Pogue's Run Tunnel
Pogue's Run is an urban creek that starts near the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Lennington Drive on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana, and empties into the White River south of the Kentucky Avenue bridge over that river. At the stream's intersection with New York Street just east of downtown Indianapolis it enters a double-box culvert conduit through which it flows underneath downtown Indianapolis. It is named for George Pogue, who, along with John Wesley McCormick, were among the first settlers in what would become the city of Indianapolis.When Indianapolis was laid out, only Pogue's Run running diagonally across the southeast portion of the "Mile Square" disturbed the orderliness of the grid pattern. Alexander Ralston had to make compromises due to the stream's location within the congressional donation lands given for the future Indianapolis. Before the state government could be moved to Indianapolis from Corydon, fifty dollars was spent to rid swampy Pogue's Run of the mosquitoes that made it a "source of pestilence".Beginning in 1914 and finishing in 1915, a project referred to variously as the "Pogue's Run Drain" and the "Pogue's Run Improvement" led to the stream's submersion beneath downtown Indianapolis from New York Street on the east side to the White River on the west side of the city. The removal of Pogue's Run from the visible landscape in the Mile Square cost well over one million dollars. A number of factors influenced the decision to cover over Pogue's Run, including the economic and human costs from decades of violent flooding, public health risks from diseases, and the stream's unsightly and unpleasant smell due to years of sewage and industrial pollution. The sewering of Pogue's Run also paved the way for railroad track elevations, which alleviated congestion on Indianapolis' ever busier roads.A project named "Charting Pogue's Run" marks where the creek once ran in downtown Indianapolis. A blue line, made of thirty permanent steel medallions and a semi-permanent blue thermoplastic line, "meanders" across roads and parking lots. The blue line's location shows that Pogue's Run now lies under both Lucas Oil Stadium and Bankers Life Fieldhouse.https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/networks-and-councils/public-art-network/public-art-year-in-review-database/charting-pogues-runIn popular cultureThe movie Twice Under (1987) about a Vietnam veteran "tunnel rat" terrorizing a city was partially shot in the underground portion of Pogue's Run between New York and Washington streets. The underground portion of Pogue's Run is a significant feature in Ben Winters' 2016 book, Underground Airlines, and in John Green's 2017 book, Turtles All the Way Down.
Lost Dog Gallery
Established in 2018 this art gallery offers both First Friday and private art showings. Artists studio spaces are also available for rent.For more infomation visit https://lostdoggallery.com/
Highland Park
The 4-acre neighborhood park is one of Indianapolis’s oldest and is set in one of its most venerable communities. The area we now know as Marion County was originally inhabited by the Delaware tribe of the Miami Nation. The United States government entered into a land treaty with the Miami Nation in 1819. Three years later, a tract of land spanning from today’s New York Street at Oriental to Highland Street was deeded to Casey Ann Pogue. Casey, a relative of George Pogue, who is regarded as one of Indiana’s earliest white settlers, and the man for whom Pogue’s Run is named, sold the land to the state’s fifth governor, Noah Noble, in 1832.Governor Noble built a large mansion called Liberty Hall near the intersection of E. Market and N. Pine Streets. He lived there with his wife and children until his death in 1844. Governor Noble left 80 acres of land to his eldest daughter Catherine. Catherine’s daughter, also named Catherine, and her husband George F. Miller built their residence, Highland Home, on the land. The Governor’s widow lived with her daughter’s family until her death in 1874. Daughter Catherine sold Highland Home to the city of Indianapolis in 1898 on two conditions, the house must be demolished, and the land where it stood would become a park. The bricks from Highland Home were repurposed to build attractions in Garfield, Brookside, and Riverside Parks. A forty-nine foot fountain was erected where Highland Home was once located. In 1955 the city made plans to sell Highland Park. Noah Noble’s great granddaughter, Valette Miller White, launched a campaign to save the park. She wrote a newspaper article , decrying the loss of “a piece of dedicated land, nearly as old as the city itself.” Thanks to the efforts of White and the residents of the Holy Cross Neighborhood, the city voted to retain Highland Park.Though the Highland Park fountain no longer stands, visitors can enjoy other amenities, such as a playground, paved walking trails, and a picnic shelter. But the park’s most spectacular feature is the view of downtown that is provided by Indianapolis’s second highest elevation. The quaint Holy Cross Neighborhood is experiencing a rebirth, as a group of developers seek to build sustainable housing around the park. As this community’s next chapter begins, its rich history is maintained in Highland Park.
Rad Brewery mural
This mural designed by artist Brent Aldrich and painted by Lilly employees in 2013 depicts the area along the waterway throughout the decades.The artist traveled only a few blocks from his Englewood home to design a colorful mural on the Rad Brewery wall. The painting depicts George Pogue, an early settler for whom the stream was named, and the transformation of the neighborhood through time.In conjunction with this project, workers from Eli Lilly transformed this area alongside Pogue’s Run creek into a destination for walkers, joggers and bicyclists, ripping out invasive plants; painting a large, colorful mural; building uniquely artistic community benches; giving a face-lift to a rundown storage building; and laying the foundation for a future trail that the city soon will pave.
Vermont Street Bridge mural
Painted in 2019 by Brandon Miller who developed the concept to make the current concrete bridge look like an open metal bridge.
