Neighborhoods of Fort Wayne

Some information under Historic Homes, National Register of Historic Places, and Street Trees.

Fort Wayne Neighborhoods quadrants image

Plat map northwest neighborhoods Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and environs by W.W. Hixson & Co Publication date 1922 on Archive.org

Have you seen the new City of Fort Wayne Neighborhood Engagement website? Please share with your neighborhood associations.

Posted by Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Thursday, February 22, 2024

February 22, 2024 post by Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook:

Have you seen the new City of Fort Wayne Neighborhood Engagement website? Please share with your neighborhood associations.

Engage Fort Wayne

December 12, 2023 post by the City of Fort Wayne Government on Facebook:

Today, Mayor Tom Henry and city officials announced a record of over $40 million in neighborhood infrastructure improvements occurred throughout Fort Wayne in 2023.

A few highlights:

-44.7 miles of asphalt resurfacing
-26 concrete alley replacements
-Fort Wayne Veterans Memorial Bridge project

Read more: NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES FOR 2023 TOTALED A RECORD OF OVER $40 MILLION

Fort Wayne Neighborhoods has information such as the map above from their Neighborhood Maps page at the City of Fort Wayne.

Meet neighborhood leaders in Fort Wayne—and learn how you can get involved Bailey Gerber, December 21, 2022 at Input Fort Wayne .

NEW NEIGHBORHOOD WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS LAUNCHED announced May 23, 2018 linked to the City of Fort Wayne Neighborhoods page with links ot other pages, Fort Wayne Neighborhoods page with photos, Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook and Twitter page: Fort Wayne Neighborhoods.

May 6, 2022 - George Guy, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority in Fort Wayne, posted: #FortFactFriday: May is National Historic Preservation Month and the City of Fort Wayne Government is celebrating by highlighting the City’s historic neighborhoods, buildings, and landscapes. Be sure to join in on the celebration by following along Fort Wayne Neighborhoods and using the hashtag #PreserveFW22.

Architectural Styles The Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology created the following guide to give Hoosiers a brief overview of Indiana’s most common architectural styles, barn types, and bridge forms. While this section does not cover every style or type of historic building found in Indiana, it highlights the most popular and can serve as a basic field guide to experience our historic architecture first-hand. Copied from Indiana Department of Natural Resources on IN.gov.

The Neighborhood Resource Center Tools for Making Better Neighborhoods in Allen County at the Allen Country Recorder's Office Neighborhood Resource Center.

An interesting site is Historic Bridges: Allen County, Indiana showing 22 bridges with historical information, photos, maps and more at historicbridges.com..

Deepening a neighborhood's cultural memory: This Fort Wayne audio tour shares resident stories by Kara Hackett published July 13, 2022  on Input Fort Wayne is a cost-free, audio walking tours of Fort Wayne. The SoundWalk pairs appmusic and podcast-like stories of local residents and historians to physical places, made possible by funding from grants, donors, and support from local volunteers. Artist’s passion for creative coding includes video gaming and “SoundWalks” through history by Julia Meek published October 18, 2022 on 89.1 WBOI Northeast Indiana Public Radio.

July 10, 2023 post by Emily Dwire WANE 15 on Facebook:

Did a little bit of the Fairfield Corridor walking tour for my latest Positively Fort Wayne story. Really, really cool idea!

Fort Wayne Architects and Firms from City of Fort Wayne

Historic Fort Wayne lists Historic Neighborhoods on the Visit Fort Wayneblog.

List of Fort Wayne, Indiana neighborhoods on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia 

N. Anthony district put on national list of historic places posted November 14, 2014 by Dave Gong in The Journal Gazette newspaper shows area historic districts but is now on Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
•Dutch Ridge Historic District (Huntertown vicinity)
•Forest Park Boulevard Historic District
•Fort Wayne Parks & Boulevards District
•Foster Park Neighborhood Historic District
•Illsley Place-West Rudisill Historic District
•Indian Village Historic District
•Lafayette Place Neighborhood Historic District
•Oakdale Historic District
•South Wayne Historic District
•St. Louis Besancon Historic District (New Haven vicinity)
•The Landing
•Vermilyea Inn Historic District
•West End Historic District
•Wildwood Park Neighborhood Historic District
•Williams-Woodland Park Historic District

Broadway Corridor - He believes the place may originally have been a dry goods store. The part of the history he’s been able to trace, to 1931 during the Great Depression, has one side as a milliner’s shop and the other a confectioner. By World War II, that side had become a delicatessen. Looking up on Broadway Investor renovates vacant sites with eye toward revitalized area March 10, 2013 by Rosa Salter Rodriguez of The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Brookview-Irvington Park Historic District - recognized for its picturesque natural beauty, landscape design and landmark houses by female architects, according to Indiana Landmarks. The Brookview-Irvington Park Historic District on Fort Wayne's near north side and the section of State Boulevard that winds through it have been listed on Indiana Landmarks' 10 Most Endangered list announced April 25, 2013. Copied from Historic neighborhood, State Blvd. section on Indiana Landmarks' Endangered List by The News-Sentinel newspaperstaff reports April 25, 2013.

May 12, 2022 post by Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook:

Often the most challenging problems are the most satisfying to solve.

The developers of the Brookview-Irvington Park Historic District surely had that satisfaction.

