruise lane" next to the mall to window shop from their cars. A roof over the wide sidewalks helped to keep patrons dry on rainy days as they walked from shop to shop. The entire venture cost 3.5 million dollars. The corporation planned to build additional strip malls on the south and west side of the property. Of course, this large development along with another at the nearby Eastgate Shopping Mall spelled doom for many Irvington merchants, who couldn't offer the parking spaces nor the volume of product. 

     Each night from May 11 until May 14, 1955, merchants kept their doors open late so that locals could square dance from 7PM until 11PM. Shorty Shehan, Lula Belle, Curly Myers, and Charlie Gore called for dancers to "grab their partner and dosey doe."  During the day, eastsiders could enter contests for various drawings. Some lucky folks won a $1000 carat-and-half diamond ring, a mink stole, a bicycle, and even a refrigerator. As exciting as it must have been seen at the time, the concept of a mall clearly has a lifespan. The plaza in 2025 is a shell of what Mr. Durham and others envisioned for the community. 

Postcard of the Irvington Plaza in 1955 (Irvington Historical Society)

The vast parking lot offered community members a chance to ride on a commuter bus from the Irvington Plaza to downtown. (Irvington Historical Society)

The Irvington Plaza Corporation developed the eastern part of the property in 1955. Later they added several stores in the southern and western sections. (Indianapolis Star,  November 18, 1954, p. 44)

An ad for the new Irvington Plaza (Indianapolis News, May 18, 1955, p. 22)

Lula Belle, Curly Myers, Shorty Shehan, and Charlie Gore were so popular that the merchants at Irvington Plaza offered a second week of square dancing. (Indianapolis News, May 11, 1955, p. 21)

Sources: "Irvington Plaza Jubilee Has Gala Opening," Indianapolis News, May 11, 1955; "!50,000 Live in Shop Area," Indianapolis News, May 11, 1955. 

Clapp Family Operated an Irvington Grocery Store For 50 Years

     For nearly fifty years, Irvington residents shopped at the Clapp Brothers (also known as the Clapp Food Market) Grocery at 6044 East Washington Street. Originally from Hartsville, Indiana, siblings William C. and John P. Clapp relocated to Beech Grove, Indiana in the early twentieth century. John P. Clapp ran the Beech Grove operation while William C. Clapp moved to Irvington in 1916 and opened a store at 7 North Webster Avenue. He also bought a house at 6024 East Washington Street for himself and his wife, Ora Belle Moore Clapp, and for his children, Climpson, Leland, and Ima Clapp.  In 1924, William C. Clapp moved the store into a much larger newly-constructed building at 6044 East Washington Street. 

      Mr. Clapp ran the business for many years before turning it completely over to his son, Climpson "Pete" Clapp. The Irvington Historical Society possesses photographs, letters, ledgers, and other ephemera from the Clapp family. The operation was shuttered in 1973. The Clapps would not recognize their storefront today as it has been greatly altered over the years. 

 

Employees of the Clapp Brothers Grocery at 6044 East Washington Street posed for this snapshot on April 30, 1926. William C. Clapp is likely standing in front of the Beech Grove transport vehicle. You can also see the Adde's Pure Oil Filling Station at 6040 East Washington Street. That building still stands in 2025. The Levy family home at 6036 East Washington Street is also visible. (courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Ads for Easter products hang in the window of Clapp Brothers Grocery at 6044 East Washington Street on April 30, 1926. (courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society) 

William Clark Clapp (top center) posed with his brothers c1940. The men all hailed from Hartsville, Indiana. While we are not able to match their faces yet, Edgar, John, Calvin, and Samuel Clapp reunited for this photograph. (Irvington Historical Society) 

Interior shot of Clapps Brothers Regal Grocery Store c1934; We can narrow down the date of this image by the fact that Mr. Clapp displayed a National Recovery Act sign in his store. This New Deal agency was in operation from 1933 until it was struck down by the US Supreme Court in 1935. (Irvington Historical Society)

Store display for Thanksgiving c1934 (Irvington Historical Society)

Clapp Brothers first operated around the corner at 7 North Webster Avenue from 1916 until 1924. That building is still standing in 2025. (Irvington Historical Society)

Promotional ad for Clapp Brothers Food Market (Irvington Historical Society)

Notepad for Climpson Moore Clapp Food Market complete with the hours of operation (Irvington Historical Society)

Some of the Clapp Grocery Store records have survived including this document that shows the names of employees and their weekly salary in 1945. Omer Kehl worked as a meat cutter. Others include Eileen Bangel, Tom Carmack, and George R. Smith. (Irvington Historical Society)

Google Streetview reveals that the Clapp Brothers Market is still standing but unrecognizable in 2025. The filling station and nearby house shown in the earlier photos also still stand. (Google)

     I wish to thank the extended Clapp family who donated items to the Irvington Historical Society.

