Weekly View » Irvington Historical Society

Wall Flowers at the Bona

Weekly View — Thu, 24 May 2018 05:10:33 +0000

IRVINGTON — Spring is finally here, and the gardens of Irvington are a riot of blooms, so the Bona is celebrating with a Wallflower exhibit. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 29. The Bona Thompson Memorial Center is located at 5350 University Ave. in Irvington. Hours are Wednesdays 1-3 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 1-4 p.m. The Bona will be closed on May 27 to observe Memorial Day.
Thanks to the Irvington Garden Club, there will be an exhibit of the tools of the gardeners’ trade on display. Also, on display are a dozen years’ worth of the Irvington Garden Tour posters along with the original artwork for several of those posters, as created by current Irvington artists.
The walls of the Lena Alice Pavey-Morrow Gallery showcase some of the Irvington Historical Society’s permanent art collection, plus pieces on loan from current Irvington artists, such as Rita Spalding, Laura Hildreth and Kathleen Biale. Works drawn from the Society’s permanent collection includes works by the Irvington artists such as Hilah Wheeler, Roger Frey, and Charles Townsend, as well as those by other Indiana artists Wilma Sonnefield and Bess Kern.
Hanging spectacularly over the exhibit is the Howe High School Violet Queen’s Cape. A version of this golden cape stenciled with violets along its 12-foot long train was worn by the Violet Queen as she acknowledged the student achievements for the year, between 1939 and 1963. The cape was brought out once again, in 1988, for the school’s 50th anniversary.
This year’s Irvington Garden Tour takes place on Sunday, June 25, from 1-5 pm. Tickets are available for sale at a number of Irvington locations.
The Bona will be open during the Garden Tour, Admission to the Bona is always free.

Applause!: March 6-13

Weekly View — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 06:08:25 +0000

• The American Cancer Society needs volunteer drivers to help provide transportation for patients in Marion County, especially in the eastside community. To find out how you can help, call Robin Rockel, at 317-344-7812 or e-mail robin.rockel@cancer.org.
• Community volunteers are needed for the IndianaMOM Mission of Mercy free dental clinic which will be held Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. This inaugural event will serve approximately 2,000 patients across the state who have no other options for dental treatment. Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to visit www.IndianaMOM.org where job descriptions and an online registration form are available. Tax deductible, monetary donations can also be made online. Many non-dental volunteers are needed to help with a variety of tasks such as setup, patient education, registration, crowd control, translating and interpreting, data entry, hospitality, parking and many other tasks. Both general volunteers and those with previous dental office experience are needed.
• The 11th Annual Masquerade Ball will be held March 14 — last chance to get tickets to dinner and ball is by MARCH 7. Ball only tickets are $40 ($45 at the door the night of the event). Dinner and ball tickets are $55 (no door sales). Get to the Magic Candle (203 S. Audubon Rd.) ASAP to get your tickets! The band is Lemon Wheel, and the theme is the fabulous 50s. Proceeds go to Coburn Place charity.
• Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little early with the Irvington Historical Society on March 15 from 3-5 p.m. at the Bona Memoral Center (5350 University Ave.). Enjoy a cosy performance from Ireland’s own Eunan McIntyre. Eunan is a contemporary singer/songwriter in the Irish tradition. Families are welcome. Cost is $10 at the door, first come, first served. Kids can attend for free.
• The Greater Lawrence Chamber Job Fair will be held on March 11 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Lawrence National Guard Armory, 9920 E. 59th St. As a courtesy to military and veterans, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. will be reserved for those job seekers. At 11:30 a.m. the job fair will open to the general public.
• The Big Read, a shared reading initiative with the international community, will kick off March 11 at Central Library. The book selected is The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu. Through April 30, the Indianapolis Public Library will host discussions and programs exploring the book’s theme.
• Thank you to all the helpful neighbors in the community who helped shovel/snowblow/plow driveways after the snowstorm. Hopefully we’ll be able to put away our snow shovels and get out the garden spades soon!
It’s time to SPRING FORWARD into Daylight Saving Time on March 8 at 2 a.m. Before you go to bed, set your clock ahead 1 hour!

IHS Winter Social and Silent Auction

Weekly View — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 06:10:57 +0000

IRVINGTON — The Irvington Historical Society will be hosting a Winter Social and Silent Auction on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Bona Thompson Memorial Center, 5350 University Ave. This will be a casual evening, with an opportunity to bid on many unique and vintage treasures. Among the items offered are pieces of china made for the American Diplomatic Corps and works by James Whitcomb Riley. Enjoy complimentary drinks and appetizers, thanks to sponsor Pyramid Architecture, along with special benefactors Marilene Isaacs’ Center of Peace, Audrey’s Place Thrift Store, and SciMinds Paranormal.. The event is free and open to the public. Proceeds will be used to support the Irvington Historical Society.

Gaia Works, IHS Benefit from Ghost Tours

Weekly View — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 06:10:17 +0000

Al Hunter, historian and leader of the Irvington Ghost Tours in October, recently donated proceeds from the 2013 tours to local organizations.

photo by Rhonda Hunter
Al Hunter presents a check to Jan DeFerbrache for Gaia Works.

Al donates the proceeds of the tours to local charities every year. The tours attract thousands of people to the Irvington area, generating interest in the historical nature of the neighborhood, and its exciting present-day growth. As a way of giving back to the community, he donates to charities that help others, and promote the preservation of history.
Al Hunter is also a columnist at the Weekly View, discussing overlooked historical tidbits, ghost and paranormal activities, historical figures, and much more. His popular articles appear weekly.

