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58-488: The G.C. Murphy Building , better known as "The Murphy" or "The Murphy Building", was built in 1884 and is located at 1043 Virginia Avenue in the historic Fountain Square District of Indianapolis , Indiana , United States. The G.C. Murphy Building was once made up of separate buildings, but was joined in 1951 to become part of the now defunct chain of five and dime stores of the same name. The Murphy Art Center

116-575: A Presbyterian minister and missionary. Sarah Hill Fletcher died on September 27, 1854. Calvin Fletcher, Jr. was married to Civil War nurse Emily Beeler Fletcher, born November 20, 1828, outside of Indianapolis to Joseph Beeler and Hannah Matthews-Beeler. Her grandfather, George Matthews, was the first settler on White Lake Creek in Morgan County in 1820. During the Civil War, in 1863, she

174-583: A banker, farmer and Indiana state senator, purchased a 264-acre (107 ha) farm with Nicholas McCarty, with the intent to "sell the small parcels for a 'handsome advance'". While the early settlement was sparsely populated and primarily residential, the areas surrounding modern-day Fountain Square saw an influx of immigrants, particularly the Irish , who settled near the railroad tracks on South Street. Eventually, this area became known as " Irish Hill ". During

232-490: A board member, and served briefly as its board president in 1855. Shortly before his death, Fletcher made a public appearance in support of a proposed Indianapolis-Vincennes railroad. From 1839 to 1855 Calvin Fletcher owned a 269-acre (109 ha) farm called Wood Lawn, which would later be developed as Fletcher Place . His son Stoughton divided it into lots and developed it into a residential area. The settlement had several residents who made "many contributions were made to

290-406: A minority population of about 6.66 percent. In the 1990s, several neighborhood community organizations joined efforts to revitalize Fountain Square's former commercial center, resulting in the opening of several new restaurants, art galleries, retail and office places, and live entertainment venues. In 1993, local resident Linton Calvert, a local barber and former city bowling champion, helped spur

348-684: A public school teacher. Lister, whose first husband had deserted her and moved to Texas, obtained a divorce and then married Fletcher. In 1855 Fletcher moved his children and second wife into the Alfred Harrison home on North Pennsylvania Street in Indianapolis, leaving the Wood Lawn house to his son, Miles, and his family. Fletcher began his law practice in Urbana, Ohio , and became the first attorney practicing law in Indianapolis. He

406-611: A suit against their enslaver, William Sewall, in which the court ruled in favor of the women's freedom. He joined the Free Soil Party in 1848 and was a member of the Indiana state central committee. In 1852, Calvin Fletcher's long-standing interest in colonization led him to support a State Board of Colonization that would provide state funds to assist blacks living in Indiana to establish a colony in Africa. He also helped found

464-636: A variety of activities to assist his community. Although his own education was limited, he strongly supported the free public school system. In 1851 Fletcher was appointed to the Southeast District as one of three superintendents for the new Indianapolis free public schools. In 1853 the Indianapolis City Council appointed Fletcher as one of the first members of the Indianapolis Board of School Trustees. Fletcher

522-411: A wide range of retail, shopping, church, and social centers. However, the next decade saw the beginning of Fountain Square's demise, as newer more modern developments further south took over Fountain Square's role as the southside's commercial district. The closing of all of the theaters exacerbated its economic and cultural demise. Symbolically, the fountain from which Fountain Square received its name

580-475: Is an arts center located in the G. C. Murphy Building. The Center houses five galleries , 23 artist's studios , a supplier of art materials, an Italian restaurant, an English Pub and a salon/gallery combination. The building is also home to the offices of MOKB Presents and their venue, The HIFI. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to

638-660: Is connected to IndyGo 's bus rapid transit Red Line , which was opened in Summer 2019. Projected to carry 11,000 daily passengers, the Red Line is a 13.5-mile (21.7 km) north–south transit line that connects the neighborhood with downtown and the Broad Ripple commercial district. The neighborhood is also connected to downtown by the Indianapolis Cultural Trail , which is a multi-use trail that

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696-400: Is the only portion of the city outside the initial mile square that has continually operated as a recognized commercial area since the 1870s. Its significance is not only as an early commercial district, but additionally as one developed and dominated by German-American immigrants, merchants, and entrepreneurs, who established a strong German character on the city's southside. From the 1920s to

