Golden Hill Historic District (Indianapolis, Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Golden Hill Historic District
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Houses in the 1200 block of Golden Hill Drive
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 Location in Indianapolis
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by 36th St., 37th St., Governors Rd., the rear lot lines behind Golden Hill Dr., and Central Canal, Indianapolis, Indiana |
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| Area | 56 acres (23 ha) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001163 |
| Added to NRHP | August 29, 1991 |
Golden Hill is a special and historic neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana. It's known for its beautiful homes and overlooks the White River. This area is located on the west side of Indianapolis. It is bordered by Clifton Street to the east and the White River and Central Canal to the west. To the south is 36th Street, and to the north is the Woodstock Country Club.
Golden Hill is famous for its grand houses. Many of these homes were designed by well-known architects from the city. They show off different styles of old-fashioned architecture. The neighborhood was carefully planned and is still a private area for important families in the city. Golden Hill was officially recognized as a historic place in 1991.
The land for Golden Hill was first mapped out in 1872. However, it stayed empty for many years. Then, between 1900 and 1907, a rich businessman named David McLean Parry bought a large piece of land here. It was about 100 acres (40 hectares) on a hill overlooking the White River. The neighborhood got its name from Parry's own estate, which he called Golden Hill. A Scottish landscape architect named George MacDougall designed the beautiful gardens for his estate.
After Parry passed away in 1915, his family decided to develop the area further. They hired MacDougall again to plan a fancy neighborhood with winding streets and green spaces. This new area was called Golden Hill Estates. By the 1920s, it became one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Indianapolis.
Fifty-four large homes were built along Golden Hill's winding, tree-lined streets. Most of these homes (all but eleven) were built between 1915 and 1940. This time period is important for the neighborhood's history. The oldest house in Golden Hill dates back to 1895. One very unique thing about Golden Hill was an Alaskan totem pole that once stood near the Parry estate. A street called Totem Lane is named after this special landmark. This totem pole was one of fifteen collected from villages in Alaska in 1903. They were shown at a big fair in Saint Louis in 1904. A copy of the Golden Hill totem pole can now be seen at The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis.
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Discovering Golden Hill's Past
Golden Hill was mapped out in 1872, but it remained undeveloped for many years. This changed when David McLean Parry, a wealthy businessman, bought land there between 1900 and 1907. Parry was the president of the Parry Manufacturing Company in Indianapolis. He wanted to build a new home there.
How Golden Hill Got Its Name
Parry named his large private property "Golden Hill." A Scottish landscape architect, George MacDougall, designed the beautiful grounds for Parry's estate. This estate covered about 100 acres (40 hectares) of woods and rolling hills. It also had lovely views of the White River.
Developing a Special Neighborhood
After Parry died in 1915, his family decided to continue developing the land. They hired George MacDougall again. He planned an elegant new neighborhood with curving streets and pretty green spaces. This area was meant for the city's wealthy families. Parry's family divided his land into smaller plots, and the new development was called Golden Hill Estates in 1915. The first plots of land in this new neighborhood sold for $2,000 to $3,000 each.
Golden Hill's Rise to Fame
By the 1920s, Golden Hill was one of the most important neighborhoods in Indianapolis. Other famous areas included Woodstock, Crows Nest, and Williams Creek. Out of the fifty-four grand homes built in Golden Hill, most of them (all but eleven) were constructed between 1915 and 1940. This time period is very important to the historic district.
The homes in Golden Hill were designed by many of the city's top architects. They show off a variety of classic architectural styles. The neighborhood is also known for its excellent community planning.
Who Lived in Golden Hill?
Besides the Parry family, who lived there until 1941, many other important people lived in Golden Hill. These included Dr. and Mrs. George H. A. Clowes, William B. Stokely (who led Stokely-Van Camp, Inc.), and William A. Atkins (from E. C. Atkins and Company). Homes in Golden Hill often stayed within families or were sold to close friends. They were rarely put up for sale to the public until the early 1990s. Today, the Golden Hill Historic District is still a special place for prominent families in Indianapolis. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Exploring Golden Hill's Location
Golden Hill is a historic neighborhood located on a high ridge overlooking the White River. It is on the northwest side of Indianapolis, about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) from the city center. This quiet neighborhood has gently rolling hills.