Historic Building Collapses

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 06:11:01 +0000

One of the oldest commercial buildings in Irvington fell victim to autumn storms which raced across Central Indiana on Nov. 17. The Old Irvington Post Office, the 110-year-old building located on the corner of Ritter and East Washington St., was undergoing renovations thanks to the efforts of the Irvington Development Organization (IDO) and the Irvington Historical Society (IHS), and was unoccupied. The walls had been braced by construction teams working on the renovation; the building’s roof had been removed and the interior gutted.
The walls on the east and west sides of the building fell during the storm, leaving just the facade standing. Due to public safety concerns, a decision was made to demolish the remaining walls. No decision has been made as to what to do with the property.
IDO Executive Director Margaret Lawrence Banning noted that the loss of the building wasn’t just the loss of a historic structure, but also a “loss to the neighborhood. It was a key element of our urban environment.”
The building was purchased by a partnership of IHS and IDO late in 2012. The goal was to renovate the building and either sell it or lease it when completed. The building was an attorney’s office, various stores, a drug store, and a post office. It had been vacant for many years before being purchased.
As recently as October of this year, IDO and IHS held fundraisers to bring in money to renovate the building. Banning said that they were carrying debt on the property, but also had the building insured. “We’ll have to see how things work out,” she explained.
As to the future of the corner, Banning remains hopeful. “We hope something will be built there, similar to or better, whether IDO or someone else is building it.”
In the meantime, the community recently celebrated the official opening of the Irvington Lofts apartments, built on the site of the old Indy East Motel.

Applause!: Oct. 11-18

Weekly View — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 05:08:44 +0000

• Fort Harrison State Park will open a dog park with a dedication at 11 a.m. on Oct. 23. The urban setting and available location away from the high use areas of the park make it a good fit. The dog park will be dedicated in honor Indiana Conservation Officer K-9s and their handlers. The park will be located along Fall Creek Parkway.
• It’s the season — not Christmas, but Halloween! — and there’s some great stuff to do all month. Q Artistry begins their Cabaret Poe for a limited time only this weekend at the Irvington Lodge. PLUS, they’ll be having a Monster Concert, a family friendly show with great music, jokes, and much more beginning on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. (tickets are $8 for students & seniors, $10 general admission). PLUS PLUS the Gothic Ball on Oct. 19 at 10 p.m., a costume ball fundraiser for the Q that will feature performances from past Q Artistry shows and special appearances, a silent auction, food and drink, music, dancing, and much more (tickets are $20 or $10 at the door with a purchase of a ticket to Cabaret Poe). Visit qartistry.org for more information.
• Looking forward to the Irvington Historical Society’s chili supper on Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m. SPIRIT Paranormal Investigation Research & Intervention Team conducted a paranormal of the Bona Thompson Memorial Center, and the results will be revealed for the first time at the supper. Our very own Al Hunter was involved, but he’s not talking until the big day. Tickets are $25 in advance, paid to the Irvington Historical Society, 5350 E. University Ave., Indianapolis IN 46219.
• Also looking forward to the opening of An Illiad at the Indiana Repertory Theatre Oct. 16-Nov. 16, based on Homer’s Illiad. For tickets and information, call the IRT ticket office (317) 635-5252.
• The Wheeler Mission recently received a $1 million grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and will begin construction on a new two story 12,000 sq. ft. facility on N. East Street. The facility will be for homeless men.
• The Emerson Heights Neighborhood will be having a Fall Cleanup on Oct. 12 from 9 a.m.-noon. Meet at the corner of Walnut and Dequincey to get the gear. Volunteers are always welcome!
• Did you know the Irving Theatre will be 100 years old on Dec. 3 this year? Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Dale Harkins, the current owner, the Irving remains a vital part of the east side community, hosting concerts and events year round.
• The latest scam to hit the east side is a doozy. An outfit called “Express Couriers” is calling people and asking if they will be home because they have a package delivery that requires a signature. A package is delivered, in fact, with a basket of flowers and wine. The delivery person says they do not know who sent it and they are only making a delivery but does say because the package involves wine, there is a $3.50 delivery/verification charge proving that an adult signed for and received the wine and that he didn’t just leave it on the doorstep where it could be stolen or taken by a minor. It is when the person to whom the gift was delivered offers to pay cash the delivery person says it must be paid by credit or debit card only so that everything is accounted for and so he does not have to carry large amounts of cash on him. He has a little machine for you to swipe your card and you are asked to enter the card’s pin and security number. A receipt is even printed out. People who accept these deliveries and use their card are discovering, within a day or so, that thousands of dollars has been withdrawn from their account at various ATM Machines. DO NOT ACCEPT THESE CALLS OR THE DELIVERIES.

Irvington Annual Ice Cream Social Aug. 4

Weekly View — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 05:10:56 +0000

IRVINGTON — The Irvington Historical Society is throwing its annual Ice Cream Social on Aug. 4 from 1-4 p.m. on the front lawn of the Bona Thompson Memorial Center (inside if it rains). The Bona Thompson is located at 5350 University Avenue (2 blocks south of 5300 E. Washington). Music will be provided by the White River Jazz Band. The event is sponsored this year by Wyliepalooza Ice Cream Emporium in Irvington.
Come out and enjoy cake and ice cream and catch up with friends and neighbors. Proceeds go to support the Irvington Historical Society’s many projects.
Local author Julie Young will be signing her book, The Famous Faces of Indy’s WTTV-4: Sammy Terry, Cowboy Bob, Janie & More.