Wildwood Builders worked with Boston landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff to design Brookview within a narrow, triangular parcel that was heavily wooded and bisected by Spy Run Creek. It was also hilly, and the western edge was bordered by the New York Central Railroad. Shurcliff designed an artful landscape that maximized the residential lots and views of the creek. Irvington Park to the north, designed by Walter Hoxie Hillary, is also a scenic landscape of wooded lots near the creek. Vesey Park connects the two areas. The homes in the district were built between 1906 and 1965; they have a range of styles including Craftsman, American Foursquare, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Minimal Traditional, and Ranch. The historic district is located north of downtown Fort Wayne; north of Jacobs Street between N. Clinton Street and the Pufferbelly Trail. The Brookview-Irvington Park Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2011..

June 7, 2018 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

For "Throwback Thursday" we share this promotional map for HILGEMAN & SCHAAF realtors of BROOK VIEW prepared by A.K. Hofer in 1924. You know who to call for those last few lots - Lou Bart - "THE LOT MAN" @ ANTHONY 7112!!! Located just 1 mile from downtown (14 blocks to Main Street), and only 2 blocks from the Lincoln Highway or the State Street Car Line! The plat was recorded in 1917 and 100 or so years later...the City is "straightening out" the curve on State Street!

Fairfield Neighborhood

Forest Park - 1830 Forest Park Boulevard New owners for noted historic Forest Park Boulevard home in Fort Wayne by Kevin Kilbane published October 22, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper

Foster Park neighborhood seeks listing on National Register of Historic Places by Kevin Kilbane of The News-Sentinel newspaperFebruary 20, 2013. Characteristics of homes built between 1926 and 1963. Foster Park neighborhood’s request for National Register listing moves to state level March 09, 2013 by The News-Sentinel newspaperstaff reports. Foster Park Neighborhood Now Listed on National Register of Historic Places - posted October 31, 2013 on City of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Foster Park added to historic registry Neighborhood is city’s 5th this year Dan Stockman published November 1, 2013 on The Journal Gazette newspaper. Approximately 150 acres platted in 1924 documented in the 39 page application with descriptions and photos received August 9, 2013 for the Foster Park Neighborhood Historic District reference number 13000755 on National Park Service. Photos of Foster Park Pavilion 3 built in 1938 reconstruction was posted May 4, 2022 by Historic Foster Park Neighborhood Association on Facebook with construction update photos by Michael J. Vorndran May 14, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook

Oakdale Neighborhood WordPress blog

Historic Buildings in West Central Neighborhood

Historic Districts in Fort Wayne at Community Development of City of Fort Wayne.

Hoagland Masterson Neighborhood Association on Facebook. See April Marie Tinsley Memorial Garden.

August 16, 2015 post by Hoagland Masterson Neighborhood Association on Facebook:

Thank you to everyone who participated in today's dedication of April's Garden. It was a beautiful day!

September 8, 2015post by Stuckeys on Tyler on Facebook:

This is a photo of April's Garden sent to us by Tommy Goings. The garden is a memorial for April Marie Tinsley and is located in the Hoagland Masterson Neighborhood Association in Fort Wayne. April's Garden was dedicated on August 16, 2015 without local media attention. The garden is not only a beautiful and peaceful area to honor April, it is also for our community. If you would like to show support for April's Garden, you can purchase an engraved brick with your name or the name of a loved one through the Hoagland Masterson Neighborhood Association. The engraved bricks will be used in the walkway of the garden. Please share this status to bring awareness and support to April's Garden.

  1. Allen County Public Library- Researching Your Old House: Guide to Resources for Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana
  2. Bloomingdale Neighborhood Association at NeighborhoodLink.com.

    December 12, 2023 post by Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook:

    🚀 Have you noticed the vibrant new banners on the light poles in Bloomingdale, Hamilton, and Nebraska neighborhoods?

    🌟 It's all part of the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) Pilot Area, making our community safer and more vibrant! 🏡✨ Let us know if you've spotted them and share the neighborhood love! ❤️👀 #CPTEDPilot #CommunityUnity

    December 19, 2023 post by Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook:

    🚗🏡 Drive or walk into the Hamilton and Bloomingdale Neighborhoods and be greeted by the awesome new utility box wraps!

    🌟 It's all part of the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) Pilot Area, making our community safer and more welcoming. 🤩 Have you spotted them yet? Let us know your thoughts! 🗣️ #CPTEDPilot #NeighborhoodPride #CommunityEnhancements

  3. August 18, 2023 post by City of Fort Wayne Government on Facebook:

    Today, Mayor Tom Henry and City Utilities celebrated the conclusion of the Colonial Heritage Wetlands project near Hessen Cassel Road.

