Michael's Great House Hunt: In Search of Indiana Eichler

Posted: Thu, Apr 28, 2005

One thing I will never understand is why people choose to live in the glorified box that is the traditional ranch house. Or better yet, why would you elect to put some hard earned cash down on a home that is nothing more than four walls and a roof? You know what I'm talking about - those non-descript little white pill boxes that seem to be popular no matter what the decade. Barely a porch and not much personality, such homes almost equal death to quality of life for me.

Does that make me pretentious? Well – who cares? Let's not forget how much I love my stuff.

One thing I also love is retro culture. If I were a little bit cooler, I'd be dressing like I had stepped out of 1951. If I were a lot richer, I'd be driving a '58 Belaire. If I were a little bit smarter, I would have done all of this before the retro fad came and went in the '90s.

And finally – if I lived on the west coast, I'd have an Eichler home.

Joseph Eichler, along with a select few other architects, was on the forefront of modern home design in the 50s. A contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright, Eichler built homes for the middle class family who wanted to step into the modern age after the dark days of the war. His pitched roofs, large walls of glass and interior atriums were a signature of his style, along with the clean lines, 90 degree angles and intersecting planes of space.

Whole communities sprung up based on his floor plans, and even in Colorado, there is a push to mark his homes with the "historic" label. Yeah… if I lived on the west coast, I'd do anything to have one of these babies.

But I live in Indiana. The mid-West. Where "country" and "ranch" go hand and hand. Craftsman architecture is often mistaken to mean the kind of tools used to build a house (even though the name is a derivative of… oh nevermind) and finally, where everyone seems to want to live in non-descript white rectangle houses. Yes – I am exaggerating.

Indianapolis has plenty of bungalows skirting its edges. The small towns that were later absorbed by downtown proper offer up many low-slung grand porches, tapered columns and shotgun style homes. We strive to maintain our history through the many Victorian beauties that populate areas such as Herron-Morton or Fletcher Place.

But something weird about Indiana – it seems that we lost all of our home building style after the 1930s and picked it back up somewhere in the 1970s. For about 50 years we seem to have been so obsessed with the rectangular ranch that we completely ignored anything else. I grew up in a ranch. It was long. It was rectangular. Great. Let's hear it for boring! Where oh where can this bachelor find his space age bachelor pad?

Luckily, I was saved. I ran across an ad on Mibor for a house located in the Devon Hills area near 46th and Arlington. The front of the home had a brick wall that extended out from the house and into the yard. The roof was pitched almost like an A-frame and along the top of the front ran small windows in a repeating rectangular pattern. AHA! I had found one.

Driving into the area, I noticed several more houses like this – with side car-ports whose roofs joined the main house – large bays of rectangular and square windows – blocky fireplaces that seemed to grow from the very foundation of the house itself. At last! My own little 1950s utopia in Indianapolis.

But wait – there's more! A friend of mine purchased a very Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home over near 56th and Emerson Ave. This three story square column rises from a hill side, where its roof connects to the carport and provides shelter for the wooden walkway which spans the valley between the hill side and house. A ring of windows line the uppermost story of the house, while a massive fireplace provides the hub to the central tower of the home.

This one, being well outside of my price range, inspired me to comb the neighborhoods of Indy in search of more of this 50s retro home architecture. I was amazed at what I found. Even more amazing was that, when driving around, I soon began to spot more and more of these swank 1950s pads. Many are in areas that are way outside of my price range, but they're fun to gaze at nonetheless.

So if you're looking to get your retro on, and need a home to match, try driving through some of the following areas:
- Near Main and Guilford in Carmel

- Just north and south of 46th street, around Emerson and Arlington Avenues.

- North-East of 16th and Shadeland.

- Between 62nd and 65th street, east of Keystone Avenue.

If you drive through these neighborhoods, be sure to let me know if any cool homes are for sale!

Comments

1. Apr 28, 05 11:08 AM | Norm Stephens said:

Seems like the story ends ... in midsentence? "The front of the home had a brick wall tha" :-)

2. Apr 28, 05 11:16 AM | Michael Packer said:

Argh! I blame MySQL. It should be fixed now. :/

3. Apr 28, 05 12:08 PM | Norm Stephens said:

I think after the WWII the name of the game was building homes fast ... and the ranch style home was fast, easy, and inexpensive to build. It sounds like you found yourself a treasure ... now what would that same home of cost in California? :-)

What a trade off?

California: Indiana:

Lots of sun Less sun
Nice ocean Nice cornfields
Big earthquakes Small earthquakes
Lots of people Less people
Lots of traffic Less traffic
Expensive housing Affordable Housing
MJ lives there ... Former home of MJ

4. Apr 28, 05 12:27 PM | Aimee said:

Michael- Have you checked out the Pleasant Run or Irvington neighborhoods? Might be worth a look see...

Aimee

5. Apr 28, 05 01:52 PM | Norm Stephens said:

"Just north and south of 46th street, around Emerson and Arlington Avenues."

My Aunt use to live in a split level just south of East 46th on Cheviot Place. The large glass windows made the house seem like you were outside. It was a nice compromise with a garage under the house and a carport off of the garage ... very retro in the 50s styling.

6. Apr 28, 05 02:26 PM | Michael Packer said:

I've some cool houses on Cheviot, I believe - lots of flat roofs and open flor plans in more of a Bauhaus style. Audubon, Bolton and Leslie (I think) have smaller 3 bedroom homes, all with a similar '50s style, if even, the same floorplans. And I can see how Michael Jackson being a pro/con for location being an issue :D

Oh but I wish I could afford to snag one of the homes in Irvington! Though the houses there are more 20s -30s it seems like, they still have plenty of style.

