Garfield Park Conservatory - 2505 Conservatory Drive
Year Built: 1913Architecture Style: GreenhouseKey Features: Aluminum Frame European Classical Formal Gardens The Conservatory was originally designed and built in 1913 by German architect George Kessler. Water fountains installation in the Sunken Garden followed a year later. At this time in 1913, there were already 84 flower beds located in the Gardens along with five greenhouses featuring almost 200,000 plant varieties supplying plants for other city parks. See the original conservatory in the black and white image. Deterioration of the Conservatory over time necessitated the construction of the current structure, completed in 1957, which became the first all-aluminum, all-welded greenhouse in America. Local architect David Burns called it a “rigid-frame design,” explaining that pillars and trusses would not be needed, creating far less shadow. Finally, it is also interesting to note that the 26 1⁄2 roof pitch is the same degree as the tilt of the earth.To learn more about the Conservatory and hours, visit here: www.garfieldgardensconservatory.org
Garfield Park Library - 2502 Shelby Street
Year Built: 1965Architecture Style: ContemporaryKey Features: Skylights Stone Construction Low Pitch Roof The library has had two names in its lifetime, Shelby Street Library (1918 thru 1965) and Garfield Park Library (1965 to present).Before the neighborhood was within city boundaries, this area was farmland and not even considered a suburb. The first library (where the empty Chase Bank building stands across the street) started as the Old Shelby Road School. When the neighborhood was annexed into the city, the building became IPS #34. As the neighborhood grew a new school building was erected a few blocks away and the old building became the kindergarten. One of the two rooms became the first Shelby Street Library. Books were acquired from the public-spirited community together with a library deposit station. Because of a large steel mill at Troy and Shelby, there were many books on metalworking, followed closely by books on cooking, dressmaking, carpentry, travel and religion (reflecting the many churches at the time).In 1965 a new library building was erected on Park property. The name was changed to the Garfield Park branch when the 2011 remodel project was finished, converting the conference room into a computer lab. Also, skylights and a rain garden reflect exterior changes. It has one of the highest usage rates in the Indianapolis Public Library system.
Garfield Terrace Apartments- 1112 Finley Avenue
Year Built: 1923Architecture Style: Colonial RevivalKey Features:Brick Construction Wide Porch for Each Townhome Simple, Symmetrical DesignThe Garfield Terrace Apartment Town Homes, built in 1923, are still well-maintained and popular today with access to the Park, IndyGo buses and the Red Line to Greenwood south and north to Fountain Square and downtown.North on Shelby, we would see Firehouse #29, built in 1900 when horse-drawn fire pumpers fought fires in the area, now used as a storage facility. Suding Hardware, opened in 1935, is the last original family-owned business on Shelby St. and is the haunt of the owners of old houses all over town because of its huge inventory and old home knowledge. Sadly, in the 1950s there were thirty-three businesses located in and around the intersection of Shelby and Raymond Streets, thirty-one of them locally-owned. But the widening of Raymond St. in the early 1960s and soon after that the bisecting of the neighborhood by I-65 destroyed both the character and the business corridor of the neighborhood.A new micro-brewery will be opening soon at the site of an old service station and a new bicycle sales and repair shop has opened, also serving coffee and sandwiches, providing small steps toward recovery of the business community.
2364 Shelby Street
Year Built: Circa 1900sArchitecture Style: Single PenKey Features:Squared Frame Construction Double Hipped Roof Brick ChimneyAs you can see on this lot, small houses were built at the rear of a property until the owner could afford to build a large family home nearer the front of the lot. A larger home was never built on this lot, so we can still view the small house at the rear of the property.Here on the corner we see a small dwelling at the back of the property indicative of the common practice in the early 1900s of erecting a small house on newly-purchased land, allowing a family to live on the property until enough cash was on hand to begin the construction of the permanent, larger home.