Streamlines: Tamed Water sculpture
StreamLines: Tamed WaterCategory: Outdoor Sculpture; TemporaryCollection: Butler University; Reconnecting to our WaterwaysMedium type: Mixed Media; SteelDate: 2015In 2015, the urban artist Mary Miss designed the project City as Living Laboratory which created a series of installations for StreamLines along five major waterways in Indianapolis. The installations consist of clusters of mirrors and red beams which radiate out from a central point to nearby streams and waterways. The installation was intended to get visitors to follow the beams to the nearby waterways.StreamLines was an interactive, place-based project that merged the sciences and the arts to advance the community’s understanding and appreciation of Indianapolis’ waterways. This work was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation and was modeled on the City as Living Laboratory/FRAMEWORK. StreamLines featured a collection of installations along Indianapolis’ waterways and adjacent greenspaces inviting the community to learn, explore and experience the science of local water systems through visual art, poetry, dance and music. StreamLines was administered by the Center for Urban Ecology at Butler University. For more information, visit http://www.streamlines.org or on social media as @StreamLinesIndy.The theme for the site at Pogue’s Run was “Tamed Water” and explored water infrastructure. Topics at the site included precipitation, infrastructure, impervious surface, combined sewer, buried stream and grey water.Water is crucial to the functioning of our cities: for transport, drinking, and industrial uses. But it can be a nuisance as well, such as during a flood. We have designed elaborate ways to direct water where we want it and redirect unwanted water to build towns and cities unimpeded by streams or rainfall. One of the most extreme examples in Indianapolis is at Pogue’s Run, a former woodland stream that has been partially diverted into an underground tunnel for over a mile before it spills into the White River west of downtown, so that the grid of city streets and buildings could be built over the stream.Mary Miss has been redefining how art is integrated into the public realm since the early 1970s. Miss’ work crosses boundaries between landscape architecture, architecture, and urban design. Her vision favors site-specificity and human perception over traditional concerns of the public monument. Miss received her BA in 1966 from UC Santa Barbara and her MFA from the Rinehart School of Sculpture in 1968.Mary Miss has won numerous awards, including the 2001 New York Masterworks Award for the Framing Union Square project, the Centennial Medal from the American Academy in Rome in 2001, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Washington University in 2000. She has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Resident Artist at the American Academy in Rome and a recipient of several New York State Council on the Arts grants and NEA grants.
Rad Brewery
With over 20 beers Rad Brewing relaunched the previous Flat12 Bierworks in 2019. Rad Brewing Co.'s mission is to support and promote alternative ways of getting active with a portion of the profits going to youth athletics. Rad Brewery beers will be themed after a sport or athletic activity and each label will highlight on a rotating basis different local, national, and international businesses, teams, and individual athletes. Both brewpub guests and online shoppers looking to support Rad’s mission can expect expanded options of merchandise including apparel for dogs as well as outdoor gear and athletic accessories.The initial list of community-based activities planned at the Rad taproom will include walking and running groups, yoga, boot camp, gaming tournaments and leagues such as cornhole, ladder golf, spikeball, and fowling, just to name a few. The taproom also plans to host frequent viewing parties of a variety of sports from around the world as well as other weekly activities like karaoke.“I believe that everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” said Wuerfel. “I’ve seen sports change people’s lives and I believe in the positive lessons they teach – teamwork, communication, perseverance, accountability, work ethic. There have never been more ways to find that community and support than there are today – whether it’s on a team or as an individual. Through Rad I think we can build a place that makes it easier for both kids and adults to find the community they need.”For more information visit https://radbrewingco.com/
Smoking Goose Meatery
Indianapolis natives Chris and Mollie Eley opened a butcher shop and specialty food market in the Fall Creek Place neighborhood in 2007. Based on the relationships with farmers and the recipes that Chris developed behind the butcher counter, this family business opened the Smoking Goose in 2011.Using old world craft and new world flavors, Smoking Goose makes over 40 varieties of slow cured and smoked meats, salumi, and sausages in small batches. All Smoking Goose recipes begin on the farm. Working with farmers in Indiana and neighboring states who raise their animals as nature intended, Chris and the Smoking Goose gang still seam butcher by hand and cure without compound nitrates. Producing this way takes more time, more effort, and more patience.Chris and Mollie's unwavering commitment to quality, flavor, and humane, sustainable farm partners has earned Smoking Goose nods from Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, New York Times, James Beard Foundation, Good Food Awards, and more.For more information visit https://www.smokinggoose.com/
Spotts Garden Service
Established in 2002 by lifelong gardener Terry Spotts, Spotts Garden Service works to create earth-friendly gardens that reflect the people who live and play in them. Terry, the founder and owner, grew up in a family that owned and operated floral shops across Northeast Indiana. It wasn’t until his freshman year of high school, however, when a particularly phenomenal biology teacher ignited his deep-rooted fascination with plants.Then in 2002, needing to step away from corporate America, Terry started Spotts Garden Service. Spotts mowed many lawns for its first 5 years in business. With each passing day the craft and service of gardening became the priority of the business. In 2017 Spotts moved their business to the Holy Cross neighborhood.Working closely beside landscape industry, Spotts likes to think of the garden as an extension of your home. It should reflect your personality, your interests, and be functional in a way you can enjoy and maintain with ease. Ultimately, it should connect you with the pleasures of nature that vitalize your life. Whether that’s harvesting bouquets to fill your home, fresh vegetables to cook with, or simply a peaceful space to commune with nature. We’re more than just gardeners. We provide the opportunity to reclaim your outdoor space.For more information visit http://www.spottsgardens.com
King Dough Pizza
King Dough was born from being part of owners Adam and Alicia Sweet’s successful family of restaurants in their home state of Arkansas. They craved having a space that was a bit more theirs and started King Dough initially by putting a clay-top over the back of a truck bed and running it as a food truck.Along with the original location in Bloomington, IN, they opened this location in Indianapolis’ Holy Cross neighborhood in 2018.Their focus is on high-quality food, great service, and having a cozy little neighborhood spot to hang with friends or family. Offering a selection of wood fired hand crafted pizzas ranging from vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free pies, to classic favorites. Sized at 14-inches, they are big enough to split with a friend, or to take home leftovers all to yourself. Appetizers include house-made meatballs, fried calamari, wings, which offer great pairings to the pizzas. They also prepare seasonal desserts in house. Everything is made fresh, in-house, daily. Craft cocktails, wine, & beer are also offered.For more information visit http://www.kingdoughpizzas.com/
Urban Temple
Urban TempleCategory: Outdoor SculptureCollection: Cottage Home Neighborhood AssociationLocation: 507 Dorman St, Indianapolis, IN, 46202Medium type: Metal; Stone/Marble; WoodDate created: 1992Urban Temple was a community-designed project, meant to serve as a gateway to the Cottage Home neighborhood on the Near Eastside. It forms the centerpiece of a small park. The benches, stone circle, and sculpture are all elements of the artwork. The three vertical elements of the sculpture, connected at the top, symbolizes the unified spirit of the community.
