Lockerbie Square is the oldest surviving residential district in Indianapolis, and it’s wonderfully restored and preserved. I found myself there on a Downtown stroll with my Pentax ES II and a 55/1.8 SMC Takumar, Kodak Ektar 100 aboard.
What a perfect time to photograph Lockerbie’s homes: the trees had just started to leaf, lending color and interest to my photos, but weren’t so full that they blocked the homes.
It was also midevening. The sun’s warm light cast interesting shadows everywhere.
I occasionally encountered people on the street, residents I’m sure. None of them gave me and my camera a second glance. Perhaps Lockerbie is a frequent photo destination?
Even when you have no camera in your hands, Lockerbie is a charming evening stroll.
Lockerbie Square was built by immigrants, and most of its homes were constructed before 1910. By World War II, the neighborhood was in decline; many of these homes had become boardinghouses and apartments.
But from about the 1960s the neighborhood began to be restored. Some of these homes were in deplorable condition, but today every last one is well loved and well cared for.
On the only surviving cobblestone street in Indianapolis stands the former home of Lockerbie’s most famous resident, James Whitcomb Riley. In his day, he was an enormously famous Hoosier. The home is open for tours. I’ve done it twice, it’s so good. The house is very nearly as it was in Riley’s day, with most of the furniture being what Riley and the family with which he lived all used. This is as close to a time capsule house as you’ll ever find.
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