Methodists Dedicated New Wing in 1957

      On a chilly but sunny Sunday morning in November hundreds of members of the Irvington Methodist Church gathered along North Audubon Road for the groundbreaking of a new education wing. The church had been on this site since 1926, but had been in Irvington since 1879 in a variety of locations. Dr. Henry L. White, the pastor of the church in 1957 conducted the special outdoor ceremony. 

     The Garns and Moore Firm designed the new three-story brick wing. Glenroy Construction won the bid for the construction of the edifice. You can see their truck in the top photo. The new wing included numerous classrooms, a chapel, and an administrative area and would be completed in 1958. Officials placed the wing east of what was formerly the Forrest-Howe home.

     Behind the crowd that morning neighbors who resided in 23, 25, 53, and the double at 59-61 might have peeked out their windows to watch the formal event. So who lived in those residences in 1957? Wellise and Rose Hui along with Cornelia Hui resided at 23 Audubon Road. Mr. Hui operated the Irvington Importing Company while his wife Rose worked at the N & R Laundry. Cornelia taught at the McKinley Elementary School. Next door Dorothy White lived in the corner home at 25 North Audubon Road. The Dufour family resided at 53 North Audubon Road. They might not have been home that morning as they usually attended mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. In the large double next door Frank and Ella Wallace leased 59 North Audubon Road while Henry W. and Carol Ross leased 61 North Audubon Road.      

     Throughout the winter of 1957 and 1958 construction workers built the new wing changing the look of the Irvington Methodist Church. 

Members of the Irvington Methodist Church gathered for the groundbreaking of a new education wing on November 10, 1957. The most visible homes in the photo include 23, 25, 53, and 59-61 North Audubon Road. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Officials from the Irvington Methodist Church participated in the groundbreaking of the new education wing on November 10, 1957. Left to right: Reverend C. Kenneth Powell, Firman Sims, Glendon Hackney, Delbert Meyer, and Dr. Henry L. White. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Throughout the winter in 1957 and 1958, workers for Glenroy Construction erected the new education wing at the Irvington Methodist Church. This image also shows the rear of the businesses along East Washington Street and the tower of the Irvington Presbyterian Church. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Workers neared completion of the new education wing at the Irvington Methodist Church in the spring of 1958. The addition housed numerous classrooms for the church. (photo courtesy of the Irvington Historical Society)

Editor's Note: The Irvington Methodist Church will turn 150 years old this September. 

Sources: Polk's Indianapolis City Directories, 1957 and 1958; Sources: "Irvington to Break Ground For Addition," Indianapolis Star, November 9, 1957, p. 12. 

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)

A Suburb Near a Suburb

As World War II wound down, speculators and developers began to prepare for the return of millions of veterans.  Where would they live?  Irvington began life as a planned suburb in 1870.  By 1945, the city had completely swallowed what was once a country setting. In the mid-1940s, farmers in Marion County began to sell off tracts of land for future suburban neighborhoods.  Beginning in 1943, the White family started to sell off acreage near East 11th Street and Shadeland Avenue and decided to build a new home at 1101 North Shadeland Avenue in 1943.  Within five years, dozens of other families, including some returning veterans, built their dream home in the area using the G.I. Bill passed by Congress in 1944.  The planned community along East 11th Street, Edgewood Drive, Elmhurst Drive, Shortridge Road, and East 13th Street featured single-storied homes with two to three bedrooms on large lots. Some of the houses provided attached garages, something not found in nearby Irvington. Americans flocked to theses new suburbs by the millions abandoning older neighborhoods in the cities.  Developers added thousands of homes in Warren Township throughout the 1950s and 1960s with most of the area developed by the 1970s.  The new community at East 11th Street and Shadeland Avenue featured no alleys nor sidewalks for the car remained king while the country built vast interstates and abandoned rail traffic.

Family photos of the White family, taken from 1943 through 1948, show the area around East 11th Street and Shadeland Avenue before the area was completely developed. You may see a photo of the White home in 2014 by clicking on the link below.

Pearl White posed with a dahlia by the family car and home at 1101 North Shadeland Avenue in 1944.

T. Newton White and Pearl White stand in front of the family home at 1101 North Shadeland Avenue in 1944.

Father's Day 1948: T. Newton White and Fred Azbell posed with Barbara Azbell and Fred Azbell, Jr. in the yard  of the White Family home at 1101 North Shadeland

Vast tracts of land remained undeveloped in 1943 when this photo was snapped of Barbara Azbell at 1101 North Shadeland Avenue. The electrical poles had just been placed along East 11th Street.  

The historic images are courtesy of Barbara Sanders.  