Ruskaup-Ratcliffe House
Built in 1892 this Dutch revival house has a grand turret. Frederick Ruskaup hired Vonnegut & Bohn to design his Queen Anne/German Renaissance Revival home at 711 Dorman.In the late 1880s, Ruskaup also had fellow German Americans Vonnegut & Bohn, who were prominent local architects, to design a series of two-story shotgun doubles across the street at 702-716 Dorman.
Ruskaup Grocery/Tavern
What is now Cottage Home neighborhood had been platted less than a decade when Ruskaup purchased a lot at 715 Dorman Street. In 1875 he constructed a two-story brick grocery store with second-floor living quarters for his family. Were it not for strict rules forbidding commercial buildings in Woodruff Place in the 1870s, this grocery store might not have landed on Dorman Street. According to family legend, recent German immigrant Frederick Ruskaup wanted to build his grocery store in the newly developed exclusive Woodruff Place, but when his request was denied he purchased land and built his brick store two blocks west of the United States Arsenal (today Arsenal Technical High School).Business was good and he doubled the size of the building in 1885, adding an L-shaped addition to the north and east, and started a tavern that would operate until Prohibition. His family lived upstairs until about 1892 when they moved into their new brick house next door designed by architects Vonnegut and Bohn. At that time the family’s living space above the store was converted into four apartments. The store featured a meat market, bakery, and a delivery service. Older residents recalled that the tavern had a sample room in the back for women (since proper ladies were not seen in bars) and a side door where customers, including children and women, could “rush the growler,” meaning they had their tin buckets and cans filled with beer to go. The grocer allowed customers excessive credit and when they could not pay up he made them sign over their houses. By the time of his death in 1901 Ruskaup had built and acquired over a dozen rental houses, including five Vonnegut and Bohn designed doubles across the street, and was one of Marion County’s top property tax payers.From 1875 though the late 1950s three generations of Ruskaups operated the grocery. Son William H. assisted by his mother Mary, took over the operation in 1901 upon Frederick’s death. William’s sons grew up in the business.Henry H. Luedemann, a relative of Mary Ruskaup, operated the neighborhood tavern and pool hall in the south half of the building until Prohibition, then he offered candy, ice cream, and soda. Luedemann managed the bar and confectionery for over 55 years, working well into his 80s and rarely missing a day of work.After the Ruskaups closed the business in the late 1950s, the building was used as a pool hall and storage for Hogue Construction and Cliff Mills Caulking. Windows were boarded up and the decorative brackets removed. After sitting vacant for over two decades, owners John Dugger and Becky Garland began restoration of the building in 2007 with a new roof, replacement brackets, and interior stabilization. A façade grant from LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) partially funded the restoration and replacement of windows and doors.
Cottage Home Community Space
The Cottage Home Neighborhood Association spent years raising funds to build a shelter in their community space. The community space and shelter is open to the public, but can be rented out for private events.https://cottagehome.info/events/community-space-rental/
Paramount School Cottage Home
Opened in the fall of 2020, the Paramount Cottage Home school building began its life in 1905 as a painting facility and repair shop for Indianapolis trolley cars. Succeeding occupants included Mayflower Moving, followed by St. Clair Press, and P & M Associates. Paramount Schools of Excellence invested $10 million to purchase and convert the 55,000-square-foot former industrial building to serve students in kindergarten to fourth grade. It offers a curriculum which continually connects theory with practical, integrated experiential learning activities.Rottmann Collier Architects designed the project, and Keystone Corporation was the lead contractor. Paramount has two other schools, Paramount Brookside and Paramount Englewood, located in Indianapolis Near Eastside neighborhoods.For more information visit http://www.paramountindy.org
Dorman Street Saloon
The Dorman Street Saloon has a long and fabled history in Cottage Home Neighborhood on the near eastside. Variously known as Anacker’s Tavern, the 9th Street Tavern, The Mahogany Bar (shortened to “The Hog,” a nickname still used today), May’s Lounge, and currently The Dorman Street Saloon, the bar has been a favorite watering hole on its corner at Dorman and Ninth Streets for at least 80 years.The bar started out as a house. Joseph Rieger, a German-born railroad carpenter, applied for a building permit for this house in late 1871. In 1900 he lived in the two-story frame house with his daughter and her photographer husband.When the house became a tavern is hard to pinpoint, but it was probably in the 1910s when the Frederick Miller Brewing Company bought the property, which by then had been expanded and converted into a grocery store. Miller Brewing Company owned many small taverns throughout the country including several in Indianapolis. This all came to a screeching halt in 1919 when Prohibition was enacted and Miller sold the building in January 