Golden Hill's Boundaries
The neighborhood is bordered on the east by Clifton Street, which is west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. To the west, you'll find the White River and the Central Canal. Thirty-sixth Street is its southern border, and the Woodstock Country Club (just south of Thirty-eighth Street) is its northern border. The eastern edge of the historic district is next to Bertha Ross Park. This park helps hide the neighborhood from the busy traffic on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Homes and Surroundings
The large estate homes in Golden Hill are set along winding, tree-lined streets. They are on private properties, giving the area a secluded feel. The neighborhood just south of Golden Hill (south of Thirty-sixth Street) has smaller homes. Many of these homes are built in the Bungalow and American Foursquare architectural styles.
Special Features of Golden Hill
Golden Hill is still a residential neighborhood with large estate homes. It has a park-like setting with neatly kept lawns and gardens. The historic district includes fifty-four estate homes. Eleven of these homes were built outside the main historical period of significance, which is from 1904 to 1940.
The Oldest House
The oldest home in the neighborhood was built in 1895. It was originally a farmhouse for the surrounding land. Later, it was changed into a large home in the Neo-Classical style.
David Parry's Estate Home
The neighborhood gets its name from David M. Parry's estate, which he called Golden Hill. His large home was built in 1904 on a high spot overlooking the White River and the Central Canal. It has an American Craftsman architectural style with some Tudor Revival features. William A. Atkins bought this home and its 4.5 acres (1.8 hectares) of land in 1927. The Atkins family made the home even bigger, to 21,000 square feet. They owned it until the 1960s. After being empty and falling apart, the home was beautifully restored in 2012.
Other Unique Homes
Many of Indianapolis's best architects designed homes in Golden Hill. These include Frederick Wallick, Pierre and Wright, Burns and James, and Foltz, Osler and Thompson. The homes in the district show off many different architectural styles. You can see Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, French Eclectic, Italian Renaissance, and Spanish Mission Revival styles.
One home on Governors Road is special because of the materials used to build it. It was constructed around 1936 using concrete blocks to make it fireproof. The outside of this home is covered in stucco.
Golden Hill's Historic Entrance
Golden Hill has a stone bridge, a gatehouse, and stone entrance gates at Thirty-sixth Street and Totem Lane. These features are part of the original Parry estate and were built around the early 1900s. They were designed by MacDougall when he first planned the landscape. The stone walls and gatehouse are built in the American Craftsman style, matching the Parry home.
The Story of Totem Lane
Totem Lane in Golden Hill is named after a totem pole that used to stand on the grounds of the Parry estate. This totem pole originally came from the Haida village of Koianglas, Alaska. It was a gift to Parry from his friend Russell E. Gardner from Saint Louis, Missouri.
This totem pole was one of fifteen that Alaska's governor, John Green Brady, collected from villages in southeastern Alaska in 1903. Fourteen of them were displayed outside the Alaska pavilion during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in Saint Louis in 1904. The totem pole that ended up at Golden Hill was broken during shipping. However, it was repaired and displayed outside the Esquimau Village during the fair. Thirteen of these poles were later returned to Alaska and placed in the Sitka National Historical Park. One was sold to the Milwaukee Public Museum, and Gardner bought the one he gave to Parry.
The totem pole was a famous landmark in Golden Hill until 1948. By then, it had decayed and fallen down during a storm. It was then removed, and no parts of it are known to exist today. The spot where the totem pole stood in Golden Hill is now marked by an Indiana Historical Bureau sign. A stone and bronze monument also marks its former location on the Parry estate. A copy of the Golden Hill totem pole was put up on April 13, 1996. It was first on the front lawn of The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, and later moved inside the museum.