Arlington Avenue Home c1942 and Today

In 1942, Jeannette Corey, who dwelled at 268 South Arlington Avenue posed next to the family car. The Coreys must have been well known in the neighborhood because Rollie and Myrtle Corey had ten children!  Behind young Jeannette, you can clearly see the two-story dwelling at 302 South Arlington Avenue.  Philip and Venetta Ochs dwelled there in 1942.  Mr. Ochs was a city fireman.  The home was built on speculation in 1924. The White family were the first to dwell in the modest house.  L.S. Ayres Department Store employed James C. White as a carpet layer.  A contemporary photo reveals that the home has only been slightly altered. You will notice the replacement of an upper window and the addition of a gabled roof upon the garage.  The balustrade railing upon the porch roof has been removed at some point in time as well; however, the home still retains the original 1920s-era clapboard siding and windows.

Jeannette Corey stood next to the family car c1942 at her home at 268 South Arlington Avenue. Behind her, you can see the north facade of 302 South Arlington Avenue.

302 South Arlington Avenue in 2014.  (Photo taken along Oak Avenue)

The historic photo is courtesy of the descendants of the Corey family via Ancestry.com.  

IPS #58 Graduation Photo--1929

They all dressed in white.  The girls donned a bobbed style while most of the boys slicked down their hair.  In the early summer of 1929, the USA was still roaring.  In just a few months after the snapping of this photo, the stock market would plunge catapulting the nation into the Great Depression.  These fourteen-year-olds had no idea that their lives were about the change.  What became of them?  Thankfully, we do know the names of every child in this photo.  They attended the Ralph Waldo Emerson School (1907) at 321 North Linwood Avenue also known as School #58.  The building is now on the National Register of Historic Places and was recently renovated.

Indianapolis Public School #58 Graduates in 1929

Row One:  Margaret Buckles, Vivian White, Helen Murdock, Emma Elizabeth Hallett, Thelma Alvey, Virginia Tharpe, Margaret Hennis, Radonna Graham, June Sproule, Frieda Jones

Row Two: Eva Grace Hale, Violet Hohn, Martha Schwartzenbtraub, Marian Wortman, Mary Elizabeth Neese, Virginia Wickard, Ruth Engleman, Carolyn Paine, Margaret Hetherington, Alice Bobbitt, Frances Higenbotham

Row Three:  Paul Lang, Jr., Harold Cooper, Harry Madison, Ralph Wilson, Harold Bronstrup, Roland Irwin, Hugh Weber, Harry Zaklan, Raymond Rhodes

Row Four:  Richard Ricketts, Edmond Murray, Herbert Leyendecker, Jack Scearce, Charles Pringle, William Schmitz, Robert Williams, Gustav Jordan

Row Five:  Jack Bridwell, Le Roy Dusing, Harry Marshall, Donas Dischinger, Robert Seers, Charles Johnson, Howard Chandler

Indianapolis Public School #58 in 2014 after a recent renovation

Butler Avenue 1943 and Now

While Fred Azbell was away serving the country during World War II, his father-in-law, T. Newton White, took over the family business located at 1115 North Butler Avenue.  Mr. Azbell ran his auto distribution company out of his garage and home office.  He eventually moved the company to 5019 East Michigan Street.  In this photo, snapped in 1943, little Barbara Azbell sat atop one of the company vehicles.  The home at the far left at 1115 North Butler Avenue belonged to the Azbells. The larger home at 1107 North Butler Avenue housed Ralph and Irene Johns.  Mr. Johns served as a department manager for the Indiana Credit Men's Service Association.  Next door at 1103 North Butler Avenue dwelled Edward and Laura Rees.  Mr. Rees was listed as a salesman in the 1943 Polk's City Directory.  The contemporary photo shows the same view in 2014.

Azbell Distribution Company trucks along the 1100 block of North Butler Avenue in 1943

1100 block of North Butler Avenue in 2014

The historic image is courtesy of Barbara Sanders.  

It's a Wonderful Life Along Butler Avenue

The Azbell family celebrated two joyous births in the 1940s.  In top photo, Fred and Vivian Azbell welcomed little Barbara Azbell into their lives in 1942 at their home at 1115 North Butler Avenue.  Someone has sent the family roses which sat in a mid-century vase on a table nearby.  In the second photo, the entire clan gathered to welcome Fred Jr., or Ricky as he was to be called, in 1947.  His grandparents, Pearl and T. Newton White hovered above him while his parents, Fred and Vivian Azbell sat on the chair.  His sister Barbara was clearly checking out the new competition. Bob Hoover (1124 North Butler Avenue), a photographer for the Indianapolis News, managed to get in this photo as well.  Both children would grow up in the house on Butler Avenue.

