Irvington School Commencement--1927

This commencement program from 1927 reveals a formal celebration of the 8th grade class at School #57. Note the musical selections and the number of students who had solos. The list of pupils reads like a whose who of Irvington families.

Bowsher Sisters--1948

The Bowsher sisters exit the Irvington Methodist Church in 1948. They had just attended a wedding that summer. This color image is courtesy of and in memory of Roberta Bowsher Quandt.

School #57--Grade 8 in 1942

This wonderful school photo needs your attention. We are trying to identify as many people as possible so take a good look and see if you recognize anyone. The photo is an eighth grade graduation picture of the class of 1942 from School #57. John Danner is the only student identified and he is standing at the far left in the middle row. If you know any of the remaining students then drop me an e-mail at sleeth28@rock.com or comment on this page. Enjoy! This image is courtesy of the Danner family.

Christian Women's Board of Missions Building--1926

During the winter and spring of 1910, Irvington residents watched as a commanding four-story brick building with a chapel began to arise along University Avenue behind the Bona Thompson Library. Commissioned by the Christian (Disciples of Christ) Women's Board of Missions, the facility would be loosely connected to Butler University. The purpose of the the imposing structure was to prepare missionaries for an overseas assignment. Thousands of people answered the call over the decades and served their posts in places like China, India, and Tibet. Often times, visitors from all over the world came to Irvington to train the missionaries on culture and language. The institution remained in Irvington until the 1990s even when Butler moved in 1928. In the 1990s, the facility was rehabbed and turned into senior housing.

In this photo taken in 1926, you can see the structure from the west. This view is no longer possible as the Disciples added a large addition in the 1940s. In the background you can see the Bona Thompson Library.

Davidson Home Renaissance--5428 Lowell Avenue

For decades it sat hidden behind a forest of trees neglected and abandoned. For years I admired the beautiful wreck as it stood against the elements. I often wondered about the mysterious property with the giant gingko tree towering over Lowell Avenue. I looked for any signs of life as if the Charles Dickens' character Miss Havisham might appear in the window in her wedding dress at any moment. I photographed the place often and imagined what it might have been like when the Davidson family dwelled here. Then a miracle happened. A wonderful young couple purchased the house and began to bring the home back from the brink. By 2011, they had restored the splendor of the place.

While many people have lived in the house, Robert F. and Mary Galvin Davidson and their children lived in the home from the early twentieth century through the 1930s. Mr. Davidson was a prominent attorney and made his money defending insurance, railway, and telegraph companies. He met his wife while a student at Butler University. Mary Galvin came from a prominent Irvington family who dwelled along Downey Avenue. They married on April 18, 1900. They would have four children although their only son Robert Jr. died at age five on November 26, 1917.

Mrs. Davidson was an active club woman and she frequently hosted meetings at her lovely home. She was very much involved in her children's lives. In 1921, she took all three of her daughters, Margaret Layne (age 19), Katherine K. (age 17), and Mary Elizabeth (age 12) on a tour of Europe. They departed New York City on October 1 and sailed on the Rochambeau for Hauvre, France. For several weeks they traversed the French countryside. Then they departed for Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and Great Britain. They would return to Europe again in 1927 and follow a similar path. Mr. Davidson stayed home to earn money.

While the ladies of the house vacationed in Europe, Mr. Davidson volunteered their home to serve as a temporary dwelling for Dr. Robert J. Aley, the new President of Butler University. Mr. Davidson served on Butler's Board of Directors through part of the 1920s. It also appears that Butler students rented rooms as well.

The family frequently summered in the Adirondacks. Their oldest daughter Margaret studied voice under renown teacher Oscar Seagle at his summer school in Northover Camp at Bound Brook, New York. Mr. Davidson frequently joined the family at the summer cottage, but he did not stay for the entire summer.

The Davidsons, like many Irvington families, are now gone. Each house in the neighborhood tells a different story. A once beautiful home, falling into ruin, and now beautiful again, is testimony to the continuum of life in this community. The family who saved this house will have their own stories to add. Perhaps someday, one hundred years from today, someone will walk by this house and wonder who lived here?

About the images: The historic photo was taken during the winter of 1920. Note the sleeping porch had not yet been added. The photos that show the house in a neglected state were taken during the winter of 2005 and the spring of 2006. The newest photos were shot during the early spring of 2011.

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.

Irvington Dancing Club--1963

2014 marks the centennial anniversary of the Irvington Dancing Club. Founded in 1914, members have continuously kicked up their heels for nearly one hundred years. The original charter forbade any drinking of alcohol at the meetings and dancers always began with the "grand march." The club has met in a variety of locations over the years including Moore's Hall (demolished) on South Audubon Road, the Masonic Building on East Washington Street, and in some of the schools. Alan Kleman is currently compiling a history of the club and needs your help. If you have any information about the Dancing Club or any of its members please drop Alan or myself an e-mail. You may reach Alan at the-klemans@sbcglobal.net. Happy Dancing!!

Mr. Kleman sent the following newspaper article that appeared in the Indianapolis Star in 1963. Some of the people mentioned in the article include Mr. and Mrs. Deane E. Pinney (731 N. Audubon Rd.), Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Husted (727 N. Audubon Rd.), Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Glass (5748 E. Michigan Street), Mrs. Harry E. Barnard (5050 Pleasant Run Pkwy), and Mrs. Robert B. Long (222 S. Ritter Avenue)