Article Archives: Building Blocks

Building Blocks is a monthly feature by historian Steve Barnett about historic properties on the east side of Indianapolis.

East Side Field of Dreams

December 24, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

“Don’t forget the batteries,” was probably among the parting remarks from Mrs. Claus to Santa before he made his recent magical yearly trip. For five decades many of the batteries that powered mechanical toy wonders beneath the Christmas tree and ran the cameras that captured memorable holiday moments came from … Read More

Irvington Reads

November 26, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

Nestled in the hillside at 5427 E. Washington Street, on the west front of Indianapolis Public School No. 57, is a one-story brick and glass building that until recently housed the Hilton U. Brown Early Childhood Center. For the past decade and a half, it provided special education services for … Read More

October Windows

October 29, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

With the lengthening shadows of October, Irvington children will make their way to the Washington Street business district with shoeboxes of paint and brushes where neatly taped window spaces await to be transformed into canvasses of haunting Halloween paintings. Among the most sought after windows are the storefronts that extend … Read More

Who Lived in My House?

September 24, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

Previously I wrote about learning the ownership of a house through reading an abstract, but how do you find out who actually lived in the house? The primary source for discovering residents of a house in Indianapolis prior to 1989 is through the pages of R. L. Polk & Co. … Read More

What Can You Tell Me About My House?

August 27, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

Often visitors to the Bona Thompson Memorial Center will ask me, “What can you tell me about my house?” And I’ll answer, “What is your address? There may be a little information or a lot.” One of the best resources for information about a house is contained in the abstract … Read More