Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, the Emerson Heights neighborhood dates to the 1910s, when developers purchased farmland on the edge of Indianapolis’s east side, divided it onto parcels, and began building Arts and Crafts-style homes on the lots. The developers established the boundaries of Emerson Heights as Tenth Street to the north, Michigan Street to the south, Linwood Avenue to west, and Emerson Avenue to the east. These remain the neighborhood’s boundaries today.
When Emerson Heights was founded, streetcars had been running to nearby Irvington for several years, but the rise of the automobile made the area even more accessible to residents moving out of the congested downtown. The real estate company that developed Emerson Heights built quality homes at affordable prices, and this helped to attract the growing middle class to the neighborhood.
Emerson Heights was a carefully planned community, with many of the homes situated on hillsides above streets with esplanades. No homes could be built for less than $1,200, and all had to be set back an equal distance from the curb in order to create a pleasant streetscape. Entrances to the neighborhood featured brick pillars adorned with flowers.
All the qualities that helped make Emerson Heights appealing in its early years still abound today, drawing in new generations who are eager to call Emerson Heights home.
News Clippings
Interested in seeing what this neighborhood was like in the past? Review these news clips and advertisements.
Indy Star: April 19, 1914 – “New Home Tract is Beauty Spot”
Indy Star: October 28, 1915 – “Only 150 Lots Left in this Beautiful Addition”
Indy Star: October 14, 1917 – “Every Man Making $20 or Over a Week Need Not Live in a Rented House”
Indy Star: November 17, 1918 – “Home Building Again is Active”
Indy Star: October 17, 1920 – “Emerson Heights and Vicinity”
Indy Star: December 3, 1922 – “Emerson Ridge, Only 20 Lots Remain”
Indy Star: June 20, 1923 – “Cozy, Brand New Modern Bungalow”
Indy Star: September 14, 1931 – “Kindergartens Opened Today”
Indy Star: March 6, 1946 – “Kindergarten Closing Brings Emerson Neighbors Together”
Indy Star: March 6, 1946 – “East Side Civid League Formed”
Indy Star: June 13, 1946 – “Kindergarten Sees Hope for New Quarters”
Indy Star: August 6, 1946 – “Board Refuses Fruit Market”
Indy Star: February 1, 1949 – “Emerson Heights, Hotshots Capture Tourney Champions”
Indy Star: January 22, 1955 – “Church to Mark 40th Anniversary”
Indy Star: December 2, 1956 – “21 Houses Sold in New Emerson Heights Addition”
Indy Star: February 27, 1960 – “Remodeled Sanctuary to be Dedicate”
Indy Star: July 2, 1968 – “Letters to the Editor: A Little Co-Operation”
The Indianapolis News: January 15, 1993 – “Neighbors, Owner Agree on Emerson’s New Role”
Indy Star: October 24, 1999 – “Feature: Homes – The Way We Lived”
Indy Star: November 14, 2002 – “Where We Live: Then and Now”
Indy Star: September 10, 2017 – “East-side Kids Get a Chance to be Champs”