Historic Indianapolis

Then & Now: Chamber of Commerce

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000

The current Chamber of Commerce Building with Depew Fountain in front Commercial Club became the Chamber of Commerce

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International Cycling History Conference in Indy

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 14:32:06 +0000

If you monitor this website now and then, you will know that new content hasn’t been added for quite some time, while I work on a book about Indianapolis wheel history. And when I say “wheel” I mean it in the Victorian parlance, the nickname often ascribed to bicycles in its early days. After five...

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Then & Now: Lemcke Building

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 09:00:25 +0000

Lemcke Building, circa 1910. Note Deschler’s Cigars on the first floor. HistoricIndianapolis.com collection Hard to believe it, but under the shiny meh exterior of at the northeast corner of Market and Pennsylvania, is a structure built at the same time as the aptly named Majestic Building. In February 1895, tenants of the building at the...

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Public Transportation in 1940 Indianapolis

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 09:45:59 +0000

“Car and Bus Routings and Stops, Downtown” All aboard the time machine again…let’s head back to Indianapolis of 1940 to look at how we were maneuvering to and from home and downtown. This map is from Dreher’s Simplex Street and House Number Guide of the City of Indianapolis. Now that most everyone has a gps...

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Connection: Court & Crown Hill

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

East entrance to Crown Hill designed by beloved Indianapolis architect, Adolph Scherrer Yes, that’s right, folks. Connections abound here, and what fun it is to figure them all out. Take a close look at the center tower–there were 8 statues that overlooked the courthouse property (below the clocks). When the future came knocking (literally) these...

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Then & Now Off 16th

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Fredonia Allen started Tudor Hall at 16th and Meridian and the school moved multiple times, it seems. Tudor Hall eventually merged with Park School, which had started as Brooks School For Boys. Copied this off ebay and would have been happy to link to it if it were still there, but gives you an idea...

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State Fair 1885 Poster

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 09:00:00 +0000

If you look on the bottom half of the image above, you will see the main Exposition Building (constructed in 1872) when the State Fair took place in what was to become Morton Place. Subsequently, the area became the north part of Herron-Morton Place Historic Neighborhood. The center of that building shows the main entrance...

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This Moment is History in the Making

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 16:32:20 +0000

image: from The Recorder Collection, Indiana Historical Society HistoricIndianapolis.com was conceived to contribute to the local community by creating new points of connection from old places, people and events. Since this website primarily focuses on the built environment and local events through the lens of history, the bulk of the stories are those of white people....

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Then & Now: Capitol and Washington, Southeast Corner

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 09:00:07 +0000

From Bass Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society Former building on Southeast corner of Capitol and Washington. One of many properties under the huge Hyatt Hotel complex between Capitol Avenue and Washington, Maryland, Illinois and streets with an interesting story is the northwest lot of that square. On October 25, 1848, the cornerstone was placed for...

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Then & Now: Ardmore Apartments

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 10:00:18 +0000

Ardmore Block, 1936. Image courtesy: Bass Photo Co. Collection, Indiana Historical Society Preservation month may be over, but on this website, its a point of passionate advocacy at all times. Another one of Indy’s long-forgotten corner buildings– that seems like it did not absolutely need to be demolished– stood at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue,...

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5 Indy Hotels You’ll Wish You’d Seen

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 10:17:21 +0000

Above: The Grand Hotel in 1937 (Indiana Historical Society, William H. Bass Photo Company, #237,900) It goes without saying that the Claypool would be at the top of the list, but we just covered that a couple weeks ago. Here are five others worth revisiting: When discussions of time travel and visiting Indianapolis’ past comes...

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HI….jinks

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 09:00:21 +0000

Hi Friends and Fans– My name is Tiffany and I am the captain and cruise director here at “H.I.” I would like to sincerely thank every reader, contributor, commenter, sponsor, donor, newsletter subscriber, social media follower and cheerleader out there for making this website such a success and community asset. And I wanted to let...

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Preservation Denied: Bates/ When Building

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 29 May 2019 09:28:33 +0000

In February 1874, newspapers announced that Hervey Bates, Jr. would soon commence building a new block where “Sharpe’s Cigar store now stands.” The first brick wasn’t placed until June, and yet Bates still expected the place to be open by December. In September, a local newspaper was comparing the look of the rising building to...

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University Park: Depew Fountain

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 22 May 2019 09:21:37 +0000

When Ralston originally platted the city of Indianapolis, he made no provision for parks. The populating of Indianapolis began in 1819 and by 1822, the population was approximately 500. Ten years later, the state legislature approved the lease of “square 25” of the Indianapolis plat map to the Marion County Seminary. Square 25 is the...

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How the Claypool Hotel Began

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 15 May 2019 09:00:16 +0000

Early vintage luggage label from Claypool Hotel (Don’t forget–May is preservation month! Which is why we are revisiting some of the best of what we’ve lost. Let’s not do that again. Mmmmmk? ) Of all the hotels in Indianapolis, the Claypool Hotel was our superstar for decades. It was the place to go for club...

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Preservation Denied: The Cleaveland Block/ Magnolia Building

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 08 May 2019 09:15:51 +0000

Magnolia Building. Image: Bass Photo Collection, Indiana Historical Society John B. Cleaveland was born five years after the city of Indianapolis, in 1826 in Quebec City, Canada. In his late 30’s, not long before the end of the Civil War, he moved to Indianapolis– in 1864. Just over 10 years later, in May 1875, Cleaveland filed for...

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Superior Design: Pembroke Arcade

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 01 May 2019 09:00:08 +0000

Original architectural rendering of Pembroke Arcade, Washington Street by Vonnegut & Bohn What would it be like if Indianapolis created such superior architectural design, it made us a destination for tourists and seekers of manmade beauty? Actually, that used to be our story. And while we have a few examples left–the Athenaeum, Indiana Theatre, Circle Tower,...

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Then & Now: 1400 Block of Delaware

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 09:00:10 +0000

A neighborhood is not just a collection of houses in one geographic area. It’s part of the identity of those who live there. It’s a patchwork quilt of stories–to the city, state and families. It can be a source of pride and show what we value. When it comes to our protected historic neighborhoods, it...

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Then & Now: 1000 N. Delaware

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 09:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever driven from Meridian to Delaware Street on 10th, you may have noticed how it doesn’t flow like other streets; it’s disjointed. At Delaware, there is a small jog north before 10th Street continues to Alabama Street, though it is a one-way westbound. Every time you turn west from Delaware at 10th or turn...

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War of the State Flowers

Tiffany Benedict Browne — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 09:00:40 +0000

It was never about roses. That’s our national flower. This tale is about Indiana’s official state flower and arguments are still being made to change it again. Indiana overflows with flora and fauna (hello, dynamic allergy season) and despite a number of changes over the years, mention of the state flower still spurs debate. We’ve...

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