Massachusetts Avenue at night, Indianapolis, Indiana
1917 postmarked postcard view of the K. of P. (Knights of Pythias) Building and Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis, Indiana. The building was more commonly known as the Pythian Building. It was located on the northeast corner at the intersection of Pennsylvania Street, Ohio Street and Massachusetts Avenue. This view was looking northeast with Pennsylvania Street at the lower left-hand corner of the scene and Massachusetts Avenue near the center. The 1910 Dunn history had this to say about the Pythian Building.¹
“One of the striking buildings of Indianapolis is the “flatiron” Indiana Pythian Building at the corner of Pennsylvania street and Massachusetts avenue. It was erected in 1905-6 at a cost of $517,700, the ground costing $47,500, and dedicated with imposing ceremonies and accompanying celebration, August 12-17, 1907.”
A note in the 1914/1915 Sanborn™ fire insurance map set says the Pythian Building was constructed in 1900. This must be an error. The building was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Indiana National Bank tower. At the same time, the city vacated (eliminated) the block of Massachusetts Avenue between the Ohio/Pennsylvania Streets intersection and the New York/Delaware Streets intersection.
In this scene, the sign on the second building north on Pennsylvania Street advertised the WULSCHNER-STEWART PIANOS store. Prior to 1910, directories listed their business at 128-130 North Pennsylvania Street. The 1910 R. L. Polk City Directory seems to have been the first to list the store, Wulschner-Stewart Music Co., at this new location, 229-231 North Pennsylvania Street. The sign at the corner of the Pythian Building advertised DOVE’S. Lee Dove’s cloaks business was listed in the 1910 directory at that location. On Massachusetts Avenue, the sign in the distance advertised MAROTT DEPT. STORE CO. The 1910 Polk directory listed the store address as 342-358 Massachusetts Avenue. It was midway between the New York/Delaware Streets intersection and the Vermont/Alabama Streets intersection. George J. Marott was president of the company.
The square tower midway between the Pythian Building and the Marott Store, was part of the Fire Department Headquarters Building that sat on the west corner at New York Street and Massachusetts Avenue. By the time the 1914/1915 map set was being prepared, that building had been replaced by a building housing retail stores.
1. Jacob Piatt Dunn, Greater Indianapolis: The History, the Industries, the Institutions, and the People of a City of Homes, Volume I (Chicago, IL: Lewis Publishing Co., 1910), page 381. Available online at books.google.com/books?id=chsVAAAAYAAJ&printsec=front....
From the collection of Thomas Keesling.
Selected close-up sections of this postcard can be seen here, from left to right in the image.
www.flickr.com/photos/hoosier_recollections/16073438386/
www.flickr.com/photos/hoosier_recollections/15913129999/
Copyright 2008-2014 by Hoosier Recollections. All rights reserved. This image is part of a creative package that includes the associated text, geodata and/or other information. Neither this package in its entirety nor any of the individual components may be downloaded, transmitted or reproduced without the prior written permission of Hoosier Recollections.
Massachusetts Avenue at night, Indianapolis, Indiana
1917 postmarked postcard view of the K. of P. (Knights of Pythias) Building and Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis, Indiana. The building was more commonly known as the Pythian Building. It was located on the northeast corner at the intersection of Pennsylvania Street, Ohio Street and Massachusetts Avenue. This view was looking northeast with Pennsylvania Street at the lower left-hand corner of the scene and Massachusetts Avenue near the center. The 1910 Dunn history had this to say about the Pythian Building.¹
“One of the striking buildings of Indianapolis is the “flatiron” Indiana Pythian Building at the corner of Pennsylvania street and Massachusetts avenue. It was erected in 1905-6 at a cost of $517,700, the ground costing $47,500, and dedicated with imposing ceremonies and accompanying celebration, August 12-17, 1907.”
A note in the 1914/1915 Sanborn™ fire insurance map set says the Pythian Building was constructed in 1900. This must be an error. The building was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Indiana National Bank tower. At the same time, the city vacated (eliminated) the block of Massachusetts Avenue between the Ohio/Pennsylvania Streets intersection and the New York/Delaware Streets intersection.
In this scene, the sign on the second building north on Pennsylvania Street advertised the WULSCHNER-STEWART PIANOS store. Prior to 1910, directories listed their business at 128-130 North Pennsylvania Street. The 1910 R. L. Polk City Directory seems to have been the first to list the store, Wulschner-Stewart Music Co., at this new location, 229-231 North Pennsylvania Street. The sign at the corner of the Pythian Building advertised DOVE’S. Lee Dove’s cloaks business was listed in the 1910 directory at that location. On Massachusetts Avenue, the sign in the distance advertised MAROTT DEPT. STORE CO. The 1910 Polk directory listed the store address as 342-358 Massachusetts Avenue. It was midway between the New York/Delaware Streets intersection and the Vermont/Alabama Streets intersection. George J. Marott was president of the company.
The square tower midway between the Pythian Building and the Marott Store, was part of the Fire Department Headquarters Building that sat on the west corner at New York Street and Massachusetts Avenue. By the time the 1914/1915 map set was being prepared, that building had been replaced by a building housing retail stores.
1. Jacob Piatt Dunn, Greater Indianapolis: The History, the Industries, the Institutions, and the People of a City of Homes, Volume I (Chicago, IL: Lewis Publishing Co., 1910), page 381. Available online at books.google.com/books?id=chsVAAAAYAAJ&printsec=front....
From the collection of Thomas Keesling.
Selected close-up sections of this postcard can be seen here, from left to right in the image.
www.flickr.com/photos/hoosier_recollections/16073438386/
www.flickr.com/photos/hoosier_recollections/15913129999/
Copyright 2008-2014 by Hoosier Recollections. All rights reserved. This image is part of a creative package that includes the associated text, geodata and/or other information. Neither this package in its entirety nor any of the individual components may be downloaded, transmitted or reproduced without the prior written permission of Hoosier Recollections.