The Historic Old Northside

The Historic Old Northside. . , After the Civil War, industrialization and population growth greatly expanded Indianapolis. Merchants, doctors, and lawyers, including the future President Harrison, purchased lots along the norther city limits near today's 10th Street and established the neighborhood now known as the Old Northside. Notable for expansive lots and fine houses, the area attracted prominent families with names like Fletcher, Butler, Lillie, Nicholson, Taggart, Wasson, and Ayres. With tree-lined streets and excellent streetcar service, this was the city's most desirable neighborhood from the 1870s until the 1910s., Increasing automobile traffic and pollution caused wealthy families to move farther north between the 1910s and the 1930s. After World War II, many of the neighborhood's large houses were razed or divided into apartments. The presidential site property, occupying the blocks from 11th to 13th Streets and from Delaware to Talbott Streets, at one time included three other houses owned by the Wasson, Ayres, and Darlington families, all demolished between 1962 and 1970., When Interstate 65/70 was built through downtown Indianapolis between 1968 and 1972, 8,000 buildings were demolished, and thousands of families were displaced. Such disruptions, not just in Indianapolis but nationally, inspired the historic preservation movement. The Old Northside was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and placed under the protection of the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission in 1979. These designations supported community-based neighborhood revitalization that adapted historic buildings for contemporary use and improved quality of life for residents in Indianapolis' downtown neighborhoods.