1920. The store was a grocery, restaurant, and ice cream parlor in the 1920s and ‘30s, changing management every few years until Clarence O. and Amelia Anacker took over from about 1930 until at least 1945. Persistent rumors exist that the bar was frequented by John Dillinger, who robbed the nearby Massachusetts Avenue State Bank on September 6, 1933. Some even heard that he sat in the bar/grocery while he planned the heist.After the Anacker’s left in the mid-1940s, the bar was managed by several different people and suffered a fire in 1956.The saloon features a Rookwood tile bar that reportedly came out of the Old Greyhound Bus Station which was formerly the Interurban Depot. The bar’s tiles were made by architectural ceramic artist Ernest A. Batchelder, an important Arts and Crafts Movement tile designer who worked in California. The earth-toned tiles feature animals and date to between 1914 (when he opened a large factory in Los Angeles) and 1932 when the factory closed due to the Depression.For more information visit http://dormanstreet.com/bar/
Roberts School Flats
Roberts School Flats boasts an impressive and relatively unknown past. Built in 1936, it was funded with grant money from the post-Depression era Public Works Administration’s New Deal and generous donations from its namesake, local philanthropist, James E. Roberts and his wife, Henrietta. Roberts School Flats is truly a surviving piece of Indianapolis history. Once on Indiana Landmark’s 10 Most Endangered Buildings List, this twentieth-century landmark has been given new life by Core Redevelopment.Designed in an “Art Moderne” style and designed by local (Indianapolis) architects McGuire and Shook, the “James E. Roberts School #97” was truly a state of the art building. It was the first school to be designed for Indianapolis children with physical handicaps, and it is obvious the architects were creative, thoughtful, and thorough in their design details.School #97 was state of the art and had many adaptations and amenities that were simply unheard of in the 1930’s for a school, including spaces for occupational therapy, physical therapy, home economics, industrial arts, and a “rhythm room”. Such innovative features also included a hydrotherapy pool, an impressive interior wheelchair ramp system, a sun deck, and even an elevator! This school was truly one of a kind for its time and aimed to create an accessible environment for Indianapolis’s special and previously neglected children.School #97 served the city’s children with physical handicaps for 50 years. As policy change finally allowed mainstream classrooms to incorporate all children, regardless of their abilities, School #97 became an IPS Key School and then Horizon Middle School. IPS closed School #97 in 2006 with plans to demolish the building.As a company devoted to restoring and preserving Indianapolis’s historic gems, Core Redevelopment fought to save this one of a kind building. School #97 has lovingly been maintained and re-imagined into 33 incredible apartments, now to be known as Roberts School Flats. The features that made this building initially one of a kind, have been restored and carefully retained, so as to honor the school’s historically unique past.
Prosser House
This charming little house was built by a decorative plaster craftsman in 1886. Englishman William Prosser (b. 1834) immigrated to America with his three young children, Jennie, Percy J., and William, Jr., in 1870. William’s wife died about this time and he remarried and settled in Indianapolis by 1880. He is consistently listed in directories as a plaster worker or molder and in 1888 he, along with his son Percy J., a plasterer and sculptor, worked at the Indianapolis Terra Cotta Company. It’s not surprising that when he built his house at 1454 E. Tenth Street he applied his trade and made it much more ornate than the average small home of the era.Luckily, the Historic American Buildings Survey “HABS” documented the house in 1958. The HABS report states that the front room of the house, which was Prosser’s studio, was a later addition made of plaster block. The original, central part of the house was constructed with wood framing. The whole house is covered with stucco scored to look like stone blocks.Prosser applied decorative elements such as corner quoins, dentils, and ornate gable vents. Decorative gable vent, dentils, and brackets on the east side of the house. The living room ceiling features a center medallion and a geometric pattern. A grapevine pattern is featured in the decorative plaster ceiling cornice in the living room.Plaster workers did not get a lot of credit for their work, so we know few of the Prosser family’s projects. The son Percy J. Prosser lived in the 900 block of Oriental Street and his stucco house survived into the 1980s but was razed due to its poor condition. The Oriental Street house had crudely-carved plaster lions on either side of a fireplace. It also had an octagonal-shaped stucco outhouse stood in the back yard and it was unusual since it was a three-holer.William Prosser lost much of his fortune because of union troubles while finishing the interior of the Claypool Hotel in Indianapolis. He and his family then moved to New Orleans and Florida where they continued in the plaster business. After the Prosser family left Indianapolis around 1904, their home was occupied by only a few people. Today the house is in the Windsor Park Neighborhood and East Tenth Street area which are in the midst of a revitalization.