1026 East Garfield Drive
Year Built: 1914Architecture Style: American FoursquareKey Features:Large, Embracing Porch Hipped Roof Simple AestheticAlong East Garfield Drive, we pass houses of diverse architecture built as early as 1908 to take advantage of the park and Sunken Garden which was planned for completion in 1916. Three houses on the Drive were built by the Schoch family, who moved into the city from a Thompson Road farm. One was built at 1026 East Garfield Drive in 1914 and was occupied by the family until 2006. Another member of the Schoch family ordered a Sears catalog kit home which was delivered by train to Garfield Park in 1923. The house still sits in the 900 block of E. Bradbury St., a block from here, and is still inhabited by a descendant of the family.This home was built in 1914, providing a perfect overlook of the Conservatory, fountains and Sunken Gardens and was occupied by the family until 2006.
Faith Temple Pentecostal Church - 1002 East Garfield Park
Year Built: 1951Architecture Style: NeoClassicalKey Features:Full Height Doric Columns Pediment Small Circular Windows on FacadeEstablished in 1957, the building was originally home to the Sixth Church of Christ Scientist Reading Room. The church was a new, beautiful addition to the neighborhood when it was built in 1951 and now is the home of a joyous congregation, Faith Temple Pentecostal.
968 East Garfield Drive
Year Built: Circa 1900sArchitecture Style: CraftsmanKey Features:Sleeping Porch Shingle Siding Square Footprint Bay WindowsThe home has a sleeping porch on the 2nd floor to catch the breeze on warm summer nights. Many of these homes were origially owned by New Yorkers who lived here in the summer because of the park, gardens, fountains, and conservatory across the street.
965 East Bradbury Avenue
Year Built: Circa 1900sArchitecture Style: CraftsmanKey Features:Tiled Roof Large Second Story Dormer Decorative Roof Brackets Stucco and Brick ExteriorThe tiled-roof house at the Southwest corner of Bradbury Street was built on a half lot. The original homeowner also owned the popular Higgins Restaurant and Gift shop on Shelby Street from 1940 until the 1970’s when I-65 was built.
1002 East Bradbury Avenue
Year Built: 1940Architecture Style: Tudor RevivalKey Features:Full Archway Over Porch Decorative Masonry on Porch PedimentThe brick house on the Northeast corner was owned by the Jardina family, who for decades supported two families with their fruit and vegetable market located in the neighborhood at Shelby and Tabor St.
961 Hervey Street
Year Built: 1923Architecture Style: CraftsmanKey Features:Decorative Timbering Triple Gable Facade Detached Garage with Second Story StudioThe garage at 961 East Hervey Street features an artist studio on the top level. Seven artists who now live in the neighborhood have bought homes with similar studios or added them.
James W. Hervey Home - 945 Hervey Street
Year Built: 1916Architecture Style: Gable FrontKey Features:Large Porch with Slender Column SupportsThe house at 945 Hervey Street has been in the same family since 1942. James W. Hervey, a Union doctor during the Civil War, purchased land in Section 24, township 15 of Marion County in March 1866. He and his wife Eliza engaged in farming and also maintained an orchard on the property. Upon Dr. Hervey's death in 1909, the land passed to his wife and children. By 1914 the land was divided into lots and was known as Hervey's Garfield Park Addition on the south side of the street and St Catherine Garfield Park on the north. Apple and cherry trees were still on the lot in 1950, when Dr. Hervey's daughter, Della Hill, sold the home. Hervey Street was originally known as St. Catherine Avenue from Shelby Street to New Street (South Garfield Dr.). There is a variety of architectures here: Arts and Crafts two-bedroom bungalows with many custom built-ins; two-story Four Squares; and three-bedroom side by side duplexes often inhabited by family on both sides. Many families have lived here for over fifty years.In 1909 St. Catherine Church and school were built on Shelby St., driven by the large Catholic population who had built or purchased homes in the neighborhood. Sadly, the church and school were razed in 1975 to provide land for the construction of I-65, beginning the exodus of many families from the neighborhood.