    Read more: CITY UTILITIES CONCLUDES COLONIAL HERITAGE WETLANDS PROJECT

  4. Discovering the History of your House and Your Neighborhood; book by Betsy J. Green; 286 pp; Softcover; 2007; 5.5 x 8; ISBN: 1-891661-24-8; Family Roots Publishing Company Item # SM248
  5. Historical Churches, Homes and Buildings of East Central Neighborhood has photos and brief descriptions.
  6. East State Village ca. 1960 by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorpublished July 8, 2017 in the Fort Wayne Reader. The roughly eight block long East State Village is made up of approximately 20 commercial properties largely developed during the city’s trolley era in the 1920’s.
  7. Fairfield Neighborhood - Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FairfieldNeighborhood/. Fairfield Neighborhood Association located in the historic south side of Fort Wayne, Indiana 46807.
  8. Fairfield Avenue 1888 two-story brick Italianate house, which still has a stone block bearing the name of former resident Dr. (Karl) Proegler. Saving historic house is a good risk, for a lot of reasons ARCH needs at least $100,000 to move home from redevelopment site by Kevin Leininger published June 6, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  9. Fort Wayne Local Historic Districts - ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
  10. Frances Slocum Neighborhood has a page on Facebook. Named for the area around the Frances Slocum Elementary School at 2529 Curdes Avenue that opened in 1926 and closed in 1981. The school was named for Frances Slocum the Quaker girl taken captive in 1778 in Pennsylvania and removed to Indiana. See streets in neighborhood at Frances Slocum neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana (IN), 46805 detailed profile at City-Data.com.
  11. Historic Fairmont Neighborhood on Facebook
  12. Harrison Hill - website: https://www.harrisonhillfw.com/ has the History of Harrison Hill. Harrison Hill Neighborhood Association Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fwhhill. Established in 1915, August 19, 1919 Cornell Circle new homes construction in an image in The News-Sentinel newspaper.

    August 3, 2014 post on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook:

    Aug. 19, 1919
    The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

    October 24, 2014 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    It's Friday Baby, time for the "Plat of the Week"!!! This is HARRISON HILL ADDITION, just South of Rudisill Boulevard and West of Calhoun Street. It was prepared by A.K. Hofer and was recorded in Plat Book 7 page 116 on July 2, 1915 in the Office of the Allen County Recorder. A very interesting plat for a couple of reasons we think, the North part of the plat is very rectangular, which was common in the development of many cities at this time, however the South part starts to incorporate curved streets into the mix. Also note the 48 foot wide "Park and Playground Reserve" located between the lots on Cornell and Seminole Circles. I checked the Allen County GIS and looked at the aerial photo, and it is still owned and maintained by the City of Fort Wayne Parks Commissioners! We really can not think of any other plats with a park like this, have a great weekend folks!

    April 24, 2018 post by Harrison Hill Neighborhood Association on Facebook:

    Has anyone read this? It is an amazing story recalling the history of our neighborhood from one of its first residents. It is definitely worth the read! #46807 #HarrisonHill #FortWayne Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana

    Link to book History of Harrison Boulevard Homes written by Magaret Wallace Newman about the Hall-Wallace House posted

    May 12, 2018 post by Harrison Hill Neighborhood Association on Facebook:

    Very excited to announce a major update to the Harrison Hill neighborhood website. We recently created a page focused on the history of the neighborhood and other South Fort Wayne neighborhoods. There is something for everyone including our fellow neighborhoods: Historic Oakdale NeighborhoodHistoric Southwood Park Neighborhood AssociationHistoric Fairmont NeighborhoodHistoric South Wayne Neighborhood AssociationLafayette Place AdditionWest Rudisill Neighborhood Association, and Packard Area Planning Alliance (PAPA)members at History of Harrison Hill.

    July 20, 2023 post by Harrison Hill Neighborhood Association on Facebook:

    Do you know the history of your Harrison Hill home?

    This is a fascinating historical record put together for neighborhoods throughout Fort Wayne, including Harrison Hill. Included you will find your home, the name of the home, the year built, and the style. It is an excellent tool to learn a bit more about your own home.

    Fort Wayne Interim Report Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory Sector 43 Harrison Hill Potential Historic District (003-215-43115/43358)

    June 11, 2022 new historic marker posted byHistoric 07 District - Fort Wayne on Facebook:

    We are proud to highlight the Harrison Hill Neighborhood Association history plaque at their newly developed Triangle Park. This is an example of what your efforts fund. Thank you to everyone who participates in the Historic 07 T-Shirt Sales. Hopefully, we will have a future historic trail where all our neighborhoods have historical markers (two more will be coming this summer)! Luckily for you, Harrison Hill Neighborhood is having a home tour today where you can check out historic homes and this plaque.

    May 11, 2023 post by Harrison Hill Neighborhood Association on Facebook:

    The Packard 2030 plan addresses topics expressed by residence through community engagement, including economic development, housing historic, preservation, infrastructure, parks and recreation, public safety, zoning and land-use and neighborhood development. Through input of nearly 1500 residents, businesses, and stakeholders this plan hopes to enhance the quality of life for neighborhoods in the Packard Area Plannning Alliance, a coalition of 18 neighborhoods in south central Fort Wayne.

    We would love to hear your thoughts if you have time to look through this newly approved plan.

  13. Illsley Place Facebook page. Illsley Place, platted in 1923 by developer W.E. Doud, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an example of historic trends in the development and growth of Fort Wayne and for its connection to the city’s planning and beautification efforts. It also contains outstanding examples of many residential architectural styles, including Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic and Italianate. From Illsley Place Home & Garden Tour on ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage). See Illsley Place-West Rudisill Historic District 46 page National Register of Historic Places Registration Form.
    Illsley Place - West Rudisill Historic District - on the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indianaweb site This brochure published by the City of Fort Wayne tells the history of the Illsley Place - West Rudisill Addition and features some of the houses in that Historic District. Includes photos of 18 historic homes.
    1. City View video created :July 13, 2018 Creator:Patrick Stelte July 2018. Topic this month: tour of Illsley Place historic neighborhood and W. Rusidill Blvd.

