Tea Time at an Irvington Cottage

The ladies of Burgess Avenue paused for a tea break in the backyard of Isadora Louiso Cannavan's home at 324 Burgess around 1944. Her daughter, Veta Cannavan Stokesberry lived nearby at 352 Burgess Avenue.  The leafy retreat provided a perfect respite on what appears to be a gloriously sunny Indiana day.

The people pictured in the historic image from left to right are: Veta Cannavan Stokesberry, May Louiso Markmeyer (her half-sister), Isadora Louiso Cannavan, and Mary Ellen Stokesberry. The young girl (Mary Ellen) seen in the photo graduated from Howe High School and now lives in Hawaii. The historic image is courtesy of Ann Stewart.

An Elegant Gathering at the Stokesberry Bungalow

This early color photo reveals an elegant birthday gathering at the Stokesberry Home at 352 Burgess Avenue. Veta Cannavan Stokesberry sits at the head of the table. Her husband, Chester likely took the picture. Sitting to Veta's right are Charles and Hattie Ruhsenberger of 5930 East Washington Street. Across the table are Isadora Louiso Cannavan (324 Burgess Avenue) and in shadow, May Louiso Markmeyer. The occasion was the birthday celebration of the two sisters Hattie and "Dora." In my attempt to make the photo larger, I have lost some of the resolution, but the photo still reveals so many interesting details. It was likely taken around 1945.

The table has a lace cloth over it and Veta Cannavan Stokesberry has pulled out lovely tea cups and plates for the event. You will also note the beautiful candles and delicious looking birthday cake. One of Chester Stokesberry's paintings hangs over the buffet in the dining room. It is also great to see the color of the wallpaper. This wonderful image is courtesy of Ann Stewart.

Birthday Gathering at the Stokesberry Bungalow at 352 Burgess Avenue

Sometime around 1937, Hattie Jones Ruhsensberger (1872-1973) and her sister Isadora Jones Louiso Cannavan (1868-1955) gathered in the living room at the home of Chester and Veta Cannavan (1905-1985) at 352 Burgess Avenue. Veta was the daughter of "Dora" and hosted the event. The two sisters had remained close over the years, and they loved to celebrate their January birthdays. Hattie dwelled at 5930 E. Washington Street and Dora lived in several places before moving to Irvington to be near her daughter and sister. Dora worked as midwife and upon her death in 1955, the local newspaper called her "an angel on horseback." She also attended wounded World War One veterans at a military hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. You may learn more about the Ruhsenberger family by following the link listed below.

Chester Stokesberry moved into this two-bedroom bungalow in 1927 with his first wife Marie. The home was only a year old at the time and was likely built by contractors Keith and Effie Stonehouse in 1925. The Indianapolis newspapers reported dozens of new bungalows for sale in the Irvington area in the mid-1920s. Most contained a long living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and one bath. Some like this one had a breakfast nook and built-in features next to the fireplace. After their marriage, Veta Cannavan Stokesberry took up residence and the Stokesberrys would live in this house until the 1980s.

Chester Stokesberry (1895-1984) was a jeweler, watchmaker, clockmaker, and an artist. Some of his work appeared at various exhibitions including at the John Herron Art Institute. His paintings are highly collectable in 2011. He specialized in landscape scenes. In the photo you can see two of his works on the walls of the Burgess Avenue bungalow. The Ellenberger Park painting hanging above the ladies in the photo eventually moved to the Ruhsenberger home and is still in the family's possession. The other three works featured on this post recently sold at a local art auction. The scene depicting snow is called "January Thaw." These paintings were completed in 1956.

Be sure to study the black and white photograph. Veta Stokesberry kept a beautiful home and she loved antiques. The exterior photo of the home was taken on July 24, 2011. The historic image and the stories are courtesy of Ann Stewart.

Wash Day in Irvington--1948

Many women, no matter their status, spent at least one or two days a week washing and drying clothes. By 1948, technology had dramatically improved with the invention of the electric washing machine, however, the automatic washing machine was yet to come. Most people in Irvington hung their clothes out to dry in the backyard or perhaps in the basement during the winter.

For Helen Hunt, Monday was the day she spent washing and drying clothes for her family. In the top photo, Mrs Hunt stands behind her bungalow at 341 South Audubon Road hanging the newly washed clothes. She was pregnant with her second child at the time of this photo in 1948. In the bottom photo, young Michael Hunt assists his mother with the task. These images are courtesy of Helen Hunt.

Arsonist Destroys Two Historic Garages--Lost Irvington

In the early morning hours of July 14, 2011, an arsonist(s) destroyed two original Irvington garages on Julian Avenue and Hawthorne Lane. Many historic detached garages still exist today, but the numbers have dwindled over the years due to changing standards, neglect, and vandalism. Many of the early structures were built to accommodate one car, most likely the Model T. Over time, Irvingtonians expanded the structures so that their larger Buicks and Pontiacs could fit into the small buildings. Both of the garages burned this summer were in good shape and used by their owners.

The garage shown in this post used to sit behind 81 North Hawthorne Lane until its demise on July 14, 2011. It was in excellent shape and had actually served as the garage for veteran television newscaster, Howard Caldwell's family in the mid-twentieth century. It is very sad that someone has found a thrill destroying part of our neighborhood's heritage.

This picture was taken by photographer Bruce Oertel on the winter evening of February 5, 2011.

Small Farmhouse at Brookville Rd.& South Arlington--Lost Irvington

Brookville Road and South Arlington served as the extreme southeastern boundary for Irvington and really for Indianapolis prior to UNIGOV in 1970. The old "Brookville Pike" connected Indianapolis to Cincinnati. Several Indiana towns and cities like New Palestine, Morristown, Rushville, and Brookville grew up along the historic road. The highway predates Irvington by many decades. Several of the historic structures along the road in Marion County have now vanished including the house seen in these photos taken in 1940. Likely built as a tenement home or for a small farm, the house served as a rental by the 1930s.

In 1910 Charles Judkins, a carpenter, lived in the cottage. A 1916 city directory reveals that Edward S. Gue, a farmer, and his family called the intersection home. Another farmer Aaron Miller lived here in 1921. City directories further reveal that 5980 Brookville Road served as home for Fred McCoy and his family in the late 1930s. In 1940, Leroy Hunt and his new bride Helen moved in. The house sat on a spacious lot and contained a grape arbor and plenty of room for their dogs to run and play.

The Hunts rented 5980 Brookville Road for a few years before moving to an Audubon Road home in Irvington proper. These photos are some of the only known documentation of the house because it was demolished for a filling station by the 1950s. Later, a Burger Chef and a Hardees ( in 2011) Restaurant and parking lot occupied the spot.

The images show the home, the grape arbor, the garage and even a small bungalow behind the house along South Arlington Avenue in 1940 (second photo). These images are courtesy of Helen Hunt.

A Tree Falls in Irvington--c.1948

This giant tree fell across South Audubon Road sometime in the late 1940s. Note that the street used to be brick. In the background you can see 358 S. Audubon located at the southwest corner of Audubon Road and Beechwood Avenue. Michael Hunt and some of his friends pose atop the fallen tree. This image is courtesy of Helen Hunt.