754-755: The Fletcher Place Historic District in 1982 and the southern part as Holy Rosary-Danish Church Historic District (also known as Fletcher Place II) in 1986. Fletcher Avenue remains a major road in Indianapolis, and has a marked exit from I-65 , although construction of that interstate demolished hundreds of Fletcher Place homes and isolated the remainder from the Fountain Square and Bates–Hendricks neighborhoods. The Indiana Historical Society published The Diary of Calvin Fletcher in nine volumes between 1972 and 1983. Fletcher's entries, which date from 1817 until 1866, describe

812-584: The Republican Party ticket in the 1856 state and national elections. In 1860 Fletcher supported the Republicans in state elections and Abraham Lincoln 's presidential campaign. In 1844 Fletcher helped organize the State Bank of Indiana , in which he acted as the Indianapolis branch's director from 1841 to 1844 and as branch president from 1843 to 1858. He remained active in banking for

870-517: The 1821 Ralston Plan for the new city of Indianapolis. The neighborhood is bordered upon by Bates–Hendricks to the southwest, Fletcher Place to the northwest, and Holy Cross neighborhood to the north. Within its boundaries, it houses the Laurel and Prospect, State and Prospect, and the Virginia Avenue historic districts. Prior to the arrival of Fountain Square's modern-day inhabitants,

928-578: The 1860s, the Virginia Avenue corridor began to emerge as the southside's commercial district. During the Civil War , the 28th Colored Infantry Regiment , which was the only black regiment formed in Indiana, trained at a wooded area at Indianapolis's Camp Fremont, on land owned by Calvin Fletcher. It included 518 enlisted men who signed on for three years of service. In 1864, the Citizen's Street Railway Company extended their mule-drawn streetcar down to

986-480: The 1870s. This development is attributed to the large number of German immigrants settling in the area, which helped to develop Fountain Square's distinctly German character. By 1870, Virginia Avenue was a bustling part of Indianapolis. Due to the rapid growth in population, the area was platted eight times from 1870 to 1873. By 1880, single-family houses made up most of the lots off Virginia Avenue, although they were to be replaced by larger, commercial buildings in

1044-456: The 1950s, Fountain Square was the city's main entertainment district, with as many as seven theaters in operation at one point in time. After the construction of the interstate through Indianapolis, a portion of Fountain Square was demolished, with the remaining neighborhood disconnected from the surrounding areas. After decades of population decline, the neighborhood is estimated to have 9,839 inhabitants. Historic preservation efforts began in

1102-535: The Circle. The Fletcher Place United Methodist Church was built on the site his house. Fletcher helped acquire property to establish Crown Hill Cemetery , a new burial ground at Indianapolis, organized the nonprofit corporation to operate it, and was later buried there. Fletcher had a longtime interest in history. A member of the New England Historical and Genealogical Society , he became one of

1160-526: The Fountain Square Commercial Areas Thematic Resources . 39°45′10″N 86°08′27″W  /  39.75278°N 86.14083°W  / 39.75278; -86.14083 This article about a building or structure in Indiana is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Fountain Square, Indianapolis Fountain Square is the first commercial historic district in Indiana, and it

1218-632: The Fountain Square, Bates–Hendricks, and other neighborhoods. Calvin Fletcher Calvin Fletcher (February 4, 1798 – May 26, 1866) was an American attorney who became a prominent banker, farmer and state senator in Indianapolis , Indiana . In 1821 Fletcher moved from Vermont via Ohio to the new settlement of Indianapolis, where he made his financial fortune. In addition to his business interests, Fletcher

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1276-728: The Indiana Total Abstinence Temperance Society, and in 1863 led the Freedman's Aid Commission. Fletcher and his family also contributed to and participated in the American Civil War . Three of Fletcher's sons served in the Union army. He also supported the organization of the U.S. colored troops in Indiana during the war. The 28th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops used his farm land to train between December 1863 and April 1864. During

1334-750: The Sommer-Roempke Bakery (1909), the Fountain Square Hardware Company (1912), Horuff & Son Shoe Store (1911), Jessie Hartman Milliners (1908), the William H. and Fiora Young Redman Wallpaper and Interior Design business (1923), the Charles F. Iske Furniture Store (1910), The Fountain Block Commercial Building (1902), and the G. C. Murphy Company (1929), are examples of this phenomenon. In

1392-760: The age of seventeen. Fletcher went to Windsor on the Connecticut River , where he worked on several local farms before moving to Royalton and later to Randolph, Vermont , to attend school and work. Fletcher returned home for a brief time then moved to Westford, Massachusetts , to attend school. In 1817, after completing his education at Westford, Fletcher once again set out on his own. With no particular destination in mind, Fletcher traveled south through Connecticut to New York City and Philadelphia , then west through Pennsylvania to Wheeling . Fletcher ended up in Urbana, Ohio , in 1817, where he taught school, studied law under James Cooley (who would become

