As Mirror Indy’s eastside neighborhood reporter, I want to learn more about the neighborhoods eastsiders call home. In January, I wrote about the history of Irvington, Woodruff Place and Martindale Brightwood.
This time, I’m exploring a few of the near eastside neighborhoods. Have a suggestion for other neighborhoods I should look into? Email me at darian.benson@mirrorindy.org.
Holy Cross’ Catholic history
Holy Cross is believed to be one of the first areas settled in Indianapolis. Casey Ann Pogue, a relative of early Indianapolis settler George Pogue, received a land patent along New York Street in 1822.
Indiana Governor Noah Noble purchased the land a decade later and his daughter inherited it in 1844. In 1849, the daughter and her husband platted a subdivision with 135 units.
The neighborhood’s name comes from the Church of the Holy Cross. The Catholic diocese founded the church in the late 1880s after an increase of Irish, Italian and German immigrants in the area.
When families moved to the suburbs in the 1960s, many businesses and churches followed. However, the Church of the Holy Cross stayed and increased community outreach programs.
In the early 1970s, the neighborhood’s population declined even more following the demolition of homes for the construction of interstates 65 and 70.
The Archdiocese of Indianapolis closed the church in 2014 and parts of the building collapsed in 2015. The Archdiocese wanted to demolish the then-vacant building, but many Holy Cross neighbors were opposed.
In 2024, the city’s Metropolitan Development Commission voted to designate the church grounds a historic landmark.
Little Flower also has Catholic ties
Little Flower is another near eastside neighborhood with ties to a Catholic church. In the 1920s, real estate investors hoped a new Catholic parish would encourage people to buy homes in the area.
Investors handed over land to build a church and school, according to St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church. The first mass was held in a grocery store in July 1925.
In 1940, Little Flower had a population of 4,188. Most church parishioners were of Irish or German descent. In the second half of the 20th century, the neighborhood was home to many young adults.
The Near East Side Community Organization describes the neighborhood as cozy, and many of its homes are bungalows. The neighborhood is still home to Little Flower Catholic Church and School.
Willard Park honors Indiana School for the Deaf founder
Willard Park is located west of Holy Cross and named after William Willard, founder of Indiana School for the Deaf. Willard started the school in the area in 1843. Soon after, the state began funding the school, making it the sixth state school of its kind in the U.S. and the first to offer free tuition.
When the school moved in the early 1900s, the city purchased the property with the goal of turning it into a park. Willard Park was included in architect George Edward Kessler’s Boulevard and Park System plans — a first comprehensive plan for the city’s parks.
In 1916, Willard Park featured tennis courts, a baseball diamond, a football field and a stone walkway. A swimming pool was added in the 1930s. The park also added a 13,000-square-foot skatepark in 2022 — the city’s first new skatepark in more than 20 years.
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Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.
Related
The eastside history behind Irvington, Woodruff Place, Martindale Brightwood
Mirror Indy looked into the history of a few neighborhoods eastsiders call home.
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