Homecroft Historic District

The Homecroft Historic District is a national historic district bounded roughly by Madison Avenue, Southview Drive, Orinoco Avenue, and Banta Road in Homecroft, Perry Township, Marion County, Indiana. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[1]

Homecroft Historic District
Houses on Maynard Drive
LocationRoughly bounded by Madison Ave., Southview Dr., Orinoco Ave., and Banta Rd., Homecroft, Perry Township, Marion County, Indiana
Coordinates39°40′12″N 86°7′55″W
Area70 acres (28 ha)
Built byGates, Frank
Architectural styleBungalow/American Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival
NRHP reference No.95001536[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 11, 1996

History

In 1900, the Indianapolis, Columbus & Southern Interurban Company began service on an interurban rail line extending from downtown Indianapolis to several nearby towns.[2] The line ran along Madison Avenue. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, increasing use of the automobile and public transportation led people to relocate farther from urban centers. The Homecroft site, located 4 1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) from downtown alongside the Madison Avenue interurban, was a desirable location for relocation.[2]

In 1923, the Frank E. Gates Real Estate Company bought the land and named the area "Homecroft".[2] The firm consisted of Frank Gates and his son Oliver, and they had already developed several subdivisions in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.[2]

Description

The Homecroft Historic District is typical of 1920s suburbs built for middle-class families.[2] It consists of 63 structures spread over 70 acres (28 ha).[1] Some of the homes are patterned after model houses built by the Gates Company, while others are based on designs chosen by the original lot buyers. The houses are single-family homes; most are of modest size, one or one-and-a-half stories covered with brick or stone veneer.[2] Architectural styles include Bungalow, American Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival.[1]

Sidewalks were run through the area in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration, and the Gates Company planted maples along the streets, which are now mature.[2]

The district has remained cohesive despite the later encroachment of commercial strips along Madison Avenue, and has maintained the feel of a small satellite town.[2]

gollark: Probably was, even.
gollark: Well, it might just have been two other garlands.
gollark: Missed both, though.
gollark: I saw two AP garlands.
gollark: I think they both went through?

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-08-01. Note: This includes Jane Nolan (September 1995). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Homecroft Historic District" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-01. and Accompanying photographs


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