Weekly View » Benton House

Historic Benton House Book Sale a Community Event

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 05:11:47 +0000

Oh, I just want what we all want: a comfortable couch, a nice beverage, a weekend of no distractions and a book that will stop time, lift me out of my quotidian existence and alter my thinking forever. — Elizabeth Gilbert, American novelist

For many years, the Historic Benton House Book Sale has been the place to pick up some great book bargains while supporting an east side historic landmark.
The sale will be held July 25 from 4-7 p.m, July 26 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and July 27 from noon-4 p.m. at the Benton House, 312 S. Downey Ave. A huge tent, erected by Montgomery Tent & Awning Company, will be filled with boxes and tables of book of all kinds donated over the course of the past few months by the community. Prices range from $1 for paperbacks to $2 for hardcovers, and children’s books are at a special low price. On Sunday, you can buy a bag of books at low prices as volunteers look to clear the shelves.
Kids especially love the tables full of books just for them, which they can buy with their allowance money. Look for a big selection of history, biographies, popular fiction, classics, and cookbooks. The Benton House Book Sale is one of those places where book lovers come to find hidden treasures — a couple of years ago I found a rare science fiction double novel in hardcover for a buck!
Books are donated to the sale throughout the spring at local businesses and collected, sorted, and moved by volunteers. During the sale, volunteers help with organization and check out. There are usually a couple of folks who can help tote your purchases out to the car. Donations to the Benton House are also welcome on sale days.
Proceeds from the sale benefit the Benton House, a Second Empire home built in 1873. It was the home of Allen R. Benton, twice president of Butler University.
The Irvington Historic Landmarks Foundation was founded in 1966 to purchase and restore the Benton House; in 1969, the Benton House Association was formed to maintain the house and promote it as a destination for small events. The Benton House is surrounded by historic gardens lovingly maintained by the Irvington Garden Club, and has been the site for many weddings, showers, reunions, and other celebrations.
Special tours can be arranged by calling 357-0318 or 353-1210. The Web site is www.thebentonhouse.org.

Applause!: Aug. 30-Sept. 6

Weekly View — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 05:08:17 +0000

• Labor Day is Sept. 2. The Weekly View offices will be closed to celebrate the holiday. We will be back in at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Ad deadlines will remain the same: Classified ads are due by noon on Tuesday for that week’s issue. Have a safe and happy Labor Day!
• The City of Lawrence, in partnership with AmVets, is bringing the memorial Wall of Remembrance honoring the victims of the war on terror on Aug. 29. The wall will go on display in front of the old Fort Benjamin Harrison Parade grounds at the corner of Lawton Loop East Drive and Otis Ave. starting at 5 p.m. It will be there through Sun. afternoon.
• New Warren Township Mayor’s Liaison Karen Lightbourne is holding community hours on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-noon at the Warren Library, 9701 E. 21st St. and from 2-4 p.m. at the Irvington Library, 5625 E. Washington St. She invites everyone to drop by and share concerns — or just say hello!
• Want to know more about urban gardening? Register for a free workshop given by Purdue Extension on Sept. 7 from 9:00-10:30 a.m. The workshop will be health at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Discovery Hall, Suite 201 (1202 E. 38th St.). Register online at http://indyurbangardening.eventbrite.com
• It’s not just the heat, it’s the lack of rain that is getting to us. Please be careful if you are planning to set off fireworks in the neighborhood. There are some very dry looking lawns out there that might catch fire if a live spark hits them.
• In the fall of 2014, all 12th grade students will be required to receive the meningococcal vaccine. Meingococcal disease can kill within 24 hours, or leave kids with brain damage or other serious complication. Please check with your children’s doctors to make sure they have been immunized for this.
• Thank you to all the great volunteers who spruced up local schools for the recent Day of Caring. Many schools in the area benefited from repairs, improvements, clean-ups and more.
• The Indy Arts Guide was recently introduced by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. The guide is a new calendar, ticketing, and social media hub serving arts organizations in Central Indiana. Visit www.indyartsguide.org to see the new guide.
• While online information is great, there are still many people who don’t go online, e-mail, or go to social media Web sites. New media is great, but “old” media such as newspapers reach a much broader audience. You don’t need an expensive device or Internet connection to read a newspaper for your information.
• The Benton House Book Sale was a huge success, thanks to all the volunteers and organizers who took on the huge task of running the event. Thank you to all the people who bought books by the bag — there are a lot of readers out there!