Fred, Vivian and Barbara Azbell in 1942 at 1115 North Butler Avenue (photo by Bob Hoover)

Wonderfully Staged:  Pearl (in print dress) and T. Newton White above; Vivian, little Ricky, Fred, and Barbara Azbell on chair; Bob Hoover next to the family (in bow tie) in 1947; photo by Bob Hoover

1115 North Butler Avenue c1938

1115 North Butler Avenue 2014

Azbells Move into Butler Avenue Home

Fred and Vivian White Azbell moved into 1115 North Butler Avenue in 1936. Built in 1928, two previous families, the Stanleys and Vornholts, had already called the modern looking dwelling "home." Most of the houses in the 1100 block of North Butler Avenue were built in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The architectural style of this home was more reflective of those built in the 1940s and 1950s rather than the usual Tudor-Revival or bungalow of the 1920s. There was no front porch and in fact, the front facade hosted a false wall that followed the angle of the roofline. The Azbells eventually removed that feature so they could have a small open seating area by the front door.  The couple would raise two children in the house and live along the block for decades.

Vivan Azbell stood with her parents, Pearl and T. Newtown White, in front of her new home at 1115 North Butler Avenue in 1936.

Fred Azbell, dressed in his riding clothes, posed in front of his home at 1115 North Butler Avenue in 1938.

Vivan Azbell, prepared for a ride in the country on her horse, stood in front of 1115 North Butler Avenue in 1938

1115 North Butler Avenue c1938.  Note the false wall that followed the front gable.

1115 North Butler Avenue in 2014.  The false wall has been removed.

The historic images are courtesy of Barbara Sanders.  

Thomas Newton White c1944

T. Newton White grew up on a farm on the northeast corner of East Tenth Street and Shadeland Avenue.  Most of his life, however, was spent in a small bungalow that he and his wife, Pearl, had constructed in 1915.  In fact, the Whites owned the cottage until the 1970s.  In this photo, taken c1944, Mr. White stood in front of his station wagon parked along East New York Street.  Behind him, you can see the upper story of 5026-28 East New York Street.  The Demaree and DeJeet families dwelled there in 1944.  Mr. White ran the Nichols Candy Company for years and later operated a candy brokerage firm. He also assisted his son-in-law during the 1940s by running Azbell Distributing Company (auto parts) while Mr. Azbell was away at war.  Another business adventure included the development of Irving Ridge, a subdivision along East 11th Street and Shadeland Avenue.  In 1953, at the age of 64 he began to have health problems.  He passed away three years later in 1956.  He is still fondly recalled by his granddaughter, Barbara Azbell Sanders.

T. Newton White stood in front of 5024 East New York Street c1944. Behind him, you can see the double at 5026-28 East New York Street.

5026-28 has been significantly altered over the years and is now shrouded in plastic siding, doors, and windows in 2014.  

Dressed in Riding Clothes

Vivian and Fred Azbell decided to drop by her family's home at 5024 East New York Street before heading out to a horse farm at East 16th and Ritter Avenue in 1938.  They parked along North DeQuincy Street at the at the intersection with New York Street and posed for this shot.  Behind the properly attired couple, you can see the brick double at 4910-12 East New York Street and the roofline of an unusually shaped home at 4914 East New York Street.  The larger home in the distance is that of 4918-20 East New York Street.  Note the wonderful streetlight that used to illuminate the corner.  On the side of the brick double, you can see a couple of bicycles.  The Adrians, a large family, dwelled at 4910 East New York Street in 1938.  Joseph Adrian, an immigrant from Alsace-Lorraine, and his wife Alma had five children and lived on that side of the double!  Frank and Virginia Treat lived at 4912 East New York Street in the other half of the double in 1938. Mr Treat was kept busy repairing refrigerators.  A contemporary photo taken in 2014 shows the same area 76 years later.  In the last image, Vivian White Azbell rode her favorite horse, "Fluffy Ruffles," in 1938.  An unidentified worker at the horse farm can be seen holding a collie.  Community Hospital hospital occupies this site in 2014.

Ready for the horses!  Vivian and Fred Azbell posed at the intersection of North DeQuincy and East New York Streets in 1938. Behind them, you can see 4910-12, 4914, and 4918-20 East New York Street.  

4910-12 and 4914 East New York Street in 2014

Vivan White Azbell rode "Fluffy Ruffles" in 1938 on a horse farm at the southwestern corner of Ritter Avenue and East 16th Street.  

The historic images are courtesy of Barbara Sanders.  

New York Street Bungalow c1916 and 2014

T. Newton and Pearl Seymour White had this beautiful bungalow at 5024 East New York Street constructed in 1915. Sometime after the completion of the structure, a member of the family snapped this historic image.  It was a rainy day and there was no garage yet in the backyard.  Mrs. White soon gave birth to a baby girl so it is possible that the gate on the front porch was to keep little Virginia from wandering away from the house.  If you look closely, you can see that someone has planted a tree in the front yard.