Sources:  Polk's Indianapolis City Directories, 1908-1973; Federal Census Records, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940; Newspaper articles: "Building Permit" (6024 East Washington St.), Indianapolis News, June 21, 1916, p. 16;  "Building Permits," (6044 East Washington St.) Indianapolis Star, January 10, 1924, p. 14; Obituaries:  "W.C. Clapp, Irvington Grocer, Is Dead," Indianapolis News, March 18, 1944, p. 9; "Mrs. Ora Clapp," Indianapolis Star, January 5, 1960, p. 21: "John Clapp, Beech Grove Civic Leader, Succumbs, Indianapolis Star, November 7, 1943, p. 13; "Climpson Clapp, 1897-1978," Indianapolis News, March 21, 1978, p. 28.

A Walk Down East Washington Street in 1989

         36 years ago, Robert Phelps, who lived at 5317 Lowell Avenue, walked down East Washington Street on a sunny day in 1989 and snapped many images of the business corridor. He managed Chaille's Shoes at 5622 East Washington, and you can see that sign in one of his shots. At least three of the buildings seen in the images below are no longer standing. Let's take a walk with Mr. Phelps, shall we?

Our first stop will be at the Red Shield (Salvation Army) Thrift Store at 5639 East Washington Street. You might find a great deal in here or next door at Old John's Home Center. Watch out for that speeding traffic! (Current Site of the Irvington Public Library)

Let's see if we can find some parking behind the building. Do you see the Salvation Army Drop-off box? Older Irvingtonians will remember this building as the former site of the Standard Grocery Store. It seems crowded today. 

Let's drop by PIP Printing at 5649 East Washington Street so I can get a few items copied. (Current site of Irvington Public Library) 

Do you mind if I peek behind these stores? Oh, I don't think I am supposed to be back here. There are two fences and one of them has barbed wire. Let's get out of here. (Current site of Irvington Public Library)

Let's cut through the Irvington Presbyterian Church parking lot on South Audubon Road. I see the Saxony Apartments across the street. 

Over here! Be careful as you cross! I see the Audubon Court Apartments. Watch out for that trash can. I don't think it is long for this world. 

Let's grab a Pepsi from the machine and stop into some of the shops. I see that A La Cheri Beauty Salon is offering a deal on perms. I think I will pass on that but let's visit Mr. Phelps at Chaille's Shoes. Next door, we could learn a few dance steps at McCleish School of Dance. 

    Alright, our tour is over for now. You can turn off your Milli Vanilli cassette tape and head back to the future. Onward!! 

Provenance of photos: Robert Phelps snapped the images. His neighbor, Kent Hankins, the former President of the Irvington Historical Society, obtained the photos and donated them to the Society. We are so grateful! 

Family Moved Into an East Washington Street Cottage in the 1920s

      In the summer of 1905, John Woodward purchased a lot in Irvington and erected a pretty cottage at 5858 East Washington Street. William W. Fellows was the first resident of the house. He operated a feed store at 201 South Audubon Road. A variety of other people leased the home throughout the 1910s. At some point during that decade James L. Kingsbury purchased the house. While the details are not yet known, we know that he sold the house to his youngest brother Theodore Kingsbury in 1919. 

     Theodore and Cornelia Kingsbury and their daughter, Cornelia, had been living in Washington D.C. due to Mr. Kingsbury's job with the Department of Agriculture. They had only been there about two years when they decided to return to Irvington. Part of that decision might have been the fact that Mrs. Kingsbury's father, Hezekiah Goe, died that year. Perhaps she wanted to be nearer to her mother and siblings. In fact, the family did not move into their Washington Street home right away, likely to give the tenants a chance to find another residence. A census enumerator visited the Goe family home at 128 South Ritter on January 8, 1920, and noted that 33-year-old Theodore Kingsbury and 28-year-old Cornelia Goe Kingsbury along with four-year-old daughter, Cornelia Kingsbury, lived with 71-year-old Cornelia Farnsworth Goe, the matriarch of the Goe family. Also living in that large home included Cornelia Kingsbury's sisters, 47-year-old Clara Goe, a teacher, and 38-year-old Grace Goe, a stenographer. 

     By the end of 1920, Theodore and Cornelia Kingbsury moved into their home on East Washington Street. The following year, the state of Indiana hired Mr. Kingsbury as a gas inspector and supervisor. He traveled the state of Indiana ensuring that gas and oil wells were properly plugged. Later, he became the State Geologist. Their return from Washington D.C. seemed to be working out and then tragedy struck. 

