We are meeting at the JWR Museum home at 7:00 PM for a brief presentations (15 minutes) You are welcome to shoot before or after the presentation.
Neighborhood Walk – Lockerbie. New member Jay van Santen is webmaster for Historic Urban Neighborhoods Indianapolis and will be our expert guide for tonight’s photo shoot
Lockerbie Square is a quiet residential area that abuts the eastern edge of the “Mile Square,” Indianapolis’ downtown business core. With beginnings in the 1860’s, it is rich in history and charm, with tree-lined streets, a mixture of charming homes from small cottages to Victorian mansions,.
After laying out the city’s center, in 1821, excess land was sold to developers for residential neighborhoods. Lockerbie Square became the first of such neighborhoods. After the Civil War, craftsman desiring proximity to work purchased smaller lots and built cottages, near wealthier families’ grander residences, one the home of James Whitcomb Riley. Religious organizations, such as the original St. Vincent Hospital, established themselves.
The late 1800s and early 1900s saw a peak of neighborhood vitality, prior to industrialization and migration from the urban center. Revitalization of the neighborhood led to the formation of local historic preservation groups in the 1960s. Lockerbie was a placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
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All participants must furnish a PVCC Release and Waiver of Liability Form each year.
PVCC – HUNI PHOTO WALKS
PVCC is initiating, on a trial basis, walks of historic urban neighborhoods of Indianapolis (HUNI). The first two are scheduled on the 2nd Thursday of the month during the summer. They will give members another opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, during the cherished “Golden Hour” of the day.
Our first walk takes place on April 14 in historic Lockerbie Square, the neighborhood east, just outside the Mile Square. James Whitcomb Riley lived in the neighborhood, which has undergone a fascinating history, parallel to that of Indianapolis, for 200 years.
Marjorie Kienle will meet us at the James Whitcomb Riley home, 528 E Lockerbie Street, at 7PM. She has arranged with the Riley Museum Visitor Center – immediately east of the home -- for our group to have exclusive use of the parking lot there as well as any spaces on the street signed “Museum Parking.” Parking is restricted to residents in the neighborhood, so feel free to take advantage of this.
Members are welcomed to arrive ahead of time and tour the neighborhood before 7. Marjorie will speak for about 15 minutes about the neighborhood and its history before letting us tour on our own.
Marjorie is a long time resident of the neighborhood. She served as the first President of the Lockerbie Square People’s Club, and reprised that role several years ago. Professionally, she was a speech language pathologist for over 40 years, and has served in the IU School of Medicine and on the faculties of IU and Purdue. She also is the managing partner of James T. Kienle & Associates – an architectural firm that specializes in preservation. Some James’ projects include the renovation of Circle Theatre, the Madame Walker Theater, the James Whitcomb Riley Visitor Center, as well as the State government office buildings earlier in his career.
We are pleased to have her interpret the neighborhood for us.
If you’d like to take a more structured walk before or after, feel free to visit the PocketSights tour which you can download onto your phone