The contemporary photo, taken in 2014, shows that little has changed on the house in its nearly one hundred years of existence.  The front door has been switched out, but amazingly the dwelling still retains its original stained clapboard siding.

The White home at 5024 East New York Street c1916

The White home on June 15, 2014

Thomas Newton and Virginia Aumann White in front of 5024 East New York Street on Easter Sunday, 1946 

The Whites had the smaller garage built first and then later added the larger garage. This photo was taken c1940. Only the larger structure remains in 2014.

Mrs. White hosted a baby shower for a member of her family on November 18, 1922 at 5024 East New York Street.  

The historic images are courtesy of Barbara Sanders.

Let's Gather on the Front Porch

If only the porches and verandas of Irvington could sing a tune. The tales those pillars, railings, and stoops could tell would be longer than any ancient saga.  In the case of the small bungalow at 5024 East New York Street, the porch featured prominently in lives of the White family.  T. Newton and Pearl Seymour White moved into the dwelling in 1915. Soon, soldiers including T. Newton's brother, Glen, marched off to Europe to fight the Germans in World War I. Their two daughters both born in the 1910s came next. Mr. White operated a candy company and likely spent some evenings on the front porch with his wife talking about their prospects.  Their daughters, Virginia and Vivian, grew up in the house and spent many summer days on the porch with neighborhood friends.  As they dated, their beaus came by for a visit and at least one--Fred Azbell-- married Vivian White.

After the girls married, they frequently came home and in the case of Vivian she brought her new baby Barbara over for visits.  During World War II, Mr. White stepped in to help Fred Azbell with his auto parts distribution business while Fred served in the European sphere of the war. One can imagine the worrying conversations and letters read on the porch during that turbulent period of history. The photos throughout the 1940s and 50s show the grandchildren growing up and visiting their doting grandparents.  Sadly, by the 1950s the patriarch of the family, T. Newton White started suffering from health issues. One of the last photographs ever taken of him was snapped on the front porch of 5024 East New York Street in 1956 with two of his grandchildren, Barbara and Ricky Azbell. Mrs. White would continue to dwell in the house for another fifteen years.

The White family's front porch looked quite inviting with wicker furniture and a tasteful awning to keep away the summer sun.  Would you like some iced tea?  Let's gather on the front porch and catch up on the news.

Inviting porch:  The White home at 5024 East New York Street c1940

Stylish hat:  Vivian White Azbell and her daughter Barbara Azbell dropped by the White house at 5024 East New York Street on September 19, 1943.

Pensive Granddaughter:  Barbara Azbell sat on the front porch of 5024 East New York Street in 1945.

Pearl and T. Newton White posed on the front porch of 5024 East New York Street in 1956. They had dwelled in the home since 1915.  Mrs. White would continue to own the home until 1971.  

Proud Grandpa:  Ricky Azbell posed with his Grandpa T. Newton White on the front walk at 5024 East New York Street in 1955.  

The Last Photo?:  With his health failing, T, Newton White posed with his beloved grandchildren, Barbara and Ricky Azbell, in 1956.  He would pass away in the same year at the age of 64.  

You may learn more about the White home by clicking on the link below.  The historic images are courtesy of Barbara Azbell Sanders (seen above).

The White Family's Brown Bungalow at 5024 East New York Street

T. Newton White grew up on a farm at East Tenth Street and Shadeland Avenue, but farming was not for him. He decided to go into another family business--candy.  The Nichols Candy Company operated in the Wholesale District at 118 South Pennsylvania Street.  Mr. White worked as a salesman and operator of the company for years. He married Pearl Seymour and they had two daughters, Virginia and Vivian. The young couple moved into a brand new bungalow at 5024 East New York Street in 1915 and would remain there for decades.  The modest home was sandwiched in between two large houses. Amazingly, the house still retains its dark brown stain in 2014.  The historic photos show the home in the 1920s and 1930s. More photos from this interesting family with be forthcoming.

Thomas Newton White c1913 in Westfield, Indiana

Virginia White, Lillian Garth, and Vivian White in front of 5024 East New York Street in the spring of 1928.

In the back yard of 5024 East New York Street c1925:  Virginia and Vivian White

Virginia White c1931 in front of 5024 East New York Street

Vivian and Virginia White in front of 5024 East New York Street c1931

Thomas Newton White and Pearl Seymour White working on the yard at 5024 East New York Street in the spring of 1939

5024 East New York Street in 2014

The historic images are courtesy of Barbara Sanders, the granddaughter of T. Newton and Pearl White.