    2. May 13, 2023 post byHistoric 07 District - Fort Wayne on Facebook:

      The Bond-Asbury House is for sale in the beautiful Illsley Place neighborhood. As one of the oldest homes in the Historic 07 District - Fort Wayne, it has a storied history, some of which we have covered before. While the home was in the Bond family for nearly 100 years, the story of its namesake is fascinating. Today’s story entails the beginnings of British North America, the Second Great Awakening, and the spread of the Methodist Church in the first new nation.

      While the Bond-Asbury House was built in the late 1800s as a part of an old homestead, it eventually became the property of Francis Illsley Brown and Anna Bond Brown. However, it all began in the 1700s with the name Asbury. The name Asbury might be familiar to some of you, which is why this story is important. In British North America during the mid-1700s, the Church of England was working to expand its religious influence overseas. One crucial individual in this movement was John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement within the Church of England. Wesley began a slow separation from the Church of England in the 1730s, partly due to a trip to the British colonies.

      However, once the United States won the American War of Independence, the Church of England was disestablished, where it had been the state church for many of the colonies. In dealing with his challenges in Great Britain, Wesley tasked Francis Asbury as one of the first bishops of the newly founded Methodist Episcopal Church in 1784. Francis devoted his life to ministry, traveling on horseback for thousands of miles to those living on the frontier.

      n Indiana, Methodism flourished due to Asbury and his relatives while also fueled by the Second Great Awakening. During this time, religion spread quickly through revivals which converted thousands to Protestant denominations. The Asbury family acted as Circuit Riders, or clergy by horseback, eventually settling in Southern Indiana. The Asbury name was even the original name of DePauw University.

      Three generations of Asbury’s helped form the Methodist Church in Indiana, Landman, Joseph, and Charles. Charles, a leading Minister in Indianapolis, passed in 1915. Still, his son, Taylor, would eventually own this home for 50 years with his wife, Georgiana (a Bond and relative of Francis and Anna).

      https://www.zillow.com/.../1225-Illsley-Dr.../73189507_zpid/?

      Picture 1: 1225 Illsley

      Picture 2: Asbury Hall DePauw University

      Picture 3: Francis Asbury

      Picture 4: Circuit Rider

      Picture 5: Charles Asbury

  14. Indian Village subdivision. website: indianvillage.htmlplanet.com. INDIAN VILLAGE PIECING HISTORY TOGETHER published February 18, 2009 on The Waynedale News.com. Indian Village Worthman Promo photo album at Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook. Listed in 2009 as Indian Village Historic District from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

    April 27, 2017 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    For "Throwback Thursday" we share this General Plan of Indian Village as designed by Lawrence Sheridan and AK Hofer from the 1920's.

    July 17, 2019 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook

    For Wall of Fame Wednesday we share a page from The Official Guide of The Indian Village Tour from June 25, 2011 co-hosted by ARCH, Inc. and the Indian Village Community Association. BTW...A.K. Hofer platted all the Sections of Indian Village from Section A in 1927 to Section E in 1953.

    July 26, 2023 post by The Waynedale News on Facebook:

    After progressively deteriorating over the years, the Waynedale-famous Indian Village Neighborhood Tipis (Teepee/ Tepee) have been demolished by the City of Fort Wayne citing safety concerns. Since these tipis have served as landmarks for decades, there are mixed feelings among residents of the neighborhood on what, if anything, to do with the space.

    📸 by Marsi Lawson)

    One lengthy comment among many to the Facebook post referenced an excerpt from the Fort Wayne Reader article by Randy Harter shown below:
    Many of us are familiar with the four cement tepees in the main entrance parkway. It’s interesting to note that those are likely the only tepees ever built in Fort Wayne as the areas First Nations “woodland” tribes lived in wigwams: domed-shaped bent wood frameworks covered with mats of rushes, sheets of bark and/or animal hides. It’s the western plains tribes that lived in tepees, constructed with straight poles and traditionally covered with animal skins, especially those of bison.

    Indian Village circa 1950

    By Randy Harter

    Fort Wayne Reader

    2017-04-21

    In 1925 the City And Suburban Building Company purchased 180 acres of what had been the Allen County Farm for the Poor and the County Orphanage since 1864. They then traded the former Orphanage grounds, across Bluffton Road from today’s Quimby Village, to the Fort Wayne Board of Parks Commissioners in exchange for the city building the “swinging” suspension footbridge, completed about 1930 across the St. Mary’s River into Foster Park. This 10.5 acre area is now called Indian Village Park and includes the Sears Pavilion.

    In the meantime, the developer hired the noted Harvard educated Indiana-native landscape architect and planner Lawrence V. Sheridan to design the housing addition on the grounds of the former Poor Farm in keeping with the “City Beautiful” movement popularized in the early 1900’s. Elements incorporated from the movement included wide streets, deep and consistent set back of homes, fenceless front yards, a strip of lawn between the street and sidewalks, curving streets, a wide entrance esplanade and use of the natural terracing and rolling elevations to create variety and interest in the landscape in which 1,700 trees were planted.

