Skiles Test Nature Park
Encyclopedia
Skiles Test Nature Park, sometimes called Skiles Test Nature Area is an east side Indianapolis
park on land bequeathed by Skiles Test, on which once sat the supposed haunted house
, The House of Blue Lights
.
Skiles Test, a local business man, lived on the property from 1913 to 1964. The property once had a miniature railway
and a pool with bathhouses, elevators, and highdives.
In the 1990s, the park became the subject of controversy because it was being used as a tea room
by local gay men, often in the sight of children. A teacher from New Castle, Indiana
, was caught exposing himself to a student and arrested in 2004.
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...
park on land bequeathed by Skiles Test, on which once sat the supposed haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
, The House of Blue Lights
The House of Blue Lights
The House Of Blue Lights was the name given to a house on the far northeast side of Indianapolis. Decorated year round with blue Christmas lights, it was actually the home of eccentric Indianapolis millionaire Skiles Edward Test...
.
Skiles Test, a local business man, lived on the property from 1913 to 1964. The property once had a miniature railway
Ridable miniature railway
A ridable miniature railway is a ground-level, large scale model railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are models of full-sized railway locomotives .-Overview:Typically they have a rail track gauge between and , though both larger and...
and a pool with bathhouses, elevators, and highdives.
In the 1990s, the park became the subject of controversy because it was being used as a tea room
Cottaging
Cottaging is a British gay slang term referring to anonymous sex between men in a public lavatory , or cruising for sexual partners with the intention of having sex elsewhere...
by local gay men, often in the sight of children. A teacher from New Castle, Indiana
New Castle, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,780 people, 7,462 households, and 4,805 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,987.5 people per square mile . There were 8,042 housing units at an average density of 1,351.3 per square mile...
, was caught exposing himself to a student and arrested in 2004.