Central Court Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Central Court Historic District is a historic district
and neighborhood of the city of Indianapolis
in northern Center Township
, Marion County
, Indiana
, United States
. Built around Central Court near the intersection of Thirty-sixth Street and Central Avenue, the neighborhood consists of seventy-five buildings over an area of 7.6 acres (3.1 ha).
Central Court was plat
ted in 1916 by Oscar A. Jose and Peter J. Balz, local real estate developers
who also created such neighborhoods as Meridian Park
to the southwest and the neighborhood lining Fall Creek Parkway
between Thirty-eighth and Thirtieth Streets. They employed a range of architectural style
s for the houses in the neighborhood, including American Craftsman
, Colonial Revival
, Dutch Colonial Revival, and Prairie School
. Many designs were used multiple times in the neighborhood, which has been recognized as one of the area's better examples of early twentieth-century residential architecture. They built forty-seven houses around the U-shaped Central Court and along Thirty-sixth Street and Central Avenue; seven face Central Avenue, ten face Thirty-sixth Street, and thirty face Central Court.
In 2004, Central Court was designated a historic district
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It is by far the smallest historic district in its portion of the city, being dwarfed by areas such as Meridian Park a short distance to the southwest.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
and neighborhood of the city of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in northern Center Township
Center Township, Marion County, Indiana
Center Township is one of nine townships in Marion County, Indiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 167,055, making it the most populated township in Marion County...
, Marion County
Marion County, Indiana
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built around Central Court near the intersection of Thirty-sixth Street and Central Avenue, the neighborhood consists of seventy-five buildings over an area of 7.6 acres (3.1 ha).
Central Court was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1916 by Oscar A. Jose and Peter J. Balz, local real estate developers
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
who also created such neighborhoods as Meridian Park
Historic Meridian Park
Historic Meridian Park Neighborhood is situated north of downtown Indianapolis, and located within the larger Mapleton Fall Creek Neighborhood. While the neighborhood is fairly small, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
to the southwest and the neighborhood lining Fall Creek Parkway
Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System
The Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System is a group of parks, parkways, and boulevards in Indianapolis, Indiana that was designed by landscape architect George Edward Kessler in the early part of the twentieth century. Also known as the Kessler System, the district includes and has shaped the...
between Thirty-eighth and Thirtieth Streets. They employed a range of architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
s for the houses in the neighborhood, including American Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
, Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
, Dutch Colonial Revival, and Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
. Many designs were used multiple times in the neighborhood, which has been recognized as one of the area's better examples of early twentieth-century residential architecture. They built forty-seven houses around the U-shaped Central Court and along Thirty-sixth Street and Central Avenue; seven face Central Avenue, ten face Thirty-sixth Street, and thirty face Central Court.
In 2004, Central Court was designated a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is by far the smallest historic district in its portion of the city, being dwarfed by areas such as Meridian Park a short distance to the southwest.