Circle City Industrial Complex
Constructed in 1918, The Circle City Industrial Complex (CCIC) was the original home to the Schwitzer Corporation, a major auto industry force during the post-World War I era. The Schwitzer Corporation's founder, Louis Schwitzer was an automotive pioneer who was responsible for significant improvements in cooling, hydraulics, and the development of the turbocharger. He was also a race car driver, famous for winning the first ever race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which then was a five mile, two-lap race held on August 19, 1909.After the Schwitzer Corporation closed in the early 1990s, portions of the building were redeveloped to accommodate non-industrial uses, such as offices and artist studios.Teagen Development purchased the CCIC in 2015. At that time, the property was ailing, with fewer that 40 tenants and years of deferred maintenance. Over the next several years, Teagen stabilized the property, adding more than 100 tenants and performing long overdue repairs and updates to make the building viable again.Today, the 450,000 square foot “northern” portion of the building (from Centerpoint Brewing to the northeastern end), is nearly 100% occupied. Tenants in this area include Indianapolis’ largest artist community, wood shops, metal shops, not-for-profits, small businesses, warehousing and distribution, and more. The original factory footprint- the “southern end”- built in 1918, is undergoing complete redevelopment and will house restaurants, retail, high end office space, a performance venue, and more.Learn more about this property at http://www.circlecityind.com/plan-your-visit
Fletcher Park
Fletcher Park was platted as a park space by the Fletcher Family in the 1860s, when they were developing their farmland into residential neighborhoods and is one of Indianapolis' oldest continuously used park spaces. By 1870, the City had acquired the parcel. And its original name was "Brookside Park". In the early 1900s, the park became known as "Fletcher Place Triangle" and joined Spades and Brookside Parks as part of the east side chain of public parks that follow our local waterway, Pogue’s Run. As a part of his sweeping "Parks and Boulevard System" plans, George Kessler did a minor redesign of the park but maintained the original path locations, fountain and trees. True to Kessler’s plan, the park works as both an entry point to the near eastside parks and a natural gathering spot for neighbors. In 1980, the Indianapolis Parks Department transferred ownership of Fletcher Park to the Switzer Company (which occupied what is now the Circle City Industrial Complex). After the Switzer Company closed the park changed hands multiple times. With each new owner, the park fell further into disrepair. Fortunately, the city had covenants on the property which saved it from inappropriate development and protected the hardscaping and large trees.In April of 2013, Windsor Park Neighborhood Association (WPNA) became the new owner and steward of Fletcher Park, as part of a collaborative agreement between The National Bank of Indianapolis, East 10th Street Civic Association (now defunct) and WPNA. The National Bank of Indianapolis graciously agreed to donate the park parcel to the neighborhood, under the condition it be kept open to the public as a park. During the negotiations to assume ownership, WPNA successfully applied for an IPL Project Greenspace grant through Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) and work began immediately to return Fletcher Park to a usable, active community space utilizing both new and historic design elements. A large bed of native Indiana plants, the Native Field, was added as a part of Lilly Day of Service and with the help of neighborhood volunteers, thousands of native forbs and spring-flowering bulbs were planted. With the help of KIB and the Arts Council and with input from the neighborhood, Fletcher Park obtained its first piece of artwork, Andrew Severns' Sundial-Flatland, which was inspired by both the geometry of the park, a 3-4-5 triangle, and the tradition of solar timepieces as a way to mark the passage of hours and seasons. In 2014, the neighborhood added some upcycled picnic tables (donated by RecycleForce), planted the center beds and built a fire pit. 2015 saw the construction of the Pogues Run Trail and a massive environmental remediation and the replanting of the Native Field.The first leg of the Pogues Run Trail connects the park and the neighborhood to Spades Park, the Spades Park Library, the Cultural Trail, the Monon Trail, 10th Street and Mass Ave. It provides a connection point between the business and industry in the CCIC building and the residential neighborhood.
Sundial-Flatland sculpture
Sundial-FlatlandCategory: Outdoor SculptureCollection: Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc. and The Arts Council of IndianapolisLocation: Fletcher Park, IndianapolisMedium type: Steel, PlexiglasDate created: 2013Artist Andrew Severns inspiration for this sculpture was the geometry of the triangular shaped Fletcher Park. The shape of the park is near exact to the 3-4-5 Pythagorean triangle. “This particular shape has many interesting properties. Each side can be measured as a rational number, and the shape allows for a substitution rule, meaning the shape can be subdivided into smaller self-similar shapes, and then sub-divided and divided again. I had decided to ‘play’ with this geometry a bit as inspiration for the monument.”The monument is a triangular shaped object with rounded corners to imitate the shape of Fletcher Park as can be seen from an aerial view. The shape is constructed of a steel frame, which is then subdivided into smaller and smaller self-similar triangles by welding smaller steel frames in-between. The steel structure is powder coated white and houses panels of Plexiglas in different colors and sheens to create a mosaic sculpture which is illuminated by its surroundings for an almost magical effect.Many different types of Plexiglas are used including clear colored, translucent colored, and mirror colored in greens, teals and purples. This creates 3-way interaction between the viewer, the monument and the surrounding environment. Some of the panels are completely see through, some are opaque and backlit by the daylight while others will be a reflective mirror surface. When driving or biking along, the monument sparkles with life, appearing different at each viewpoint. Additionally, the shadow of the sculpture is its own colorful element by projecting daylight through the colored translucent panels, changing with the time of day and seasons.The triangle itself stands 8 feet high, spanning 6 feet. The structure is mounted upon a concrete base elevated 1 foot from the ground. Accounting for the concrete base, the monument stands about 10 feet above ground level making it easily viewable from the road.
Spades Park Library
Indianapolis Public Library Branch No. 6, also known as Spades Park Library, is a historic Carnegie library located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was built in 1911–1912, and is a two-story, "L"-shaped, Italian Renaissance style masonry building on a raised basement. It has a terra cotta tile hipped roof, decorative brickwork, limestone accents, and elements of American Craftsman and Arts and Crafts style decorative elements. It was one of five libraries constructed from the $120,000 the Carnegie Foundation gave the City of Indianapolis in 1909 to be used towards the construction of six branch libraries. The library remains in operation as the Spades Park Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library.The Spades Library underwent an extensive restoration in 1987. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Grid Currents sculpture
Grid CurrentsCategory: Outdoor Sculpture Collection: Reconnecting to our WaterwaysLocation: 1800 Nowland Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46201Medium type: MetalDate created: 2016Through a partnership with Williams Creek Management funded by the Kresge Foundation, Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW) worked with local artists and community members to create rest stops that give people a chance to pause and see the power of art and the beauty on the Near Eastside. Led by artist Eric Nordgulen, students from Herron School of Art and Design, a team of professional artists, local residents, and stakeholders collaborated on the design and implementation of public art installations centered on waterway issues and inspirations. Grid Currents, created by Herron student Kevin Bielicki, is inspired by the aerial view of Pogue’s Run and its intersection with people and the park.Kevin Bielicki is an Indianapolis-based artist inspired by forms found in nature. Bielicki received his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Delaware and is currently working on a master’s degree in sculpture from Herron. Bielicki is interested in the progressive qualities of botanical forms and how they find ways to grow despite many obstacles. His most recent works exploit tree rings to explore time, history, and space.