     1923 started out as a normal and joyful year for the young Kingsbury family. Mr. Kingsbury kept busy with his job and on the golf course. Mrs. Kingsbury remained active with the Irvington Coterie Club where she presented papers and helped to host. Joy entered the house when the couple welcomed their second child, Richard Kingsbury, on May 4, 1923. Neighbors might have noticed that Dr. John K. Kingsbury, a cousin to Theodore, had been visiting the house cottage often as Mrs. Kingsbury had been afflicted by tuberculosis for most of her life. She seemed to really struggle after the birth of her son and died five months later on October 23, 1923 at the age of 33. 

     Theodore Kingsbury was now faced with the task of raising two small children on his own. He briefly married, but that union ended in divorce. The 1930 Federal Census indicated that young Cornelia and Richard moved back in with the Goe family at 128 South Ritter Avenue for several years while Theodore traveled the state and the Midwest as a geologist.

     The Kingsbury era of the home ended in 1931 with the arrival of the Ihrig family. 

Little Richard Kingsbury rode his tricycle in front of his house at 5858 East Washington Street c1925. Behind him you can see the neighboring houses at 5864 and 5868 East Washington Street. A man can be seen with a ladder at the home of Mrs. Hattie Mills, a widow, who lived at 5864 East Washington Street. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard "Dick" Kingsbury posed in front of his house at 5858 East Washington Street c1928 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Richard Kingsbury (front) posed with sister, Cornelia Kingsbury and three unidentified boys at 5858 East Washington Street c1928 (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

5858 East Washington Street in 2025 (photo courtesy of Molly Zentz)

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer. They have been so generous with their time and stories about the Kingsbury family. I also wish to thank Steve Barnett and Molly Zentz for their help with this post. 

Sources: Construction of House: "Realty Transfers," Indianapolis Star, June 3, 1905, p. 9; "Building Permits," Indianapolis Star, August 8, 1905, p. 12; "Realty Transfers," Indianapolis Star, September 12, 1905, p. 12; Jones Family--Polk's Indianapolis City Directory, 1907-1910; Theodore Kingsbury purchase of home--"Realty Transfers," Indianapolis News, October 20, 1919, p. 5; Life in the house--"Ex-Editor Named State Gas Supervisor," Indiana Daily Times, August 5, 1921, p. 1; "Club Calendar," January 21, 1923, p. 41; Death of Cornelia Kingsbury--"Mrs. Kingsbury Dead," Indianapolis News, October 24, 1923, p. 3. Mrs. Kingsbury's death record was signed by Dr. John K. Kingsbury. He also noted that she had been living with tuberculosis for 28 years. 

Editor's Note: 5858 East Washington Street was known as 5832 East Washington Street from 1905 until 1910. 

Phi Delta Theta--First Fraternity House Built in Irvington

      Theodore Kingsbury, the youngest son of James G. Kingsbury, graduated from the Winona Agricultural Institute in 1907. One year later, he enrolled at Butler University in Irvington where he played football. He also seems to have been involved with Phi Delta Theta Fraternity along with his nephew, Layman Kingsbury. His association with the fraternity came at an important time for the organization as the men had just built their first chapter house near the campus on the northwestern corner of Emerson Avenue and East Washington Street. 

     Architect, Frank B. Hunter, designed the two-story residence as a bungalow in the spring of 1908. On the first floor he placed the chapter hall and study room. He located the dining room and kitchen in the basement, and he situated the sleeping rooms on the third floor. Lt. Governor Hugh T. Miller, a legacy of the fraternity, helped to dedicate the new house on November 19, 1908. The structure cost $3500 and was the first fraternity house ever built in the neighborhood. Other fraternities generally rented existing homes. 

     With the arrival of the new Pleasant Run Parkway, the fraternity relocated west of the stream at 5020 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive in 1915. The site of the former home became a small park dedicated to the memory of Hilton U. Brown, Jr., who died in World War One. To see many more photos of the Phi Delta Theta home, including interior shots, click on the "Phi Delta Theta" link below. 

The Phi Delta Theta Fraternity House, c1908 used to be located on the northwestern corner of Emerson Avenue and East Washington Street.  It was moved in 1915 to its current location on the northwestern corner of Pleasant Run Parkway and East Washington Street. The home barely visible in the background belonged to cartoonist, Kin Hubbard, who lived at 5070 East Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive. (photo courtesy of the Kingsbury family)

Frank B. Hunter designed the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity House in 1908. (Indianapolis Star, May 2, 1908, p. 4)

Up Next: A Young Couple Moved to Lowell Avenue in 1912     

     I wish to thank Kathy and Dick Meyer for the use of the Kingsbury family photo collection. 

