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Benton House

Historic house museums in IndianaHouses completed in 1873Houses in IndianapolisHouses on the National Register of Historic Places in IndianaIndiana building and structure stubs
Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in IndianaMarion County, Indiana Registered Historic Place stubsMidwestern United States museum stubsMuseums in IndianapolisNRHP infobox with nocatNational Register of Historic Places in IndianapolisSecond Empire architecture in Indiana
Benton House, Irvington, Indianapolis
Benton House, Irvington, Indianapolis

The Benton House is a historic home located in Irvington, a historic neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana. Built in 1873, the home housed Allen R. Benton, a former president of Butler University, when it was known as North Western Christian University. It is a two-story, Second Empire style brick dwelling with a mansard roof. It sits on a rugged stone foundation and features an entrance tower and ornate windows.The Irvington Historic Landmarks Foundation was formed in 1966 to oversee the purchase and restoration of the Benton House. It now serves as a meeting place for the foundation and can be rented for private parties. All proceeds from events go toward the maintenance of the Benton House and future renovations. In 1973 the home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.The Benton House is also listed as an Indiana Museum. It is the only house on the Indianapolis East Side listed in the Historic Register that is available to the public.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Benton House (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Benton House
South Downey Avenue, Indianapolis Irvington

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Wikipedia: Benton HouseContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 39.765555555556 ° E -86.076111111111 °
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Address

South Downey Avenue 280
46219 Indianapolis, Irvington
Indiana, United States
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Benton House, Irvington, Indianapolis
Benton House, Irvington, Indianapolis
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North Irvington Gardens Historic District
North Irvington Gardens Historic District

The North Irvington Gardens Historic District is a neighborhood and national historic district in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 27, 2008. It is immediately to the north of the Irvington Historic District, which has been on the National Register since 1987, sharing the same east and west boundaries of the older district (Arlington Avenue and Emerson Avenue, respectively), and extending north to 10th and 11th streets. It is a neighborhood of mostly residential buildings dating primarily from 1910 to 1950, with no one distinctive architectural style, including a house associated with the historic Osborn Farm. Except for one church, the only buildings contributing to the historic nature of the district are 843 houses and 551 garages. Most fences in the district mark the perimeter of the individual properties; very few are along the streets.The district was placed on the register for three reasons. First, it reflects residential development trends during its time of significance. Second, noted author Margaret Weymouth Jackson lived in the district between World War I and World War II. Finally, it reflects the various styles used in residence in a "textbook" manner, particularly "small houses".One of the prominent structures in the district is Harold's Steer-In, built in 1951. It is a contributing building even though it was built one year after the era of notability. Originally named Northways Restaurant when it opened in 1951, it became Laughner's Cafeteria from the mid-1950s to 1964, at which time it gained the name Harold's Steer-In. It has remained open since then except for three weeks in 2004 when it seemed to have closed for good until two employees invested in the restaurant and reopened it in time for a special Thanksgiving Day feast for loyal customers. It is one of the few surviving authentic drive-ins left in Indianapolis. Peyton Manning once filmed a commercial for MasterCard in the building in 2005.The Irvington Development Organization was the driving force in obtaining National Register status for the district. Money from a Preserve America grant given to the organization funded this effort.