This lovely 153-year-old house is among a small number of houses from this era that remain in Hamilton County, Indiana – and it’s in very real danger of being demolished.
As I said when I first shared this house with you last year, it stands next to I-69 on 106th Street in Fishers, which is a suburb of Indianapolis. It is surrounded by housing subdivisions and office parks.
According to The Indianapolis Star, the land-development company that owns the property planned to demolish the house last week to clear the way for office and retail development. Fortunately, historic preservation organizations intervened, and are talking with the developer about ways to save this historic house.
The news report confirmed some things I’ve learned about this house since I wrote about it last year. It was built in 1861 by Peter Flanagan. Its brick walls are said to be 13 inches thick! The property passed through members of the Flanagan family until 1934 when Loma Kincaid bought it. Mr. Kincaid founded the L. E. Kincaid & Sons butcher shop about 20 miles away in Indianapolis. His butcher shop is still in business. It’s not far from my home, and I’m an occasional customer there. I love connections like this!
I’m rooting for the Flanagan/Kincaid house, but I feel pessimistic for it. Fishers is experiencing explosive growth, making this land very valuable. Additionally, the Indiana Department of Transportation is seriously considering adding an interchange at 106th St. with I-69. Given how close this house is to the existing overpass, I imagine that project would also imperil the house.
I hope that the preservationists and historians on the case are persistent and tenacious.
One of the oldest houses in Indianapolis is the 1834 Boardman House. See it here.
