Lockerbie Square Historic District
Encyclopedia
Lockerbie Square Historic District is a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places
within Indianapolis, Indiana
, listed on February 23, 1973, with a boundary increase on July 28, 1987. It is noted for its Federal
, Italianate
, and Queen Anne style
architecture. The original platting of Lockerbie Square, done by Janet McQuat and named for her father, Scottish immigrant George Lockerbie, was between 1847 and 1850. The 1960s saw an immense effort to save the buildings within the district, becoming the first historic district in Indianapolis. Many of the buildings date from 1855 to 1930. James Whitcomb Riley
, famed Hoosier
poet, lived in the district for over two decades. He was known to give candy
to local children on his regular walks.
Lockerbie Square is the oldest intact residential neighborhood of Indianapolis. Lockerbie is located on the northeast side of Alexander Ralston
's Plat of Indianapolis at the intersection of East Street and New York Street. The western border of the district is East Street, so named as it was the original eastern boundary of Indianapolis. The neighborhood is directly south of the Mass Ave
Cultural District and north of the Cole-Noble District
. At only .75 miles away from the Circle, Lockerbie Square was one of Indianapolis' earliest walkable suburbs.
At one point, it was called Germantown, due to the numerous German immigrants living in the district starting in 1849.
The housing demand in the 1880s caused the Lockerbie District to prosper and grow.
After World War I
, residents of means moved to northern Indianapolis. The neighborhood decayed until the restoration efforts of the 1960s and 1970s began. The newly-founded Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
helped to restore the area, basing their renovations on the preservation techniques practiced at the German Village
of Columbus, Ohio
.
Among the noted buildings are:
A walking tour designed by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and the Lockerbie Square People's Club takes visitors past twenty-five historic residences and five newer ones that, like the North Vermont Street Home, were designed to complement the existing structures.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
within Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, listed on February 23, 1973, with a boundary increase on July 28, 1987. It is noted for its Federal
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
, Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, and Queen Anne style
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
architecture. The original platting of Lockerbie Square, done by Janet McQuat and named for her father, Scottish immigrant George Lockerbie, was between 1847 and 1850. The 1960s saw an immense effort to save the buildings within the district, becoming the first historic district in Indianapolis. Many of the buildings date from 1855 to 1930. James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
, famed Hoosier
Hoosier
Hoosier is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. Although residents of most U.S. states typically adopt a derivative of the state name, e.g., "Indianan" or "Indianian", natives of Indiana rarely use these. Indiana adopted the nickname "Hoosier State" more than 150...
poet, lived in the district for over two decades. He was known to give candy
Candy
Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
to local children on his regular walks.
Lockerbie Square is the oldest intact residential neighborhood of Indianapolis. Lockerbie is located on the northeast side of Alexander Ralston
Alexander Ralston
Alexander Ralston was one of two co-architects for the design of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.-Life:Alexander Ralston was born in Scotland in 1771. In Britain he was engineer working for the Baron of Roslin on his estate before immigrating to the United States after the American Revolution...
's Plat of Indianapolis at the intersection of East Street and New York Street. The western border of the district is East Street, so named as it was the original eastern boundary of Indianapolis. The neighborhood is directly south of the Mass Ave
Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis
Massachusetts Avenue, or simply "Mass Ave", is one of six designated cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is located just a few blocks northeast of Monument Circle. Massachusetts Avenue was one of the four original diagonal streets of downtown Indianapolis in Alexander Ralston's plan of...
Cultural District and north of the Cole-Noble District
Cole-Noble District
-History:The name Cole-Noble District derives from two pieces of Eastside Indianapolis history. The Cole Motor Car Company was located on Washington Street just east of College Avenue. The company produced the first four-door automobile and competed with the prestigious Cadillac. Noble refers...
. At only .75 miles away from the Circle, Lockerbie Square was one of Indianapolis' earliest walkable suburbs.
At one point, it was called Germantown, due to the numerous German immigrants living in the district starting in 1849.
The housing demand in the 1880s caused the Lockerbie District to prosper and grow.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, residents of means moved to northern Indianapolis. The neighborhood decayed until the restoration efforts of the 1960s and 1970s began. The newly-founded Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
Indiana Landmarks is America's largest private statewide historic preservation organization. Founded as the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana by Indianapolis pharmaceutical executive Eli Lilly in 1960, the organization is a private non-governmental organization with nearly 11,000 members...
helped to restore the area, basing their renovations on the preservation techniques practiced at the German Village
German Village
German Village is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus. It was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the population of the entire city...
of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
Among the noted buildings are:
- James Ray-Buscher House: home of former Indiana governor James B. RayJames B. RayJames Brown Ray was an Indiana politician and the only Senate President-Pro-Tempore to succeed to become Governor of the State of Indiana. He served during the period when the state transitioned from personal politics to political parties, but never joined a party himself. Elevated at age 31, he...
, who served as governor from 1825 to 1831. It said to be the oldest house in Indianapolis that still exists to this day, built in 1835. It is not originally built in the district, having been moved to its current location in 1977. It stood where the Marion CountyMarion County, IndianaMarion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...
jail now stands. - James Whitcomb Riley Museum HomeJames Whitcomb Riley Museum HomeThe James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home, one of two homes known as the James Whitcomb Riley House on the National Register of Historic Places, is a historic building in the Lockerbie Square Historic District of Indianapolis, Indiana at 528 Lockerbie Street. It was named a National Historic Landmark in...
: the residence of James Whitcomb Riley, while he lived in the area in the last two decades of his life. - 628 E. Vermont Street Home: it was built in the late 20th century, but due to it being built to complement the 1800s architecture, the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana gave it its "New Construction Award."
- Reading-Kindell Cottage: Built in 1856, it is across from the Riley Museum, and was where the housekeeper resided. She had inherited all the housegoods in the Holstein home, but was paid for them in order to preserve the integrity of the Riley Museum's interior.
- Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus)Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus)The Athenæum, originally named Das Deutsche Haus , is the most ornate and best-preserved building affiliated with the German American community of Indianapolis. Once used as a German American turnverein and clubhouse, it currently houses many groups, organizations, and businesses...
: Built in 1893, it is the most ornate and best preserved building affiliated with the German AmericanGerman AmericanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
community of Indianapolis. Once used as a German American turnverein and clubhouse it currently houses many groups, organizations, and businesses.
- St. Mary's Catholic ChurchSt. Mary's Catholic Church, IndianapolisSt. Mary's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is built in the Gothic Revival style modeled after the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church was established in 1858 as St...
: Built 1910 to 1912, it is a Roman Catholic church. Built in the Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style and modeled after the Cologne CathedralCologne CathedralCologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site...
in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
A walking tour designed by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and the Lockerbie Square People's Club takes visitors past twenty-five historic residences and five newer ones that, like the North Vermont Street Home, were designed to complement the existing structures.