Historic Irvington (Indianapolis, IN) Homes for Sale + Historic Irvington (Indianapolis, IN) Real Estate Agents

Historic Irvington Real Estate Indianapolis: Hip, historic, 5 miles from downtown and affordable!

The Indy Beacon Group of Keller Williams Indianapolis Real Estate

When I was still new to Indianapolis I rented a cute apartment on Mass Ave but knew I'd buy a house eventually. I love owning my own house and there was no way I could be an apartment dweller for long.

Irvington real estate Indianapolis When a coworker asked if I'd considered Historic Irvington, I had to admit that I hadn't even heard of the place. Turns out, Historic Irvington is one of the better kept secrets among Indianapolis metropolitan neighborhoods. It's just five miles east of downtown Indianapolis --Michigan, Washington, and New York are the main thruways. Irvington real estate was just a few minutes from the Mass ave neighborhood I was about to leave.

But as close as it is to Indy's skyscrapers, Historic Irvington has a strong small town community vibe. From the neighborhood council to the garden club, members of this urban community are dedicated to making Irvington a great place to live. We found ourselves a 100-year-old Craftsman home with two fireplaces, gorgeous wood floors and an expansive front porch. I've had many homes including a big limestone Spanish Colonial Revival in Bloomington, Indiana but I can honestly say that this house in Historic Irvington is my absolute favorite, and I still can't believe how affordable it was.

Irvington real estate isn't just beautiful, it is priced right.

What makes Irvington historic?

Irvington real estate Indianapolis Irvington was founded in 1870 by Sylvester Johnson and Jacob Julian. One interesting tidbit that's unique as the town itself, Irvington was actually named for Washington Irving, the author of the spooky Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Apparently the town's founders thought that this cozy Indiana community had some of the same qualities as Sleepy Hollow, an identity that Irvingtonians have happily embraced. The more I learned about Historic Irvington real estate, the more intrigued I became.

Halloween is THE big holiday in Historic Irvington, bigger than Christmas! Houses are decked out, adults and kids alike dress in costume, and Washington street shuts down for the annual Historic Irvington Halloween Festival that draws visitors from around the city. And if you happen to see crowds of people led by lantern-bearing guides walking through the neighborhood in the dark, that's the Haunted Irvington Walking Tour, a must-do for anyone interested in the spooky side of Historic Irvington.

Irvington real estate Indianapolis

Historic Irvington was the original home of Butler University and in many ways still has that college town feel. It's a community known for its artists, scholars, and architecture. It has a wide variety of architectural styles, Historic Irvington contains superb examples of every major American architectural style from 1870–1950, including Italianate, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Second Empire, Victorian Gothic and Colonian Revival. Irvingtonians are proud of the fact that we have the only Gustav Stickley designed house in the Hoosier state. Much of Irvington real estate is firmly in the historic tradition, including my very own house!

Historic, but also hip!

The main strip in Irvington stretches down Washington, and includes some terrific restaurants and shops, including Legends (one of my faves), Jockamo's Pizza and DuFours (great breakfast joint - and apparently the site of a John Dillinger robbery!). Homespun and Black Sheep are great little shops -- I snagged a sweet knit hat at Black Sheep last month. Annie's Apparel is a thrift store with prices that rival Goodwill and a cherry-picked selection of nice clothes (check out the $1 jewelry in the back). And if you like beer, a new microbrewery will be opening soon. Roll With It is great for baked goods and soups, and there's no shortage of places to get your hair styled - Snips and Geneva are both terrific.

Ready to look for a house in Historic Irvington?

The Beacon Group of Keller Williams is ready to show you Historic Irvington real estate from an insider's perspective, from the point of view of people who live here and love it. Let us help you find the house of your dreams, or sell your current home so you can move on to the next big adventure of your life!

There are several wonderful one-family homes on the market right now. Call or text us today and let's go househunting! Call Deb or Jamie at (812) 361-8302.

The Beacon Group of Keller Williams believes that home ownership is a positive force for social good. And there's nothing like having a home of your own.

Call or text us today. Let's go househunting! (812) 361-8302.

Irvington Historic District of Indianapolis, Indiana

Cynthia Sloop (Community Association Manager)

Park-like Street Irvington is a wonderful community that is located five miles east of downtown in the western edge of Warren Township. Irvington was originally platted as an independent suburban town in 1870 but was annexed into the City of Indianapolis in 1902. What made this area unique from other parts of Indianapolis was its winding and picturesque streets. Its name being chosen because the area along Pleasant Run was reminiscent of Washington Irving's "Sleepy Hollow."

brick road in Irvington It is interesting driving down the residential streets. They are tree-lined and the street is quite narrow compared to today's standards. The brick is exposed with just reminants of the tar that was once put over them. (So they are uneven and bumpy in areas. That just adds to the charm of this area.)

Irvington is roughly bounded by Pleasant Run Parkway on the north; the northern edge of the B & O Railroad right-of-way, except Rawles Terrace between Audubon Road and Ritter Avenue, on the south; the west curbline of Arlington Avenue on the east; and the western lot line of 5330 Ohmer Avenue, to the west curbline of Ohmer Avenue, to the east curbline of Butler Avenue, to the north side of the Conrail right-of-way, and to the east curbline of Emerson Avenue on the west. (Boundaries pulled from http://www.indygov.org/ website.)

From 1875-1928, Irvington was the home of Butler University. Butler transformed Irvington into a college community atmosphere. While most of the original buildings of the campus are gone with the exception Bona Thompson Memorial Library. (Butler was moved into its present location when it ran out of room to expand in Irvington.)

Irvington is both architecturally and culturally significant to Indianapolis and Marion County. The area contains excellent examples of every major American architectural style from 1870-1950, including Italianate, French Second Empire, Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival. However, Irvington is perhaps best known for its fine collection of Arts & Crafts architecture, including the only known example of a Gustav Stickley designed house in Indiana. There is a 147 page PDF file available called The Irvington Historic Preservation Plan.

Irvington is a very active community. Through-out the year there are several festivals and events held that bring friends and family together to learn more about this community. You will find that there's a very active Garden Club as well as the Irvington Public Library and many of the area churches. The Irvington Garden Club presents annual events to show local gardens, homes, and art. The Irvington Home Tour also allows the public to see the inside of several historic homes. (See post on up coming Home Tours Love Gardening & Tours? Upcoming Greater Indianapolis Home & Garden Tours for June 2007) You also will want to look for the Halloween Tour in October as well as the the 5 mile run in Pleasant Run that takes place in October as well. (Picture of the very tall home is of the Benton House on Downy Ave.)

Beautiful Home

Blue house

Street shot

Architecture Two places you might want to visit while in this area: Pleasant Run Golf Coarse and Ellenberger Park, The park has several of things that you can do there. You will find a skating rink as well as a pool.

Want to read what Irvington Community Bloggers have to say? Visit http://historicirvington.blogspot.com/.

Irvington Map

This map show the boundaries of the Community as well as where some important landmarks are located.

In researching this area for this post, I ran across an interesting article H. H. Holmes in Irvington. It seems that there's a home on Julian Street that is "haunted" and it's a part of the Indiana Haunted House Tours that take place in October of each year. For more information, visit http://www.indianaghosttours.com/.

Look for my post of the Irving Theatre. A place that brings all types of music acts to the area. Considering a move to Indianapolis Area? Visit www.cyndisloop4indyhomes.com for more information.

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