Book Sale Benefits Benton House

Weekly View — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 05:11:52 +0000

IRVINGTON — Preparations are in the final stages for the next big Benton House Association benefit activity, the Annual Used Book Sale. Sponsored by Montgomery Tent and Awning Company, the sale will take place August 23-25. On Friday, the sale will be held from 4-7 p.m., then on Saturday the sale will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday the flaps will open for the “everything must go” sale from noon-4 p.m. Most paperbacks are priced at 50 cents, hardbacks $1, and children’s books have special low pricing. There are a few collectible types of books priced a little higher.
The Benton House Used Book Sale is truly a community effort. A tent will be erected at 312 South Downey Ave. on August 20. The next day a group of Scouts from Irvington plus a group of Irvington merchants supplied by Joe Hammond of Oakley-Hammond will move books up from the basement of the Benton House.
Lisa Flick and Elizabeth Wissel, and a number of other volunteers have been busy sorting books. Lori Bloomer who manages U-Press at Office Max has donated boxes for the sorting. Books are being collected at six locations in Irvington. Dufours, Jockamos, Roll With It Bakery, Black Sheep Gifts, Deering Cleaners and Snips were collection points for the donated books. Andy and Jeffrey Whitehurst were in charge of the collection. However, the big organizers of this event are Bill and Rose Mary Clarke.
A huge crew of volunteers who love Irvington and the Benton House are responsible for making the Benton House Used Book Sale a success every year. This sale along with the Benton House Irvington Tour of homes makes up a major source of funding for the care of the 1873 former home of Allen Benton, once President of Butler University.

Applause!: July 19-26

Weekly View — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 05:08:10 +0000

• Coming soon: another reason to celebrate and live on Indy’s Near Eastside: In 2014, the Pogue’s Run hiking/biking trail will be developed from E. 10th Street through Fletcher Park, Spades Park and Brookside Park, ultimately connecting to the Pogue’s Run Art and Nature Park. This addition will be a real asset to the east side, connecting some terrific neighborhoods.
• Carol Sissom and The John Dillinger Family, including his nephew and great nephew, who is a federal law enforcement officer, will be signing autographs at a book signing at the Indianapolis International Airport on July 22 from 12 -6 p.m. The team will be signing autographs and books in front of John Dillinger’s 1933 Essex Terraplane, which will be on display at the airport for the next year and a half. This is the very automobile that Dillinger was shot in on March 31, 1934. (July 22nd, is the day that John Dillinger was shot and killed in front of the Biograph Theatre in Chicago in 1934.)
• The Indiana Fair is almost here! Aug. 2 -18 at the State Fairgrounds. There will be some interesting free shows at the Free Stage in Celebration Park, including Aug. 5 Blind Melon, Aug. 8 Kevin Costner & Modern West (yes, THAT Kevin Costner), and Styx Aug. 12.
• Twinkies are back, being made right here on the eastside at the plant on Shadeland. After eight months of no Hostess, it is nice to have them back on the shelves — and putting workers on the job. The plant employs 145 people.
• Big plans are afoot for a greenhouse development in Haughville on the near west side of Indianapolis. Plans are in the works for a 100,000 square foot hydroponic garden to be built on a former brownfield. BrightFarms is building it.
• Emerson Heights Neighborhood Association will meet July 18 from 6:45-8:00 p.m. at Wallace Street Evangelical Church. Residents are encouraged to attend the meetings.
• VSA Indiana will be holding an Open House on July 24 from 4-7 p.m. at 1505 N. Delaware St. There will be a cookout, drum circle, hands-on art activities, and an exhibit of the VSAI Community Class and Urban Artisan participants. The event is free.
• Holy Spirit Festival was a rousing success! Thanks to all the volunteers who work so hard to make the festival happen every year.
• The rescheduled Recycle Fest will be held July 27 at Garfield Park beginning at noon. Tickets are $15 for adults, kids 6-12 are free. Lots of music, food, and information about recycling and all things green will be featured. Come on out and have a good time.
• Congratulations to our very own Paula Nicewanger, who won the Benton House Home Tour poster contest. Her beautiful rendition of the Benton House will be featured on posters for the September event.

Brunch at the Historic Benton House

Local News Release — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 06:06:31 +0000

IRVINGTON — The public is cordially invited to attend a get-acquainted brunch Saturday, February 9th from 10 a.m. until noon honoring the Historic Benton House’s Sweetheart Volunteers. The Historic Benton House is located at 312 S. Downey Avenue (south off 5300 east Washington St.). It is casual attire and there is no charge. For more information call 356-8692. (Sponsored by the Benton House Association.)
The Benton House is a perfect place to hold private parties, meetings and receptions. It is an ideal setting for small weddings, rehearsal dinners, showers or birthdays in a Victorian setting for a modest fee. The home is beautifully maintained with room for up to 50 for a reception or buffet. It has a kitchen for the caterer and tables and chairs available. The grounds have been restored and would enhance any outdoor gathering. Attention brides-to-be: This is the time to check out this beautiful historic home.
Guests can tour the 1873 French Mansard style brick home built by Nicholas Ohmer. It was named after Dr. Benton who was President of Butler University (1880-1907), when Butler was located in Irvington. In 1973 the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only house on the National Register on the Indianapolis east side that is available to the public to rent for events. Visit the website www.thebentonhouse.org.