    As with many developers during the depression, the City And Suburban Building Company did not survive the economy’s collapse and failed in 1930. While the addition had been largely laid out, fewer than 20 homes had been built. In the mid-1940’s local homebuilder Jack R. Worthman gained control of the remaining subdivision, and along with other builders completed the development which was finally built-out about 1960, 35 years after the first lots were sold.

    Today the completed Indian Village Historic District, roughly bounded by Engle Road, Bluffton Road, Nuttman Avenue, and the Norfolk Southern right-of-way includes over 375 homes, Psi Ote Park (1953), Indian Village Elementary School (1954) and the Pocahontas Swim Club (1959).

    Many of us are familiar with the four cement tepees in the main entrance parkway. It’s interesting to note that those are likely the only tepees ever built in Fort Wayne as the areas First Nations “woodland” tribes lived in wigwams: domed-shaped bent wood frameworks covered with mats of rushes, sheets of bark and/or animal hides. It’s the western plains tribes that lived in tepees, constructed with straight poles and traditionally covered with animal skins, especially those of bison. (Image courtesy ACPL)

    Randy Harter is a local historian, author and tour guide for Fort Wayne Food Tours.

  1. Kensington Boulevard Historic District is long and linear. It is bounded by E. State Boulevard to the north, and it follows Kensington Boulevard south across Lake Avenue to Niagara Drive.IN AllenCounty KensingtonBlvd. There are more than 170 properties in the Kensington Boulevard Historic District; most are homes built between 1917 and 1955. The district has a variety of architectural styles, including Tudor Revival, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and the American Foursquare. There is one Italianate house that was built circa 1870, predating the development of the boulevard.Kensington Boulevard Historic District Now Listed in National Register of Historic Places at Community Development on City of Fort Wayne web site.
  2. Lafayette Place - website: https://lafayetteplace.org/ has a History page, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LPIA46806/. Neighborhood marks 100 years by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published July 23, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
  3. May 5, 2022 post by Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook:

    Historic neighborhoods tell our city's story. The Lafayette Place Historic District is an example of an early “suburban” development in Fort Wayne. It was developed in 1915 with convenient access to roads, streetcars, and even an electric interurban rail line. The neighborhood has a formal “esplanade” inspired by formal French urban design; created by pioneer landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff. Wildwood Builders of Fort Wayne developed two other neighborhoods designed by Shurcliff; Wildwood Park, and the Brookview Addition. Lafayette Place has an outstanding collection of historic homes, with a variety of early to mid-twentieth century styles. The neighborhood is located south of downtown Fort Wayne between S. Calhoun Street and S. Lafayette Street, and immediately north of Southgate Shopping Center. The Lafayette Place Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

  4. Lakeside - The historic district is bounded roughly by St. Joseph Boulevard on the west, Edgewater Avenue on the south, Tennessee Avenue on the north, and Crescent and California avenues on the east. The district includes 444 buildings, most of which are homes or apartment buildings. The area was platted for development in 1890. The Northside Neighborhood Association, which includes the Lakeside area, asked the city of Fort Wayne to pursue National Register nomination for a Lakeside Historic District. The nomination was approved previously by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. Copied from Most of Lakeside neighborhood listed in National Register of Historic Places by published December 21, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Lakeside Historic District Now Listed on National Register of Historic Places on City of Fort Wayneweb site. See Historic District discussion on City View video for January 23, 2018 on Access Fort Wayne. Historic Lakeside Park Neighborhood on Facebook.

    March 10, 2023 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

    Today’s Throwback Thursday takes us to the Lakeside neighborhood. This Queen Anne-style house along Columbia Avenue has an outstanding large turret with a conical roof that is topped with a copper cone finial. The house has two entrances facing Columbia Avenue. The first door has a wood glazed door with transom window and sidelights. The other entrance back from the rest of the façade has an original wood glazed door with a transom. Doric columns on stone piers support the porch roof.

  5. Mansions - Fort Wayne's saddest storyabout the Noll mansion by Kevin Leininger published September 5, 1981 from the Archives of The News-Sentinel newspaperand Missing Mansions of Fort Wayne: Hamilton, Hanna and Noll by Anthony E. McNair published November 8, 2001 on ACPL Digital Collections.
  6. Neighborhoods of the 07 46807 zipcode on Facebook
  7. North Highlands

    January 13, 2015 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    Can you say Plat of the Week? Here is NORTH HIGHLANDS ADDITION as found in Plat Book 9 page 75 as prepared by A.K. Hofer and recorded on March 15, 1922. Kinda interesting that there are no lots platted, just the "Blocks", they would come back later amending the plat in Sections "B" thru "N".