South Garfield Drive
As the neighborhood flourished many prominent lawyers, business people, and doctors built their homes along East Garfield Drive, originally so named because it was east of the park. We see tiles along the street with that name. Today, the street has been renamed South Garfield Drive.Behind the white house on the Southeast corner was Dr. Roller’s office where he saw patients from the 1930s until the 1960s. Many doctors at the time held office hours in their homes or an adjacent building on their property. It has been rumored that ladies-of-the-night often sought treatment here at Dr. Roller's. Looking north, we see the three-story brick home built in 1925 by civic leader Frank McKinney, founder of American Fletcher National Bank and owner of several other businesses. Mr. McKinney went on to become chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party and then national Democratic chairman and a close friend of President Truman. After moving out of the White House, Bess and Harry Truman evidently stopped in Indianapolis on their drive home to Independence, Missouri. We don't know if it was because they left government service without a nest egg or because they were such great friends of the McKinney family, or both, but they stayed with the McKinney's while here in town.As we walk south on South Garfield Drive, try to visualize across the park several greenhouses that supplied much of the city with flowers. The area has been known for years for its sledding hill and a place to view fireworks on Labor Day weekend.
Cannonball Baker House - 902 East Garfield Drive
Year Built: 1925Architecture Style: CraftsmanKey Features:Decorative Masonry on Porch Tiled Roof Decorative Roof BracketsThis is the former home of legendary pioneering motorcycle and race car driver Erwin G. “Cannon Ball” Baker. His friends called him “Bake.”Born in 1882 in Southeast Indiana, he was raised in a log cabin. His family moved to Indianapolis when he was 12 years old. As a kid Baker worked in factories & once even joined a traveling acrobatic Vaudeville show.But by the early 1900s motorcycle racing was one of the most popular sports in America and Baker fell in love. He bought an Indian Motorcycle, won local races and came to the attention of The Indian Motorcycle Company.He won one of the first races at the newly constructed Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909, a 10-mile race on a treacherous unpaved track. The Motorcycle Company immediately hired him to promote their brand.In 1914 he achieved national fame by riding “The Indian” from San Diego to New York City -- 3,379 miles in 11 days, 11 hours. Like Charles Lindbergh’s Atlantic Ocean Crossing, Baker’s daring solitary run was through deserts, miles of muddy roads and sometimes on railroad tracks. On arrival, a New York reporter called him “Cannon Ball” after the famous Casey Jones train; it stuck, and Baker copyrighted his new nickname. He went on to set numerous speed and distance records across America’s early unpaved highways.Louis Chevrolet recruited and Henry Ford promoted his 1922 Indy 500 race car entry. He had mechanical problems and came in 11th. But by then his career was in full speed.Many automobile and racing companies, like Indiana’s Stutz Motor Company, sought him out to test their cars for reliability and to promote their brands. Baker’s motto was, “No record, No money.” But he always delivered. In 1927 promoting a Buick truck he carried two tons of Atlantic Ocean water from NJ and 6 days later poured the water into the Pacific Ocean near San Francisco, California.NASCAR named him its first Commissioner at its founding in 1947, he served until 1960. He accomplished 143 cross country runs, logged 48,000 test miles on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track, and traveled 5.5 million miles in his lifetime. Motorcycle enthusiasts still celebrate his Cannonball Runs. It was full speed ahead across America’s open roads.Baker built this house 1925 and lived with his wife Eleanor and son Sherman. Sherman tragically died of a tooth infection at the age of 14. Cannon Ball sadly was on the road at the time. Baker married a second time when his wife died of a stroke while they traveled back from California on vacation.He loved Garfield Park and he tinkered in the garage here. He received a U.S.patent by inventing a “Gas Engine Fuel Economizer.” He thought the device would make him a million bucks. It didn’t. He also developed a single-cylinder rotary engine for his motorcycle and rode the bike across the country in 1941.He loved sitting on his porch calling the neighborhood kids over to tell them about his numerous adventures. He died in 1960 of a heart attack and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery. He was later inducted into several motorsport halls of fame.To learn more about the historic marker, visit here: https://www.in.gov/history/markers/4381.htmTo learn more about Cannonball Baker, visit here: https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/history/people-of-ims/indianapolis-500-drivers/eg-cannonball-baker
Garfield Park Amenities
Here we see, on the hill past the parking lot, the Garfield Park Arts Center, site of art and other cultural classes and constant art exhibits and entertainment. The building, once known as the Shelter House, was for many years the site of indoor sports programs led by the officers from the Police Athletic League (PAL Club) which taught fundamentals and life skills to thousands of area youth. It also was used as the entrance to the original swimming pool (now the parking lot) and it housed animals from a small zoo in the wintertime. It also housed the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. Looking up the hill we see the 1903 Japanese-style Pagoda designed as a bandstand and for dancing.Looking slightly left, we see the MacAllister Center, an amphitheater built in 1920. It housed the original Starlight Musicals and is currently the site of Shakespeare in the Park, annual visits by the ISO, free concerts each Thursday night in the summer, and frequent additional concerts sponsored by the Park Department and/or the Friends of Garfield Park (FOGP). The FOGP raised $370,000 for recent improvements of the Center.