1450-653: The area was inhabited by the Delaware people , who settled there after they were pushed out of their homeland along the Delaware River watershed. After the Treaty of St. Mary's was signed on October 3, 1818, the Delaware ceded their lands in Indiana, which included a camp site at Pleasant Run , near Fountain Square's modern-day southern boundary. By 1820, the Delaware people were gone. In 1835, Calvin Fletcher ,

1508-400: The city by the lure of the war industries that were operating in Indianapolis. At that time, the majority of the population belonged to the white working-class, without a college education. By 1950, Fountain Square's population had peaked to an estimated 27,242. At this time, Fountain Square was considered "downtown" for the southside areas of the city, offering multiple entertainment venues,

1566-795: The city's poor, serving for years as its secretary. He was also interested in the efforts of the Widows and Orphans Society and active in the temperance movement. Fletcher was known as a very religious man. He joined the Methodist Church in 1829 and provided financial support to assist other denominations build their own churches, thus contributing to help erect almost all early churches in Indianapolis. Fletcher became superintendent of Sunday Schools at Asbury Chapel and Roberts Chapel (after having helped establish those Methodist congregations in Indianapolis), and also attended Wesley Chapel on

1624-639: The county and state. He helped found the Marion County Agricultural Society, becoming its treasurer in 1835 and its president in 1851. In addition, Fletcher was a founder of the State Horticultural Society. Fletcher was an abolitionist like his friend and colleague, Ovid Butler , but unlike his Virginia-based brother Elijah. Calvin Fletcher became Indiana's state colonization society 's manager in 1829. Also in 1829 he represented four enslaved women in

1682-454: The early 1900s, Fountain Square's May Day celebration brought huge crowds into the neighborhood from all over the city to watch the parade and witness the festivities in nearby Garfield Park . Following years of growth and expansion, the neighborhood's population reached an estimated 26,285 by 1930. During World War II, Fountain Square experienced an influx of Appalachian settlers coming in from Kentucky and Tennessee , who had moved to

1740-618: The early development of architecture, religion, commerce, education, and social life in the city of early Indianapolis". By 1852, Fletcher's farms adjacent to Indianapolis's northeast side had increased to approximately 1,400 acres (570 ha). He also owned other farms in Marion County and in Morgan County . He shipped cattle to his brother Elijah Fletcher in Lynchburg, Virginia , which (with real estate investments as well) made both wealthy men. Fletcher actively supported and led

1798-431: The east by State Street, to the south by Pleasant Run Parkway, and to the west by I-65 . It is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of downtown Indianapolis , and covers an area of approximately 1 square mile (2.6 km ). Little remains of the original geographic features of the land. Fountain Square bases a portion its street pattern due to a continuation of the diagonal Virginia Avenue, which came about from

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1856-478: The effects of gentrification , as the average family income has increased 47 percent from 2010 to 2016. Accordingly, the neighborhood's property values have increased, and the number of young professionals moving into the neighborhood has continued to climb. Fountain Square played an important role in the history and development of the city's transportation. Historically, it was the last stop on Indianapolis's Virginia Avenue streetcar line. Today, Fountain Square

1914-475: The election to become his successor. Fletcher was a member of the state sinking fund Commission from 1834 to 1841. He was affiliated with the anti-Jackson and Whig parties. Initially a member of the Free Soil Party , Fletcher was a member of the party's state committee and served as its convention chairman in 1849. In the 1850s Fletcher was a member of the Fusion party and then became active in promoting

1972-738: The first American charge d' affairs in Peru ), and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1820. Fletcher married Sara Hill on May 1, 1821, in Urbana and they moved to Indianapolis in 1821. Arriving in the small settlement nearly penniless, Fletcher became a wealthy lawyer, banker, and landowner. He and his wife had eleven children: two daughters (Maria and Lucy) and nine sons (James Cooley, Elijah T., Calvin Jr., Miles J., Stoughton A., Ingram, William B., Stephen Keyes, and Albert. His eldest son, James Cooley Fletcher , became

2030-399: The following years. In 1889, the first fountain was constructed, giving Fountain Square its name. It was placed because a group of businessmen thought that "if they built a fountain, then maybe the farmers would stop and do business while they watered their animals." Near the turn of the 20th century, Fountain Square saw an influx of many Eastern and Southern European immigrants moving into