Stone Lantern - Spades Park
Stone Lantern (Spades Park Rest Stop)Category: Outdoor SculptureCollection: Reconnecting to our WaterwaysLocation: 1800 Nowland Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46201Medium type: Steel; Stone/MarbleDate created: 2016Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW) is an effort by local artists to highlight the Pogue’s Run Waterway in Brookside Park. The Spades Park Rest Stop is one of three sites along Pogue’s Run funded through ROW. Led by artist Eric Nordgulen, students from Herron School of Art and Design, a team of professional artists, and local residents and stakeholders collaborated on the design and implementation of public art installations centered on waterway issues and inspirations.Greg Hull’s sculpture, Stone Lantern, allows for a place of meditation and contemplation as visitors explore their relationship to the waterway. In three locations around Pogue’s Run, these sculptures use linear elements of steel to geometrically frame and position the riverbed boulders. Because they are elevated above the ground, visitors can reflect upon the stones’ considerable weight and the impact that wind, water, and the passage of time can impose on this material. This work invites visitors to listen to the sound of water washing and tumbling over stones. This element can be explored by scanning a QR code embedded in the base of the sculpture, connecting visitors with an audio link to the sound of a nearby section of Pogue’s Run.Greg is an installation artist and sculptor, originally from Richmond, Indiana. He received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and his MFA from the University of Delaware. Currently residing in Indianapolis, Greg is an Associate Professor of Sculpture at the Herron School of Art and Design.For more information about the artwork, see: http://www.indianacharterschool.com/For more information about the artist, see: http://www.greghull.com/
Watermark - Spades Park
Watermark (Spades Park Rest Stop)Category: Outdoor SculptureCollection: Reconnecting to our WaterwaysLocation: 1800 Nowland Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46201Medium type: Glass; Mixed Media; SteelDate created: 2016Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW) is an effort by local artists to highlight the Pogue’s Run Waterway in Brookside Park. The Spades Park Rest Stop is one of three sites along Pogue’s Run funded through ROW. Led by artist Eric Nordgulen, students from Herron School of Art and Design, a team of professional artists, and local residents and stakeholders collaborated on the design and implementation of public art installations centered on waterway issues and inspirations.Eric Nordgulen’s installation, Watermark, is derived from aerial maps and is used as a visual signpost to locate the Rest Stop Art project sites for Pogue’s Run Creek and Trail. The artist looked at the contours of rivers and creeks, as well as the grid patterns of the city, and used these forms as inspiration to define the edges and the openings of the steel plates. Placed on top of the sculpture is a symbol for water (H2O) to emphasize the importance of our waterways and the condition of our environment.Participants and members of the community can use the five storage cabinets to display information relating to the location, community, history, and environment. Other possibilities for display include works of art, written stories, and special projects. These items can be rotated as needed.
Spades Park
This 31-acre neighborhood park is one of the Windsor Park neighborhood’s most picturesque features. Spades Park was named after Michael H. Spades, who made his fortune in real estate. In 1898 he donated six acres of land straddling Pogue’s Run to the city and funded the construction of a shelter house and a bandstand on the property. Two additional acres were added to the park in the following years.The park more than tripled in size in the early 1900s as part of George Edward Kessler’s Park and Boulevard System. The original eight acres grew to thirty-one as the land between there and Brookside Park became incorporated into Spades Park.Kessler believed that part of the joy of a day in the park was the journey to and from. His plan called for Parkways connecting the city’s green spaces. Brookside Parkway winds around Brookside and Spades Place Parks’ north and south borders, providing park goers with a scenic route through the city’s Near Eastside. Inside the park, concrete bridges cross Pogue’s Run, allowing visitors to travel to both sides of the park with ease. The Pogue’s Run trail, a 2.3 mile pedestrian path, starts at Rural Street, wanders through Spades Park, and reaches its terminus at Brookside Park. While wandering through Spades Park, note its modesty. Even the playground equipment is a subtle green and tan color scheme that blends in with the surrounding trees. Though the park is just a few blocks from downtown, it feels far-removed from the rest of the city. Spades Park may appear to be an untouched landscape, but in truth, Indianapolis residents enjoy the beauty of these grounds thanks to careful urban planning and the help local volunteers.Feast of Lanterns FestivalEach year in late summer, Spades Park hosts the Feast of Lanterns. The event is hosted by the Lanterns Foundation. The festival dates back to 1908. Visitors are invited to listen to live music, enjoy delicious food, and soak up the last of the season’s halcyon days. For more information visit https://indyfol.org/
Chinquapin Oak Park
Chinquapin Oak ParkCategory: Mosaic/Wall ReliefCollection: Keep Indianapolis BeautifulLocation: 2319 Nowland Ave, Indianapolis, IN, 46201Medium type: Ceramic; ConcreteDate created: 2016In 2016, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful’s IPL Project Greenspace transformed a vacant lot in the Springdale neighborhood into a place of honor for one of Indianapolis’ oldest trees, a chinquapin oak dating back about 300 years, complete with a historical marker and neighborhood storytelling about what the oak has “seen.” In conjunction with the pocket park, and with independent funding, the neighborhood commissioned two artists to create works highlighting different aspects of the initiative.Sculptor Nick Gehlhausen, a Springdale resident, created a hillside installation using pieces of a neighbor’s old concrete patio. The piece resembles roots, and aligns well with the base of the chinquapin oak tree (the Nowland Oak) at the space. The intention of the piece is to also help draw attention to the place, create awareness of the need for tree root protection, and connect with how the tree was preserved.Mosaic tile artist Barbara Zech created two different designs for sidewalk markers to help people find the pocket park and, once there, to help welcome visitors. The smaller markers are embedded into sidewalks and run for two blocks along Nowland Ave. and Brookside Parkway S. Drive, allowing visitors to discover another large, even older (about 450 years old–likely the oldest in Marion County) chinquapin oak tree in the neighborhood called the Temple Oak.