    Shared January 13, 2023 by Hans Hofer on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook:

    I’m a retired surveyor and back in the day we would go to the Allen County Surveyors Office to get old aerial photos to help with research. I’m not sure when this was available, but it is a valuable resource. It is called IMAPS of Allen County. Enter that in your search engine and you will get something you can click on to get a “viewer”, it will show Allen County on a graphic map showing street names. Then you can click on aerial view and get a recent aerial of the county. Then you can click on “Historical Imagery” and run through dates they have aerial photos going back to 1938. The plat I shared was done in 1922, about 16 years before the first aerial photos. Someone had told me at one time North Highlands was a golf course. Using the Historical Imagery in 1938 you can see greens and sand traps North of the plat I shared. Does anyone remember this golf course or have more information on it? Thanks

  8. Peek into house’s history With a little research, you can learn a lot March 24, 2013 by Rosa Salter Rodriguez of The Journal Gazette newspaper
  9. Historic Oakdale Neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places since 2000 has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HistoricOakdale/ which states: Calhoun to Broadway, and from Rudisill to (approximately) the South side of Kinsmoor and Violet and Darrow. One of the best neighborhoods in Fort Wayne, Oakdale has grown into a proud neighborhood which includes a historic district, arts, entertainment, and some of the most interesting and approachable residents in Fort Wayne! The Oakdale Historic District is one of numerous mature neighborhoods located on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Some of its eldest residences and structures, plus many in surrounding neighborhoods, are nearly a century old and have provided significant and interesting contributions to the history of the city. The Oakdale Historic District is one of numerous mature neighborhoods located on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Some of its eldest residences and structures, plus many in surrounding neighborhoods, are nearly a century old and have provided significant and interesting contributions to the history of the city. Copied from their former Historic Oakdale Neighborhood wordpress blog. See 140 page Indiana SP Oakdale Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form in the Catalog at The National Archives.
  10. Old West End West Central's Premier Historic Apartments - restored homes in the Old West End Historic District offered as apartments by CASTLE KEEPERS.
  11. Rudisill Boulevard Cultural Landscape Report by December, 2007 Prepared for Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Prepared by Heritage Landscapes Preservation Landscape Architects & Planners Charlotte, Vermont & Norwalk, Connecticut.
  12. Shawnee Place Historic District - City of Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne: The City of Fort Wayne will receive $6,631 in grant funds to prepare a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) for the Shawnee Historic District, which includes approximately 135 contributing properties. The neighborhood was mainly built by Wildwood Builders and the design team of Joel Ninde and Grace Crosby, two of the earliest women architects and developers in Indiana. The project will also create a walking tour brochure for the Kensington Boulevard Historic District. For information on this project, contact Don Orban at 260-427-2160. Copied from Grants To Preserve Local History Across Indiana posted May 20, 2022 by The Waynedale News Staff by The Waynedale News.comand shared May 24, 2022 on Facebook.
  13. Storefronts of State Boulevard by Mark Meyer February 21, 2013 History Center Notes & Queries blogrefers to using Fort Wayne city directories to track the occupants of that street.
  14. South Wayne Neighborhood
  15. Southwood Park Neighborhood.
    Southwood Park Historic District 166 page November 13, 2009 National Register of Historic Places Registeration Form OMB No. 1024-0018 at the National Park Service.Plat of Southwood ParkAugust 25, 1918 plat map in The News-Sentinel newspaper from April 15, 2014 discussion on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook. September 2, 1918 Fort Wayne News and Sentinel newspaper. Historic Southwood Park Board President Steve McCord ... is the defacto local historian of Southwood Park. He explains that the neighborhood’s roots go back about a century to its developers, Frank H. Hilgeman and Albert H. Schaaf, who purchased much of the land in the 1910s. They referred to the area as a “forest primeval” and incorporated a variety of deed restrictions into its development, specifically forbidding the removal of trees, “except as may be necessary for the construction of a dwelling house and its appurtenances.” “Some of the goofy curves of the sidewalks and streets in our neighborhood were laid out specifically to accommodate our big trees,” McCord says. “Even so, many trees still came down as houses were built, and many others have died over the last century.” Copied from Love the fall trees in Southwood Park? This neighborhood's tree canopy is not a coincidence by Kara Hackett posted November 2, 2022 on Input Fort Wayne and again under the same title November 4, 2022 on Historic Southwood Park.com.
  16. Swinney Homestead - Settlers, Inc. - since 1971 with gift shop and herb garden
  17. Swinney Park / Jailhouse Flats - minor league baseball park 1880s to 1930
  18. The Economics of Historic Preservation and Revitalization in West Central Premiered Apr 20, 2022 by ARCH, Inc on YouTube
    In “The Economics of Historic Preservation and Revitalization in West Central,” Tyler Bowers, West Central Neighborhood Association president tells his neighborhood's story and looks at its prospects. With development accelerating at Electric Works, in addition to downtown’s revival and Riverfront development, West Central is a hotspot in the local real estate market. Bowers will present research he has completed and updated that digs into the data and reveals what is really happening there.