2088-412: The intersection of Virginia Avenue with Shelby and Prospect Streets, since the construction of the city's Union Station and its multiple railroad lines had cut the area off from the downtown district. With the location of the streetcar turnaround, local residents nicknamed the neighborhood as "The End". The years following Fletcher's death saw rapid commercial growth for the neighborhood, beginning in

2146-540: The late 1990s, and the neighborhood slowly re-emerged as a vibrant commercial center. Today, Fountain Square is widely considered to be Indianapolis's newest trendy neighborhood, with an eclectic mix of retro architecture and modern, urban design. Although Fountain Square is not officially delineated, the Fountain Square Neighborhood Association's service area is bounded to the north by the railroad tracks north of Deloss Street, to

2204-575: The neighborhood's population. In effect, this had cut Fountain Square's inhabitants off from downtown's social services and the adjacent neighborhoods, further exacerbating its population decline. By 1970, its population was an estimated 19,736, a decline of over 24 percent compared to the previous decade. At that time, the minority population had risen to 6 percent. For the next few decades, Fountain Square's population continued to decline, to 15,941 in 1980—a drop of almost 20 percent as compared to 1970 levels. Between 1980 and 1982, more than $ 3 million

2262-415: The neighborhood's rebirth. Additional factors that have helped to cement the neighborhood's revitalization efforts are its compact and walkable streetscapes, unique building architecture, three historic district designations, its proximity to downtown, and ease of access from the interstates. Upgrades to the neighborhood's streetscape, building rehabilitation, the construction of additional public spaces, and

2320-698: The neighborhood. Fountain Square enjoyed continued growth as the southside's primary commercial district. The opening of the Fountain Square State Bank (1909), the Fountain Square Post Office (1927), Havercamp and Dirk's Grocery (1905), Koehring & Son Warehouse (1900), the Fountain Square branch of the Standard Grocery Company (1927), the Frank E. Reeser Company (1904), Wiese-Wenzel Pharmacy (1905),

2378-576: The original members of the Indiana Historical Society (IHS), founded in 1830. Fletcher's diary, donated to the IHS by his family in the 1920s, is in the IHS collections and provides “a powerful contribution” to understanding life in “the early nineteenth-century Midwest”. Fletcher died on May 26, 1866, after a brief illness and complications from injuries he suffered when he had been thrown from his horse two months earlier. Fletcher

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2436-659: The part-time position and remained in office until resigning in 1833. This was the only elected office Fletcher ever held, aside from his stint as the Marion County prosecutor. Alexander B. Morrison, a veteran of the Black Hawk War who at various times published the Indiana Democrat and Indiana State Sentinel in Indianapolis (and the Indiana Statesman in Charlestown, Indiana , in 1830) won

2494-441: The placement of directional signs that visually define Fountain Square have also contributed to this process. The neighborhood has been the scene of several home renovations on the television series Good Bones . Because Fountain Square has not been delineated in past census counts, there are not any accurate population totals for the neighborhood. The neighborhood's population peaked at an estimated 27,242 in 1950; however,

2552-522: The population dropped dramatically since then, and current estimates have placed that number at around 9,839. Demographic data for the neighborhood reveals a 72 percent increase of average home values from $ 47,000 in 2000 to $ 81,000 in 2013. During that same time period, average rent prices have increased 82 percent, from $ 439 to $ 798. The number of residents with college education has also increased, although poverty rates also increased and average income has declined. Recently, Fountain Square has witnessed

2610-582: The rest of his life. In 1857 Fletcher was an organizer of the Indianapolis Branch Banking Company. In 1863 he joined his son Stoughton, his brother Stoughton, and fellow bankers Thomas H. Sharpe and Francis M. Churchman in organizing the Indianapolis National Bank, which was the second national bank in Indianapolis. Fletcher was a stockholder in the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad as well as

2668-509: The state senate in 1882 and organized the local sanatorium). The Indiana Statehouse has a marble bust of Calvin Fletcher. His former farm, Wood Lawn, was developed after his death into housing for German and Irish immigrants and craftsman, especially during 1890-1920. His home site eventually became Fletcher Place United Methodist Church. The northern part of Fletcher Place was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as

2726-462: The suburbs. In particular, the construction of the I-65 and I-70 interchanges from 1968 to 1971 had a negative effect on Fountain Square's population totals, as many of the neighborhood's multi-level flats and apartments were cleared to make way for the highway. In all, over 17,000 residents were displaced from the downtown areas, 6,000 of which came from Fountain Square itself, totaling 25 percent of