Spades Park Bird Sanctuary
When you’re out for a stroll in Spades Park, listen carefully for the sounds of wildlife. Spades Park is a designated Bird Sanctuary. The park is maintained by the Indy Parks Land Stewardship Team to provide an optimal habitat for both local and migratory birds. Depending on the time of year, you might spy a Yellow Throated Warbler, Carolina wren, Chickadee, or red-tailed hawk amongst the trees. A two-acre area has been designated as a protected prairie which serves as a home for ground-dwelling animals like rabbits and chipmunks.
Nowland Avenue Bridge
The Nowland Avenue Bridge was designed and built in 1903 by nationally renowned engineer Daniel B. Luten, based in Indianapolis. It’s the oldest remaining Luten bridge in Indianapolis and an early example of the patented Luten Arch. Steel rods encased in concrete under water connect the bottoms of the arch to stabilize it, like a string keeps the wood of a bow taut. This allows the bridge to be lighter and less expensive to build while maintaining stability — a Luten hallmark. The graceful curve of the arch was influenced by the City Beautiful movement of the early 20th century to build structures that were attractive as well as functional.Unfortunately, the Nowland Avenue Bridge is a historic landmark that has been neglected and deteriorating for decades. The bridge has deteriorated to the point it is becoming impassable. It is also impeding completion of the 5.3-mile Pogue’s Run Trail, which lies directly along its route.Because of this, Pathway’s Over Pogue (POP) a grassroots group of Near Eastside neighbors formed in the summer of 2017 to advocate for the repair of the historic Nowland Avenue Bridge. In 2018, the POP campaign raised over $40,000, which was matched by $30,000 from the Central Indiana Community Foundation for a total of $70,000. In addition, Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW) contributed another $70,000 through a Cummins Foundation donation. $140,000 was more than enough to pay the $80,000 needed to design the repair of the Nowland Avenue Bridge. The design was completed by engineering firm RQAW in May 2020, which estimated cost to repair at $524,000. Now that the design is done, the second phase of fundraising has begun to raise the money needed for the repair.There is an urgency to raising the funds because, the longer the delay between design and repair, the more expensive the project becomes and the more POP’s hard-earned $80,000 spent for design will be chipped away. Permits will need to be reapplied for and the bridge will continue to deteriorate which can increase the amount of work needed and potentially require reanalysis of the repairs. For more information about POP and the crusade to save the historic Nowland Avenue Bridge visit https://popindy.org/
Paramount School Brookside
SchoolFounded in 2010, Paramount School Brookside was the first of three Paramount schools. The Paramount Schools use an integrated research-based curriculum to maximize each child’s potential against measurable standards. Every student has academic performance goals with the expectation of improvement in each content area.Paramount works to make students and communities thrive. The schools’ innovative academic approach is focused, supportive and proven. The curriculum continually connects theory with practical, integrated experiential learning activities. The foundation of Paramount’s hybrid educational design incorporates technology, with irreplaceable teacher interaction and experiential learning opportunities. Paramount’s education framework and hardworking staff have proven to be a successful combination.For more information visit https://brookside.paramountindy.org/Peace ParkThe Paramount Peace Park was conceptualized in 2011 by Tommy Reddicks. At the time, Tommy served as the School Director for Paramount School of Excellence (PSOE). With help from Andrew Brake, Tommy applied for an IPL Project Greenspace grant through KIB to begin removing invasive plants and "thinking big" about the potential for a park. Six years later, the project reached completion, opening as an accessible landscape of thriving beauty, art, and wonder on May 7, 2017. With a mission-based focus on TURN (Transforming Urban Neighborhoods), PSOE believes in the power of art as an active component of "place-making". And, with this artistic space open to the public year round, local residents and visitors to the area will have an opportunity to experience this hillside revitalization in a very transformative way.With a hanging capacity of over 25 art and music pieces, the Paramount Peace Park is designed to celebrate tree canopies through canopy-level art and music. And, in an effort to promote a more walkable community, the park is an open invitation for the neighborhood to explore, reflect, and recharge.Visitors to the park will find a multitude of tree faces, hidden crystals, kinetic sculptures, small and large wind chimes, mobiles, and permanent art installations. The park is also 100% handicap accessible via the East entrance along the alley.While the park is currently open to the public, additional art installations are always underway. And, with annual attrition from weather and wind, there will be a regular rotation of art for viewers to enjoy. This will keep the space in a constant state of dynamic change, offering an ongoing artistic evolution.
