Oldfields facts for kids
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Oldfields (Josiah Kirby Lilly Jr. House)
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Oldfields in 2011
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 Location in Indianapolis
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1200 W. 38th St., Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
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| Area | 32 acres (13 ha) |
| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | Davis, Lewis Ketcham; Olmsted Brothers |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000676 and 03001041 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 15, 2000 (original) July 31, 2003 (increase) |
| Designated NHLD | July 31, 2003 |
Oldfields, also known as Lilly House and Gardens, is a large, historic home and gardens in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It covers about 26 acres and is now part of Newfields. This amazing estate shows what "country houses" were like in America during the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 2003, it was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
The house was built between 1909 and 1913. Architect Lewis Ketcham Davis designed it for the family of Hugh McKennan Landon. They lived there until 1932. Then, Josiah K. Lilly Jr. bought the estate. Lilly was a well-known businessman, collector, and generous person from Indianapolis. He updated and expanded the estate a lot during the 1930s and 1940s. He changed the inside of the house and added new buildings.
Today, the main house is called Lilly House. It has 22 rooms and has been carefully restored. You can visit it to see how the Lilly family lived in the 1930s. Lilly's children gave the Oldfields estate to the Art Association of Indianapolis in 1967. Now, it makes up a big part of the Newfields campus. The gardens and grounds are also very special. They are a rare example of a preserved landscape designed by Percival Gallagher from the famous Olmsted Brothers firm.
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A Look Back: Oldfields' Story
Oldfields began as part of a new area called the Town of Woodstock. Hugh McKennan Landon and Linnaes C. Boyd created this suburban neighborhood around 1910. It was just north of Indianapolis, near the Crown Hill Cemetery and the White River. The area had homes, a water reservoir, and a country club. Landon kept about 26 acres for his own home, Oldfields, which was finished around 1913.
In 1932, during the Great Depression, Josiah K. Lilly Jr. bought the estate. Even though times were tough, Lilly started many projects to update and expand the property. He added a new library, changed the main staircase, and updated the front entrance. He also added a special entryway that lined up with the long path leading to the house.
In the 1950s, Lilly redecorated some rooms to match the styles of that time. He removed bookshelves and repainted walls to display his growing collection of portraits. An artist named Douglas Riseborough painted murals in the stair hall and a covered porch area. These murals showed scenes from the gardens and grounds. Most of these changes were later updated, but you can still see the mural of the long path in the covered porch area.
In 1967, after Lilly and his wife passed away, their children, Ruth Lilly and J.K. Lilly III, gave the estate to the Art Association of Indianapolis. It became the new art museum. The house was called the "Lilly Pavilion of Decorative Arts." In 1969, the association changed its name to the Indianapolis Museum of Art. For many years, the exhibits focused on art objects, not as much on the house's history. But in the 1980s and 1990s, plans began to restore Oldfields to its original look. In 2002, the historic home reopened to the public. In 2003, it was named a national historic landmark. The property is considered a historic area and includes 10 buildings and 28 other important features.
The Country House Movement
Oldfields is a great example of a home built during the Country Place Era. This was also known as the American country house movement. It happened from about 1885 to 1939. This movement started because America was becoming more industrial and cities were growing. After the Civil War, many rich business owners wanted to build large estates outside of busy cities. It was a way to get back to a simpler life, away from crowded and dirty city areas. As more families got cars, it became easier to live in the country but still work in the city.
Country houses from this time were often very grand. They had huge estates and beautifully designed gardens. Many even had their own farms. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is one of the first and biggest examples of this movement. But even smaller estates, like Oldfields, which is about 20 acres, were part of this trend.
The House: Lilly House Design
Lilly House was designed by Lewis Ketcham Davis, who was Hugh Landon's brother-in-law. He designed it in the French Château style. The house sits on a hill overlooking the White River. This gives it amazing views to the west.
The house has a service area, and special sections on the east and west sides. These sections have balconies that you can reach from the second floor. There is also a large outdoor terrace on top of a garage and service area. When the Landon family lived there, the main floor had a music room, library, sunroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, and porch. The second floor had private suites, bedrooms, bathrooms, and rooms for servants. There was also a ballroom on the third floor. The Lilly family used this ballroom for storage. The estate also had a formal garden, a greenhouse, a tennis court, and other small buildings.
After J.K. Lilly Jr. made his changes, the main floor included a great hall, game room, library, drawing room, loggia (a covered porch), dining room, kitchen, and servants' quarters. He also changed the main staircase and entrance.
Gardens and Grounds to Explore
The first garden at Oldfields was part of the original design by architect Lewis Ketcham Davis. This formal sunken garden was south of the house. It was connected by paths, steps, and a limestone bridge. The main feature of this garden was a round fountain. It was surrounded by special frames for climbing plants, two Hermes sculptures, and a shaded bench. This garden has been restored and looks much like it did originally.
The landscape stayed mostly the same until 1920. That's when Percival Gallagher from the Olmsted Brothers Firm was hired by Landon's second wife, Jessie. Gallagher's plans for the property mixed formal areas, like the grand long path, with more natural areas, like the ravine garden. The ravine garden has a small stream with many rocks, flowers, shrubs, and trees. It also has a winding path and a bridge.
The Grand Allée, or long path, at the front of the property, made the estate feel more formal. It also helped block noise and views from Michigan Road. A round fountain and a sculpture called The Three Graces were placed at the end of the path. They are in front of a line of evergreen trees that block the road. Double rows of Dutch elms (a type of tree) were planted along each side of the path. These trees framed the view of the house and driveway. Behind the elm trees, Gallagher designed border gardens. These gardens had winding paths, many flower beds, and more sculptures. The border gardens were meant to invite visitors to explore the paths before reaching the end of the main path.
When the Lillys bought the property in 1933, the gardens were just starting to grow. The family mostly left the gardens as they were, but they did add several sculptures. Lilly also built new buildings on the grounds. He made the greenhouse much bigger. In 1939, a house called Newfield was built for Joe Lilly and his family. In 1940, a recreation building was built in the south field. It had an indoor pool, a game room, and an exercise room. Outside the recreation building, there was an outdoor pool, a tennis court, and a Four Seasons garden.
An old wellhead from Europe is also located there.
Oldfields Today
Oldfields is one of three main parts of Newfields. Lilly House is right next to the main Indianapolis Museum of Art building and the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres. The house has eight furnished rooms on the main floor that you can visit. These include the stair hall, great hall, game room, library, drawing room, loggia, dining room, and kitchen. Most of these rooms show what they looked like in the 1930s when the Lilly family lived there. Almost 90 percent of the furniture and items are original to the house and were used by the Lilly family.
The upper level of Lilly House has exhibits about the American Country Place era. You can learn about how Oldfields became a country estate and what Indianapolis was like in the early 1900s. The second level also shows some of Lilly's collections. These include books, gold coins, tiny military figures, and items related to ships. The gardens and grounds of Oldfields are cared for by the museum. They are kept to show what Percival Gallagher intended in his original design.
See also
- Miller House
- List of outdoor artworks at Newfields, includes some on the grounds of Oldfields
- List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
- List of botanical gardens and arboretums in Indiana