2784-572: The transformation of Fountain Square through his purchase and subsequent restoration of the mostly vacant Fountain Square Theatre building, which up until that point housed a furniture store. With his investment, the neighborhood benefited greatly, with reinvestment efforts that have continued up to this day. In 1999, Indianapolis recognized Fountain Square as one of the city's six cultural districts. The designation of Fountain Square as one of Indianapolis's cultural districts has contributed to

2842-518: The war, Fletcher helped provide aid for soldiers' families, assisted local efforts to welcome returning soldiers home, and served on the city's Sanitation Committee. At the request of Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton , Fletcher purchased arms for Indiana's regiments. After the war, Fletcher contributed to the Freedman's Aid Society. Fletcher assisted the Indianapolis Benevolent Society, a local organization that helped

2900-593: Was also appointed a trustee during the organization of Asbury College which became DePauw University , serving on the college's board from 1837 to 1839 and as its treasurer from 1848 to 1855. Fletcher was also a trustee for the Marion County Seminary and the Indiana Female College (and president of that board of trustees in 1850). Fletcher supported agricultural development and helped organize Indiana's first agricultural fairs in

2958-613: Was asked by Governor Oliver P. Morton to go the front to care for the sick and wounded that were unable to be brought North. She worked in the Nashville and Murfreesboro hospitals, and was a founder and board member of the Indianapolis Home for Aged Women, founded in 1867 to care for transient women. She died in 1910 of nephritis . On November 4, 1855, Fletcher married his second wife, Keziah Price Lister from Hallowell, Maine , who had come to Indianapolis in 1851 to become

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3016-454: Was born on February 4, 1798, in Ludlow, Vermont , the eleventh child of Jesse and Lucy Keyes Fletcher's fifteen children. Fletcher's father, a poor man with a large family to support, still managed to provide his children with a basic education. Young Fletcher attended local schools until the age of sixteen and worked on the family farm. With his father's permission, Fletcher left home in 1815 at

3074-552: Was buried in Indianapolis at Crown Hill Cemetery. Keziah Fletcher sold the Fletcher home on Pennsylvania Street after her husband's death, left Indianapolis, and returned to the East Coast, where she died in Boston on June 10, 1899. Several of the Fletcher children went on to have successful careers of their own, including Presbyterian missionary James Cooley Fletcher and Dr. William Baldwin Fletcher (who would also be elected to

3132-484: Was inaugurated in 2013. An Indiana University Public Policy Institute report on the Cultural Trail estimated a $ 1 billion increase in property values along the route. Fountain Square is home to several notable landmarks and attractions: Fountain Square is one of the main settings for HGTV 's Good Bones , a cable TV series that features a mother and daughter who focus on revitalizing and rehabbing homes in

3190-536: Was invested in Fountain Square. In 1983, three historic districts within Fountain Square were placed on the National Register of Historic Places, spurring a wave of corporate support, city grants, and private donations. In 1984, the neighborhood was placed on the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission's list of adopted districts to focus on area rehabilitation. By 1990, the population had dropped to 13,903, including

3248-505: Was involved in Indianapolis's educational and civic development. After his death, one of his farms (Wood Lawn) was developed into an early Indianapolis neighborhood, and Fletcher Place is now a nationally recognized historic district. Fletcher's diary, published as The Diary of Calvin Fletcher in nine volumes by the Indiana Historical Society between 1972 and 1983, describes a wide range of topics as well as Fletcher's personal interests, acquaintances, and community activities. Fletcher

3306-775: Was prosecutor for the Marion County Circuit Court in 1822 and 1823 and a prosecuting attorney for the Fifth Circuit Court in 1825 and 1826. Fletcher formed a law firm with Ovid Butler , Simon Yandes, and Horatio C. Newcomb . On December 26, 1846, Fletcher and Butler dissolved their law practice and collection business, and Fletcher focused on his farming operations and banking interests. In 1825, voters in Marion County (surrounding Indianapolis) and several surrounding counties elected Fletcher as their state senator. He won re-election to

3364-557: Was removed in 1954 due to traffic concerns, to be returned in 1969 during a wave of revitalization efforts. During the 1960s, Indianapolis, along with the rest of the United States, experienced a great amount of societal upheaval, exacerbated by white flight after construction of the Interstate Highway System enabled many Americans to leave their industrial cities for new housing and shopping options in

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