Former Site of Civil War Monument
Year Built: 1912This monument lists the names of the 1,616 Confederate soldiers who died in captivity at Camp Morton and whose bodies were not returned home to their families. Camp Morton was a prisoner of war camp in Indianapolis during the American Civil War. In 1912, the federal government commissioned the monument for Greenlawn Cemetery on Kentucky Avenue, where the soldiers were buried. However, when Greenlawn Cemetery closed in 1928, the bodies were relocated to Crown Hill Cemetery and Congress approved the relocation of the marker to Garfield Park, after a study of potential sites. Given recent events, there is an ongoing discussion with the community, City-County government, and the Parks Department about the future of this monument. It is fenced off to prevent further damage or vandalism. This monument was removed and destroyed on June 8, 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2020/06/08/indianapolis-protests-confederate-monument-dismantled-garfield-park-indiana/5317785002/To learn more about the Confederate monument controversy, read this article from historian Dr. Paul Mullins of IUPUI: https://paulmullins.wordpress.com/2020/06/08/memory-making-and-civility-removing-the-garfield-park-confederate-monument/?fbclid=IwAR3-NODYWSDcn4yWAEpYIaadr5cHB9wf63SebwPAoR-QBAnH7p7UQas1DUU
Charles Yoke Home - 869 Southern Avenue
Year Built: 1865Architecture Style: NeoclassicalKey Features:Large Double Porch Supported by Brick Columns Large Central Bay Window Fish Scale Siding on DormerThe Yoke family farm property stretched from the north Southern Avenue, east to Shelby, south to Troy Avenue and west to East St. Richardson Yoke bought the property from Thomas Moore who pioneered into the area in the 1830’s, because the property reminded him of the land he left in County Armaugh, Ireland. On two occasions Yoke took bags of gold to the Moore home in Illinois, where the 1820’s purchaser lived, to pay for the land. The Yoke family sold part of the property to the railroad in the mid 1840’s.Eventually, the Yoke children inherited the property and began building their homes in the 1860’s. This includes the 1865 Charles Yoke home that the family built at 869 Southern Avenue, now owned by Page and Russ Clemens.Interesting fact: Georgiana Yoke, a granddaughter of Richardson and Isabel Yoke, is a direct descendant of the Yoke family and became the wife of well-known serial murderer Henry H. Holmes (The Devil in the White City).West on Southern is the first rail line to enter the city of Indianapolis, the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad.Streetcars traveled south on Shelby St and turned west onto Southern Ave, the southernmost destination. This was the mode of transportation to the park used by many visitors of the time. It also spurred interest in buying property for a home as lots could be purchased at the time for $25 and could be paid for at $1/week. Partial brick pillars still stand marking the path of the streetcar turnaround in the park.This is the last home on our tour! Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis and Indiana Landmarks thank you for joining us! Consider taking one of the other free and informative tours on PocketSights!If you have yet to tour the Garfield Park Sunken Gardens and Conservatory, we encourage you to take the opportunity today!
