Hackleman Home--5438 Lowell Avenue Then and Now

This beautiful house has graced the intersection of Lowell Avenue and Whittier Place since 1903. William Edward Michael Hackleman and his wife Pearl Conner Hackleman were the first to call the place home. Mr. Hackleman made his money as a publisher of religious music. He also sang and wrote religious pieces as well. His hymnals were used in Christian (Disciples of Christ) churches throughout the US. His business became so successful that he had an office in the Majestic Building downtown.

The Hacklemans were married on September 12, 1899, and first lived along East Washington Street. By 1910, the 42-year old entrepreneur and his 34-year old wife were busy raising their four children in the Lowell Avenue home. Tragedy struck the family on December 29, 1910, when a fifth child, Herbert A. Hackleman, died after one month on this planet.

Mrs. Hackleman became an active club woman and she even gave papers. In 1912, she addressed the Irvington Coterie Club on the "Contributions to Civilization of the Ancient Oriental Countries" at the home of Mrs. J. Edward Wilson. (315 N. Layman Avenue) The Hackleman children all eventually went to college. Their oldest daughter Florence attended Miami University in Oxford Ohio while Grace and Gladys matriculated to Butler. Edwin graduated from Purdue University.

Mr. Hackleman traveled all over the US to direct music and attend Disciples' conventions. He was also involved in the Anti-Saloon League and likely celebrated the Prohibition Amendment to the US Constitution. Tragically, he was killed on October 2, 1927, in Illinois. He was preparing to attend another convention. The driver of a larger car sideswiped his and fled the scene. Mr. Hackleman was crushed and died twenty minutes after being hit. By this point, the Hacklemans had already moved out of Irvington and into a home along Alabama Street. You can still hear some of Mr. Hackleman's music on the internet if you Google his name.

In the historic photo taken in 1924, you can see this lovely home when it housed the Delta Delta Delta Sorority for Butler University. I have also provided a photo of 59-year-old Mr. Hackleman taken shortly before his death. His sudden passing elicited the top headline in the Indianapolis Star on October 4, 1927. The newer photo of the home was taken in the spring of 2011. Little has changed about the house except vinyl siding now covers the clapboard wood siding.

Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist--1950

Christian Scientists had been actively involved in their faith in Irvington as early as the 1920s. Residents Robert Marsh, Richard Shimer, and local artist Dorothy Morlan were some of the early trustees. (See Paul Diebold, Greater Irvington for more information on the early years.) The church purchased lots along Pleasant Run Parkway in 1924 and began construction in 1936. Archival film footage of the cornerstone laying and subsequent construction may be found at the Indiana Historical Society. The building at 5201 East Pleasant Run Parkway South was formally dedicated in 1945. The church was designed by architect Charles Wilbur Foster, a member of the church. The plan of the building was reflective of the neo-colonial revival style very popular in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s in the US and is somewhat unusual for Irvington.

The Christian Scientist population dwindled in Irvington by the Millennium and the congregation sold the building and moved into a small reading room in the 100 block of South Audubon Road. A Seventh-Day Adventist congregation moved in by 2005.

The historic photo was taken around 1950. Note how small the sycamore and evergreen trees are in the photo. In the contemporary photos, taken on June 2, 2011, you can see the trees have grown to great heights. The current occupants seem to be struggling with some maintenance issues with the structure. Otherwise, the building looks very similar to how it did upon its construction over seventy years ago.

Pike Family--19 North Ritter Avenue in 1909

Daniel Pike operated a grocery store along East Washington Street in the early 1900s. He and his family dwelled at 19 North Ritter Avenue. Mr. Pike was also involved in politics. This wonderful photo shows their beautiful home and shady property. The house is still standing although it has been altered. The Victorian porch and pyramidal roofline have been removed. This wonderful image is courtesy of Hazeal Doyle.

5610 University in 1910

This faded rare photograph depicts 5610 University Avenue in 1910. The house looks largely the same in 2011 although a neo-Classical porch replaced this Victorian one years ago. The home has had much stability with families dwelling in it for decades in some cases. Harlan W. Haworth, a newspaper printer, and his wife Ethel lived in the house from the 1930s through the 1960s. Others to call this home include the Bowsher, Graves, and Thomas family among others. Mrs. Ellen Sommerville lived in the house during most of the Haworth period. This photo is courtesy of Roberta Quandt. It may also be seen in my book Irvington in 1910: A Year in the Life of an Indianapolis Neighborhood. It is available on lulu.com

19-21 South Butler Avenue Then and Now

19-21 South Butler Avenue has been carved into apartments since the 1920s. It likely began life as a single family home in the early twentieth century. Elmer Allen, a hardware shop owner, and his family dwelled here in 1910. Other families to live here in the 1910s included the McCormacks and the Klines. The Alpha Rho Delta Fraternity occupied the place in mid-1920s. The young men who lived here could easily walk to the nearby Butler University campus. By 1928 the Reverend Joseph A. Joyce turned the home into the Joyce Apartments. Dozens of tenants have called this apartment home over the decades. Today, the structure appears to be vacant and awaiting a restoration.

The historic image was taken in 1924 while the contemporary image was shot in the early spring of 2011.

Doll Collection--1922

Martha Scott (5435 Pleasant Run Parkway) had quite a collection of dolls as a young girl. An only child, she frequently created an imaginary world in her 1920s era home in Irvington. Many of these dolls or stuffed animals might be worth some money today if they were still around and in mint condition. She posed her favorites in the front yard in the summer of 1922. This image is courtesy of Martha Scott Baum.

76 North Ritter Avenue--Then and Now

This small carpenter-built Queen Anne cottage has stood at 76 North Ritter since the late nineteenth century. A modest home with six rooms, the structure has served as a dwelling for dozens of Irvington families over the years. In 1910, telephone inspector Alfred S. Barnett and his family lived in the small home. Other families who resided here included the Williams, Schafers, Davenports, Wengers, Cases, Porters, Marquettes, and Rodenbecks. The Howell family, who lived in the cottage throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s stayed the longest.

The older photo is a scanned copy of a letter sent from Peter Wenger to Martha Scott in 1985. In the letter Mr. Wenger, who lived in the house as a boy from 1920 to 1925, jokingly wrote, "And you thought Abe Lincoln came from a humble abode. At least he got a monument, which I am still waiting for." His correspondence is filled with references to his friends along Ritter Avenue including the Campbell (72 North Ritter Avenue) and Elrod children.

The Wengers attended a morning kindergarten located at 18 North Ritter Avenue (demolished) run by Gail Baker. Harry and his best friend "Boy" Campbell used to camp out in the shed in the backyard with the Campbell collie for protection. Harry's mother, in a moment of compassion, occasionally asked her two sons to spend the night across the street as the elderly widow who lived there was afraid at night. He wrote about this years later, "We would get in our PJs and cross the street to go to bed. Neither of us liked doing this." In 1925, the Wengers moved to Oakland, California.

The historic image was taken on July 19, 1920. The children pictured are Genevieve Campbell, Jack Sewatz, Harry Wenger, Jr., Jim Wenger, and Max Taylor. The barn is no longer standing. The Victorian porch has also been removed.

The contemporary photo was taken in the early spring of 2011.