Fountain Square, Indianapolis

Fountain Square
Indianapolis Cultural District
Fountain Square Theatre Building and the Lady Spray Fountain in the foreground.
Fountain Square Theatre Building and the Lady Spray Fountain in the foreground.
Flag of Fountain Square
Flag
Official logo of Fountain Square
Logo
Motto: 
Anything but square[1]
Fountain Square is located in Indianapolis
Fountain Square
Fountain Square
Fountain Square is located in Indiana
Fountain Square
Fountain Square
Fountain Square is located in the United States
Fountain Square
Fountain Square
Coordinates: 39°45′8″N 86°8′24″W / 39.75222°N 86.14000°W / 39.75222; -86.14000
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyMarion
Settled1835
Historic district1983
Government
 • CouncillorsKristin Jones (D-17)
Zach Adamson (D-17)
Frank Mascari (D-21)
Population
 • Estimate 
(2020)[2]
9,839
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code
46203
WebsiteFountain Fletcher District

Fountain Square (abbreviated as FSQ) is one of seven designated cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. Located just outside the city's downtown district, Fountain Square is home to three designated national historic districts, the Laurel and Prospect, the State and Prospect, and the Virginia Avenue districts,[3] all of which were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[4] The neighborhood derives its name from the successive fountains that have been prominently featured at the intersection of Virginia Avenue, East Prospect Street, and Shelby Street.[5]

Fountain Square is the first commercial historic district in Indiana,[6][7][8] and it is the only portion of the city outside the initial mile square that has continually operated as a recognized commercial area since the 1870s.[9] Its significance is not only as an early commercial district, but additionally as one developed and dominated by German-American immigrants, merchants, and entrepreneurs, who established a strong German character on the city's southside.[10] From the 1920s to the 1950s, Fountain Square was the city's main entertainment district,[11] with as many as seven theaters in operation at one point in time.[12]

After the construction of the interstate through Indianapolis, a portion of Fountain Square was demolished, with the remaining neighborhood disconnected from the surrounding areas.[13] After decades of population decline, the neighborhood is estimated to have 9,839 inhabitants.[2] Historic preservation efforts began in the late 1990s, and the neighborhood slowly re-emerged as a vibrant commercial center. Today, Fountain Square is widely considered to be Indianapolis's newest trendy neighborhood,[7] with an eclectic mix of retro architecture and modern, urban design.[14]

  1. ^ "Fountain Square". Downtown Indy. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Fountain Square". Niche. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-08-01. Note: This includes Mary Toshach; Mary Ellen Gadski; James Reed; Cecelia Boggs (February 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Fountain Square Commercial Historic District" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-01. and Accompanying photographs
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Historic & Conservation Districts". indy.gov. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Fountain Square Commercial Areas TR". NPGallery Digital Asset Management System. National Park Service. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  7. ^ a b Davis, Victoria T. (July 7, 2017). "7 things you'll only find in Fountain Square". RTV6 Indianapolis. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Homepage - Fountain Square Indy". Fountain Square Theatre Building. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  9. ^ Browne, Tiffany Benedict (November 26, 2011). "10 Reasons Fountain Square Would Be My Next Indianapolis Neighborhood…". Historic Indianapolis.com. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Historic Area Preservation Plan Fountain Square" (PDF). Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission. January 1984. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  11. ^ Fenneman, Kate (April 2001). "Streetscape". Indianapolis Monthly. Emmis Communications: 30. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  12. ^ Bodenhamer, David J. (November 22, 1994). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Indiana University Press. p. 597. ISBN 0253112494. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Fountain Square Neighborhood, Timeline: 1820-1997" (PDF). The Polis Center. IUPUI. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  14. ^ Young, Julie (July 1, 2009). Eastside Indianapolis: A Brief History. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1625842619. Retrieved 5 February 2020.