This gracious historic community, located just one mile east of downtown Indianapolis, is recognized as Indianapolis’s first planned residential suburb. In a beautiful park-like setting, you will find fine examples of lovely Victorian era homes, esplanades with fountains and statuary, and an ambiance that is unlike any other. Woodruff Place was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The City’s First Suburb
Woodruff Place was the first “suburban” neighborhood in Indianapolis. Located just over a mile from downtown, the area’s significance lies in its unique character as a planned residential community created within a park-like atmosphere. Though not exactly a convenient location in 1872, (nearly an hour by wagon from the center of town), local advertisements were successful in attracting curious visitors eager to see what could possibly be so special about this place where the cost of a 40 x 80 foot lot exceeded a year’s wage.