Paramount School Brookside Rest Stop
Paramount School Brookside Rest StopReconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW)Pogue’s Run: A Reason to PauseUnder the direction of Eric Nordgulen from the Herron School of Art + Design, five local artists have come together to highlight the Pogues Run Waterway in Brookside Park. Each installation is designed to give pause and reflect on the importance of the waterway. Installed on the grounds of Paramount School of Excellence, the installations create an ongoing artistic landscape spanning nearly two city blocks. The Paramount Peace Park is the central hub for the rest stop, providing elevated viewing decks, picnic tables, resting benches, and a recycled stone bench for public access along Brookside Parkway South Drive between Parker and Dearborn streets (along Pogue’s Run in Brookside Park). Within the shaded forestry of the Peace Park, one can view Watermark, Stone Lantern, History of Magic in the Midwest, and Indy Curves. Beyond the Peace Park, the art continues heading East, including the Resting Benches (Blocks) and the Floral Excerpts (flower sculpture). Other installations along the same hillside include History & Preservation, and TURN(2016). The Paramount Rest Stop is one of three sites along Pogue’s Run funded through Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW). Led by local artist Eric Nordgulen, students from the Herron School of Art + Design, a team of professional artists, and local residents and stakeholders collaborated on the design and implementation of public art installations centered on waterway issues and inspirations. ROW is a grassroots initiative, funded in part through the Kresge Foundation and Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), designed to reclaim the benefits of Indianapolis' waterways; to provide opportunities for physical, human, and economic development. As of June 11, 2016, the ROW Rest Stop Art is open to the public year round and can be accessed along Brookside Parkway South Drive.For more information about each piece and the artists visit http://www.paramountpeacepark.com/row-art.html
Brookside Park
Brookside Park is one of Indianapolis’s oldest parks. In 1863 the United States government built an Arsenal on 75 acres just east of the city. The sudden influx of workers at the Arsenal, coupled with the expansion of streetcar service outside the boundaries of downtown, caused a population boom on the Near Eastside. Before the entire area could be divided into residential lots, the city purchased hundreds of acres from the Calvin Fletcher family for $25,000 in 1870. One hundred and eight acres were dedicated as Brookside Park in 1898. The land didn’t realize its full potential until urban planner George Edward Kessler developed his Park and Boulevard System a decade later. Kessler took advantage of the scenic beauty on the north side of the park by leaving this area wild and undeveloped. The flatter, southern portion would be used for sporting fields.This 108-acre community park has a pool and spray park which are popular destinations for families attempting to beat the heat. Kids can enjoy the playground while their caregivers prepare lunch at a nearby picnic shelter. Those looking to engage in a bit of friendly competition will find tennis courts, horseshoe pits, football, baseball, and soccer fields, basketball hoops, and an eighteen-hole disc golf course. If you’re seeking an escape from the fast pace of city life, the north side of the park holds quiet, wooded nature trails adjacent to Pogue’s Run, a tributary of the White River.
Brookside Park Community Center
Kessler’s plan called for a community center at Brookside Park, but he passed away in 1923 before completing the plans. The city commissioned architectural firm Harrison & Turnock to design the building in 1927 and the next year, Brookside Park Community Center opened its doors. The architects used a classic design style that mimicked the bridges and columns found throughout the city along the Park and Boulevard System. Though quite stunning, it does not overshadow the natural beauty surrounding it but instead blends effortlessly into the landscape.Inside, the Brookside Park Community Center is truly an architectural marvel. It features arched doorways, tall windows, and intricate stone work.
Brookside Park Disc Golf Course
Established in 1992, the Brookside Disc Golf Course is one of the most challenging courses in the Indianapolis area. More length than most of the other area courses, with old growth trees, creeks, walking paths, and roads that require accuracy as well as power off the tee. There are short tees on holes 1, 9, and 16.
Pogue's Run Art & Nature Park
At this point the Park can be accessed by going around either side of the fenced gate. The main entrance is at 2300 Dequincy St. which is located on the east side of the park.Along the hustle and bustle of I-70, on the Eastside of town, rests Pogue's Run Art and Nature Park. The park began as the Pogue’s Run multi-purpose project. Construction began in august of 1995 and was completed by January of 2003. This project was designed and constructed by the City of Indianapolis, Christopher B. Burke Engineering and Gradex, Inc.The Pogue’s Run basin was conceived as a part of a comprehensive plan to catch and retain water during major flood events and prevent it from reaching downtown Indianapolis. The basin covers 45 acres and serves the Pogue’s Run watershed, an area of about 13 square miles. During a 100-year flood event, approximately 6 inches of rain will fall on the Pogue’s Run watershed, equaling nearly 925 million gallons of water. During such an event, this basin can hold enough water to fill tanker trucks stretched from here to Memphis, TN. This facility was built to prevent the kind of damage caused by flood events such as the one in 1993 when the upper banks of the Mississippi River overflowed resulting in billions of dollars in damages.Since its completion in 2003, the Indy Parks and its partners have worked to develop this project as an interactive park featuring temporary and permanent installations of art along the recreational trail. This project showcases the City of Indianapolis and the Indy Parks commitment of bringing public art into city neighborhoods. The first phase involved the design concepts from the Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) Herron School of Art and Design. Students designed and built the benches and environmental art pieces installed in this special environment to enhance the experience of Pogue’s Run Art and Nature Park visitors. Local artists Aaron Lewis, Abigail Dean, Brent Lehker, Mike Lyons, and Nate Garvey also contributed sculptural projects to this park.The Art & Nature Park is a nice place to go to go for a hike or spend a little time with nature. The hiking loop is about 1.5 miles around and is fairly level. The park is a bird sanctuary as well. You can see geese, ducks, and hawks. You might find a snake, an amphibian, or other creature that creeps the earth. In the middle of the eastern most pond, there is an island that is off limits to park visitors, yet close enough to be seen from the shore.