7. Apr 28, 05 02:58 PM | Norm Stephens said:

The house on Cheviot Place was a two bedroom with a small office across from a small kitchen. The dining room created an L-shape with the large front room. The central stone fireplace was extended to the exterior of the house and the lower level. The family room was directly below the front room and contained a fireplace also. The house was set into the side of a hill ... giving you an upstairs and downstairs ... and two ground levels connected by an open staircase with a fountain below it. Patio doors led to a wrap around walkway that shielded the lower sidwalk from the weather. Dated in 1980 ... Retro today! :-)

8. May 1, 05 06:51 AM | scott said:

We moved to Indiana because I was starting a PhD at Purdue and my wife was working in Indy. For logistical sanity we decided to live in Lebanon to split the distance. We had never lived in a small town and were very much urban people. Years later, we decided to stay because of the older-home housing market. We bought a 1908 home with loads of character. The price was about what you would pay to be neighbors to a crack dealer in some Indy neighborhoods.

9. Jan 13, 06 07:41 PM | Norm said:

Here's a link to the house on Cheviot ... and it's for sale ... now is your chance. :-)

www.obeo.com/225008

10. Jan 16, 06 02:36 PM | Chuck said:

Just wanted to let you know that we finally put our swanky 60's home on the market last week and wanted to provide you a link to the virtual tour.

This home was designed by Avriel Shull in 1959 with great attention to detail and quality material. She "billed" it as the home of the future and many of it's features were simply not incorporated into a home at that time.

We have lived here for 14 years and it will be hard to leave behind.

The pictures at this link actually show more of the home that the 360 virtual tour. Anyway. . . here's the link and Thank You in advance.

www.obeo.com/225008

11. Jan 19, 06 07:14 AM | Norm said:

Chuck ... it looks like the designer of your house was famous enough for Life Magazine ... and the May 14, 1951 issue of it had some very good pictures of Avriel and Richard Shull's wedding in it ... including a full page photo of the bride.

12. Feb 4, 06 11:13 AM | David said:

Michael, I'm rehabing this home on Audubon, contact me, it will be on the market soon...and, I just bought the home on Cheviot Pl. contact @ bozco77@yahoo.com

13. Feb 9, 06 07:52 PM | Victoria said:

It was so great reading someone else's thoughts about the quest for a googie-fabulous ranch in Indy. :o) My fiance and I keep holding out for "the one"...(in our price range :o) ).

Chuck, what an amazing house!! And David, big kudos on snagging that!!!! :o)

14. Feb 9, 06 08:21 PM | Victoria said:

Cool area on the east side with ranches:

Between 10th and Washington and Kitley and Edmundson (Edmundson is west of Shadeland).

Neat-o house for sale in that area:
6606 Spring Brook S Dr
Indianapolis 46219
$ 299,000
MLS Number: 2546033

15. Feb 10, 06 08:54 PM | Norm said:

Avriel Shull designed homes have been built all over the US and Canada. Locally, she designed, built, and decorated homes in a number of Marion County subdivisions. These developments include: Springmill Estates, Williams Creek Heights, Somerset Hills, Devon Woods, Meridian Hills, Woodbrook Downs, Village Farms, Eden Forest, and Williston Green.

16. Oct 2, 06 02:13 PM | richard serra said:

I would love to have an Avriel Shull home. I would relocate from the west coast. I am an artist and would look for a smaller one.

If anyone hears of anything coming up, please contact me! And thank you.

17. Oct 2, 06 04:53 PM | jeff said:

I've lived in California for several years, and while I don't miss those sweltering Indy summers, the thought of moving home and buying a 60's ranch sounds pretty good sometimes. An Eichler in Silicon Valley or Marin County can easily go for over a million dollars today, and that's not even for a renovated one. To me, even a "generic" brick ranch can be cool. My Dad has one on the westside that he paid $77,000 for in the early nineties, and (beneath the Ethan Allen furniture and NASCAR memorabilia) it's a total pad. He's always complaining about it being so "old", but if that thing were in L.A., Silverlake hipsters would be freaking out over it.

And.....Is that really Richard Serra saying he would move to Indianapolis!?!?!?!

18. Oct 5, 06 02:20 AM | Richard Serra said:

Yeah, it's me. And I am an artist/minimalist...but not that one.

I think he could afford to buy Portugal!
Finest minimalist artist/sculptor in history.

No, I'm looking for an Avriel Shull or similar vintage MCModern for myself. I'd love to relocate back to the midwest. Grew up one state over.

Can't find anything except on modernbones.com, and that's under contract so I'm told.

Any help with a knowledgeable realtor or potential friend to help would be invaluable.

Cheers to all.

Richard
richardserra@adelphia.net

19. Oct 24, 06 05:39 PM | Stacy said:

I'm not too familiar with the area over by 46th and Emerson but I have seen a few MCM houses go on the market near there. What's the area like? My husband and I drove though but its hard to get a sense of a place sometimes when you're just passing by.

20. Jan 10, 07 07:26 AM | Stephan said:

ck out the area just off of Kessler and 38th (2nd left after you pass 38th heading south.) The street is called Green Hills Lane. Very cool homes back there.

21. Feb 6, 07 03:19 AM | Karen said:

I am dying for an Avriel Shull home in Carmel. If anyone knows of one let me know!!!!!

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