Sources:  Construction and design of house: "Building Permit," Indianapolis News, April 17, 1908, p. 20; "Butler Phi Delta Theta House Now Under Construction," Indianapolis News, May 2, 1908, p. 4; "Phi Delta Theta House," Indianapolis News, November 20, 1908, p. 7; Moving of house: "Building Permits," Indianapolis Star, August 24, 1915, p. 12. 

Scenes Along East Washington Street--1940s, Part I

      John and Janice Kern lived in the Victoria Apartments at 5124 East Washington Street (later 5128) from 1942 until 1948. During that era they also welcomed a son named James R. Kern. Photos from the Kern family documented their life along that busy street. While the photographers generally captured people, they also inadvertently documented several houses and at least one business. Let's take a stroll down the 5100 block of Washington Street in 1947. 

5118-20 East Washington Street

     The Rahn family occupied both sides of the double at 5118-20 East Washington Street in 1947. Alf Rahn lived at 5118 while Lester and Mildred Rahn resided at 5120. Lester Rahn served as an assistant cashier for Indiana National Bank. He was a rising star in that organization and was still on his upward trajectory in 1947. If the Rahns looked out their living room window on a winter's day, they might have seen a young James Kern walking along the sidewalk. 

James R. Kern posed with his new toy in January of 1948. Behind him, you can see the double located at 5118-20 East Washington Street. 

James R. Kern took a tumble in January of 1948. You can see the corner of the Victoria Apartments at 5124 East Washington Street (later 5128) and the double located at 5118-20 East Washington Street.

Janice Wayman Kern posed along East Washington Street c1945. Behind her, you can see the sign for the Mobil Gas Station that used to operate at 5104 East Washington Street. You can also see the double at 5118-20 East Washington Street and the Victoria apartment building at 5124 (later 5128) East Washington Street. 

Two members of the Wayman-Kern families walked down the stairs leading to the Victoria Apartments at 5124 (later 5128) East Washington Street. You will note that there used to be an empty lot just to the west of the apartments. Construction of a brick double there later prompted city officials to renumber the Victoria Apartments to 5128 East Washington Street. You can also see the double at 5118-20 East Washington Street. 

5118-20 East Washington Street on November 1, 2024

5132-34 East Washington Street

     The double at 5132-34 East Washington Street appeared in numerous Kern family photos due to its proximity to the Victoria Apartments next door. The extended Warrick family resided at 5132. Brothers Harold C and Forrest E. along with their sister, Dorothy, and their widowed Aunt Cassie Rowlette all dwelled in the double in the late 1940s. The Warricks also rented a room to a young woman named Annatasia Corrington, who would later marry Harold Warrick.   

     Mrs. Mary C. O'Donnell, whose husband, Terrence J. had died suddenly in 1944, was the mother of seven children. She resided at 5134 East Washington Street in 1947. The O'Donnells were members of the nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. 

Three women from the Wayman-Kern family stood in the front yard of the Victoria Apartments c1945. The woman facing the camera is most likely Virginia Wayman. Behind the ladies, you can see the double at 5132-34 East Washington Street. 

Janice Wayman Kern held her baby, James R. Kern, on April 10, 1947, in front of the Victoria Apartments. Behind the pair, you can see the double located at 5132-34 East Washington Street. 

James R. Kern stood in front of his home at the Victoria Apartments in 1948. You can also see the double located at 5132-34 East Washington Street. 

John Wilbur Kern posed with his son, James R. Kern, in front of the Victoria Apartments in 1947. Behind them, you can see the double at 5132-34 East Washington Street. 

Sisters Janice Wayman Kern and Virginia Wayman, posed in the front yard of the Victoria Apartments c1945. Behind them, you can see the double at 5132-34 East Washington Street.

An unidentified woman stood in the front yard of the Victoria Apartments c1945. Behind her, you can see the double at 5132-34 East Washington Street. 

5132-34 East Washington Street on November 1, 2024

Next Up: Scenes Along East Washington Street, Part 2

Sources: Polk's Directory for Indianapolis, 1947; Rahn family--"Lester H. Rahn Rites Saturday," Indianapolis News, March 31, 1977, p. 3; Warrick family--US Federal Census, 1950; "Harold C. Warrick," obituary, Indianapolis Star, August 18, 1970, p. 25; O'Donnell family--"Awarded Bronze Star," Indianapolis Star, June 29, 1952, p. 17; Obituary for Terrence C. O'Donnell, Indianapolis Star, November 6, 1944, p. 13.

A Note About the Photos: I found these images in an antique shop in Indianapolis. I would be happy to donate these photos back to a family member. Contact me on the email listed on this page.