    West Central Neighborhood Association is Fort Wayne's Largest and Oldest Residential Historic district. Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WestCentralNeighborhood/. West Central was designated as a local historic district in two phases in 1984-1985. It was listed in the National Register in 1984. The district contains virtually all architectural styles that were popular between 1830 and 1950. An old map showing Allen County Fairgrounds and Methodist College posted March 3, 2015 on Facebook. See the 2015 book West Central Images/Home from House Portraits by Diane Allen Groenert mentioned in the video Local Artist Publishes West Central Portraits by Eric Olson published September 2, 2015 on 21AliveNews.com. A West Central Neighborhood Development Plan was published in June 1981. The 1979 Cultural Resources Survey for the City found that "15% of all historically and architecturally significant structures, and over 45% of the most significant structures found in the City were located in the West Central Neighborhood." Copied from March 1, 2017 post with photos by West Central Neighborhood on Facebook. Historic Buildings and Structures of the West Central Neighborhood Association Fort Wayne, IndianaThe West Central Home and Garden Tour and ArtsFest, Fort Wayne, Indiana years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016at The Genealogy Center. See map of borders posted August 20, 2018 by Historic West Central Neighborhood on Twitter.
  19. North Anthony Boulevard Now on National Register by City of Fort Wayne. North Anthony Boulevard Historic District now on National Register of Historic PlacesThe area joins the ranks of more than 50 historic locations on the register located in and around Fort Wayne - including the Alexander Taylor Rankin House, 818 S. Lafayette Street; the Allen County Courthouse, 715 S. Calhoun Street; and Fairfield Manor, 2301 Fairfield Avenue. By David Gong published November 13, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. Some additional information from ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) in N. Anthony Blvd. named on national register of historic places published November 13, 2014 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15
  20. Historic Buildings and Structures of the West Central Neighborhood Association Fort Wayne, Indiana
  21. Historic Wells Street Corridor on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wellsstreetcorridor/.Wells Street Corridor, WELLS CORRIDOR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017, WELLS STRATEGIC PLAN SUMMARY 2017 are at City of Fort Wayne. Old Wells Street Bridge Allen County Bridge 541 at historicbridges.com.
  22. Williams Woodland Park Neighborhood is a multiple property historic district. Website: www.williamswoodlandpark.com
    1. 1903 home in the 2400 block of Hoagland Avenue Restoring historic house a labor of love in Williams Woodland Park, June 6, 2013, Heather Detzner, The News-Sentinel newspaper.
    2. May 8, 2022 post byHistoric 07 District - Fort Wayne on Facebook:

      Some women's history might be preferred in honor of Mother's Day. The picture below is from the late 1800s, highlighting what was then known as Williams Grove. Today, we know this area as the Williams Woodland Park Neighborhood. Before housing was built, it served as a park. What a beautiful sight!

      On June 4th, the neighborhood is having PorchFest 2022. Think “music festival with multiple stages,” but in our case, the stages will be porches! This will give you an excellent opportunity to see what the neighborhood looks like today. In the 1870s, though, this park was very active, including hosting some historical events.

      In 1874, Williams Grove hosted one of the first large-scale events forming the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). The WCTU was founded in late 1873, but by the summer of 1874, it had spread throughout the midwest. Women in the WCTU used temperance to enter into politics and further other progressive issues such as prison reform and labor laws.

      The event at Williams Grove was attended by many and served as an important event for the newly formed group. Emma Malloy, from Elkhart, spoke to the audience stating, "mothers who have shed many bitter tears in secret, wives, whose hearts are breaking with misery, sisters carrying a weight of terrible agony, daughters with spirits depressed with grief, what shall we do?" You can likely read through the lines here to understand that there was a physical and emotional abuse to the concerns of alcohol as well.

      Eventually, the WCTU grew to such prominence that progressive issues such as temperance turned into the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) and the Nineteenth Amendment (All Sexes May Vote). While one survived and the other did not, Williams Grove served as a historical location for these important movements.

      Happy Mother's Day!

      Williams Grove photo by B. J. Griswold in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Libraryshared May 9, 2022 from post from

    3. November 13, 2023 post by Williams Woodland Park Neighborhood on Facebook:

      Williams Woodland began as an certified public park, a lush forest oasis just outside the hubbub of the City. This gazebo structure is believed to have existed on what is now Woodland Ave between Hoagland and Webster. Soon houses began to be constructed around the exterior of the park and on a single day in October 1903 a lottery auction was organized by Louis Curdes, a local developer and WWPN resident. Most of the lots in the park were transferred to individuals to begin building the houses of what is now known as Williams Woodland Park Neighborhood.

      #holidayhometour2023 #williamswoodlandpark #wwpnrocks #dtfw #historic

      #fortwayne #46807

      #ohseven #christmas

  23. Wildwood homes : being a collection of houses and details with suggestions for the home builder (1912) - Wildwood Builders Co, Cover title: A book of Wildwood plans. Archive.org
  24. May 19, 2022 post by Fort Wayne Neighborhoods on Facebook:

    National Register of Historic Places

    Country living—near Jefferson Pointe?

    Wildwood Park, south of W. Jefferson Blvd., between Freeman and Ardmore, was a rural suburban village when it was first developed beginning in 1916. It was a location that was outside the city and far beyond other residential developments in Fort Wayne. Promotional literature reads, “Wildwood Park is open to the fields and groves. It is the country dressed up in her best, and brought to town.”

    Designed as an “automobile suburb,” it was at a location that required travel by automobile to the city (or west to the Country Club). It is one of the three neighborhoods developed by Wildwood Builders and designed by landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff. As a large development, Shurcliff had the area to design large lots and wide curving streets that took full advantage of the rolling topography and existing trees.

    Wildwood Park has a significant collection of home styles, including Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Minimal Traditional, and Ranch.

