Article Archives: Building Blocks

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

The Irvington Group

May 25, 2023 | by Steven R. Barnett

Indy’s art scene today is vibrant. Numerous venues exhibit the works of many local artists and local galleries give patrons an opportunity to add contemporary and vintage art to their collections. Public art may be seen in the city’s open spaces and on the walls of buildings large and small. … Read More

Camp McClellan

April 27, 2023 | by Steven R. Barnett

While the joyous celebrations of Easter were quickly fading into memory, the promise of Spring with the burst of blooms in orchards, the budding of trees, and the carpet of wildflowers in the woodlands continued to lift the spirits when the Crisis finally broke on April 12, 1861 with South … Read More

Nature Calls

March 23, 2023 | by Steven R. Barnett

You’re on the go and nature calls — where to go to go? That is the question. More than a century ago a newspaper article observed, in all “American cities, practically no provision is made for ‘public comfort stations’ outside of saloons. Department stores provide these ‘for customers only.’ Hotels … Read More

Breaking the shackles

February 23, 2023 | by Steven R. Barnett

In the long ugly history of race relations in the United States, there have been a lot of bad actors and finger pointing. Many of the heroes of our nation’s founding and formative years are found to have feet of clay and their role in slavery is a topic everyone … Read More

A Column of Newsprint

January 26, 2023 | by Steven R. Barnett

For decades alongside the columns of news in Indianapolis papers readers could find stories of human interest and opinion written by a variety of nationally syndicated columnists. In 1928, the Indianapolis Times introduced journalist Heywood Broun whose daily column “It Seems to Me” took readers “behind the scenes of every … Read More