Central Court Historic District Explained

Central Court Historic District
Nrhp Type:hd
Nocat:yes
Location:3529-3575 Central Ave., 515-551 E. 36th St. and Central Ct., Indianapolis, Indiana
Coordinates:39.8222°N -86.1481°W
Architect:Oscar A. Jose; Peter Balz
Architecture:Prairie School, Bungalow/Craftsman
Added:September 29, 2004
Refnum:04001101

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 36th Street and Central Avenue,[1] the neighborhood consists of seventy-five buildings over an area of .

Central Court was platted 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 styles 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.

Notes and References

  1. Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. Center Township, Marion County Interim Report. Indianapolis: Indiana Landmarks, 1991.