    #PreserveFW22

  25. Wildwood Park Community Association - Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Wildwood-Park-Community-Association-161976837228718/ states: Wildwood Park Community Association maintains four parks, preserves our history and carries out the intentions of our founders via the restrictive covenants available on Allen County Recorder's website. September 18, 2013 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
    1. October 21, 2013 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook page.
      ARCH has received notification that ARCH’s nomination of the Wildwood Park neighborhood to the National Register of Historic Places has resulted in that neighborhood’s official listing in the National Register of Historic Places as of September 18, 2013. ARCH completed the nomination on behalf of the Wildwood Park Neighborhood Association.
      Roughly bound by Ardmore Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, Portage Boulevard and Freeman Street, Wildwood Park was designed by nationally prominent landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff. Developed by the Wildwood Company, the team of Lee and his pioneering architect wife Joel Roberts Ninde, the neighborhood features a rolling topography, winding streets and a mix of early twentieth-century architectural styles. The area is significant in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Community Planning.
    2. Wildwood Park Newsletter - 1929 photo album at Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook
    3. Read some history in Deep history of Wildwood Park neighborhood recognized by National Register listing published October 22, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
    4. Wildwood gets historic status Neighborhood set along rolling terrain makes national registry by Dan Stockman published October 22, 2013 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
    5. The Wildwood Park tour was about the early- to-mid-20th century, the homes built from 1914 to 1960 in craftsman, Tudor revival and neo-classical styles, among others. Early 20th century on display in Wildwood Park homes tour by James D. Wolf Jr published June 27, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
    6. A November 17, 2022 post by Williams Woodland Park Neighborhood on Facebook with several photos states: Featured on our Home Tour this year is this cozy corner that is largely still intact and appears much as it did in the distant past! The Vail-Hanna house on Webster Street is the former residence of some very famous Fort Wayne residents. We spy some pretty recognizable surnames here. You might recognize them too from the city streets that bear the same names!
  26. Wright home keeps historic designation Owner furious after panel rejects delisting by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published February 23, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Videos

Historic Homes of the Fort Wayne Rich and Famous by ARCH, Inc on YouTube
Learn the stories and see the glory of the historic homes of Fort Wayne's rich and famous. Chapters: Chief Richardville House 3:13; Hugh McCulloch House 11:55; Hanna Homestead 19:19; Randall Home 27:26; Chief Richardville House 3:13; Hugh McCulloch House 11:55; Hanna Homestead 19:19; Randall Home 27:26; John Claus Peters House 33:19; Centlivre House 39:24; Carole Lombard House 45:53; Farnsworth House 52:28; Noll Mansion 58:21.

Our Community Album Premiered April 5, 2022 by ARCH, Inc on YouTube
Historian Randy Harter leads an exploration into The Allen County Community Album. Historic images and the founding of neighborhoods are detailed. Neighborhoods in southwest Fort Wayne are highlighted such as Williams-Woodland Park Historic District, Historic South Wayne Neighborhood Association, Fairfield Neighborhood, and Historic Oakdale Neighborhood

Fort Report: Historic preservation of Fort Wayne by The News-Sentinel posted August 30, 2013 on YouTube
News-Sentinel columnist Kevin Leininger interviews ARCH Executive Director Mike Galbraith, who will discuss the importance of historic preservation in Fort Wayne.

Modern House Styles premiered April 7, 2021 by ARCH, Inc on YouTube
ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) has been a leading force for preservation in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana since 1975 with monthly programs and more on their website: https://archfw.org/. Recordings of ARCH, Inc. programs are premiered on YouTube.


Episode 78: Roofs and Architectural Styles posted Dec 13, 2018 by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube.
On this week's Between the Studs, we're hanging out in the beautiful Lakeside Park neighborhood, and talking exterior styling! Join in and get some design inspiration for your next home.


Episode 114: Architectural Styles 2019 posted June 17, 2019 by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube.
Architectural styles are steeped in history, and Between the Studs showcases some spots around Fort Wayne that feature them: traditional, craftsman, modern, and more! Today’s show displays the distinctive elements of each home and shows how you can combine them to make your own unique style.

Episode 118: Modern Styles posted August 2, 2019 by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube.
We often share about architectural styles and everything home building/decorating related. For the first time ever we share about some of our cast members! We also are dedicating this show to one of the cast members that we lost, Joe Digregory.

Episode 157: American Architectural Styles posted Aug 17, 2021 by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube
Buckle up - the Between the Studs cast is talking American architectural styles! This episode is a crash course on the storied history of architecture in the United States.

Episode 183: Architecture and Music posted October 21, 2022 by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube.
Music and architecture have so much in common - and the BTS cast is joined in this episode by professional musicians to explore the similarities!


Episode 189: 2023 Trends January 2, 2023 by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube has several other Trends videos.
The new year has arrived, and the Between the Studs crew has the latest on the hottest trends in building and design!

Uncovering the History of Your House posted Dec 9, 2020 by Allen County Public Library on YouTube
This presentation will offer sources and strategies of discovering the history of one’s house. Presenter: Cynthia Theusch Presented by The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library. The ACPL Genealogy Center is a unique and valuable resource for the Northeastern Indiana community and the entire genealogical community at large. We have one of the largest research collections available, incorporating records from around the world. Our staff specializes in genealogy and is always available to help.

Researching the History of Your House posted Oct 25, 2018 by Allen County Public Library on YouTube
Presented by the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library Discover the various resources available to learn about the history of your house and the people who lived there. This session will help you with ideas for researching houses both in the city and rural areas. For more information about the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library, go to:
https://www.genealogycenter.org/ For more information about the Allen County Public Library, go to: https://acpl.lib.in.us/

 

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