Historic Photographs

Home

Search

Subject Browse
Browse by Subject >>

State/City Browse
Alaska
Alabama
Arkansas
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Iowa
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Maryland
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Mississippi
Montana
North Carolina
North Dakota
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Nevada
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
West Virginia
Wyoming

Home

 >

Indiana

 >

Indianapolis

 >

L. S. Ayres & Company Department Store, 1 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Marion County, IN



See 19 maps of this location


B&W Photos

HB471170
BWPhotos 379463
HB471171
BWPhotos 379464
HB471172
BWPhotos 379465
HB471173
BWPhotos 379466

HB471174
BWPhotos 379467
HB471175
BWPhotos 379468
HB471176
BWPhotos 379469
HB471177
BWPhotos 379470

HB471178
BWPhotos 379471
HB471179
BWPhotos 379472
HB471180
BWPhotos 379473
HB471181
BWPhotos 379474

HB471182
BWPhotos 379475
HB471183
BWPhotos 379476
HB471184
BWPhotos 379477
HB471185
BWPhotos 379478

HB471186
BWPhotos 379479
HB471187
BWPhotos 379480
HB471188
BWPhotos 379481
HB471189
BWPhotos 379482

HB471190
BWPhotos 379483
HB471191
BWPhotos 379484
HB471192
BWPhotos 379485
HB471193
BWPhotos 379486

HB471194
BWPhotos 379487
HB471195
BWPhotos 379488
HB471196
BWPhotos 379489
HB471197
BWPhotos 379490

HB471198
BWPhotos 379491
HB471199
BWPhotos 379492
HB471200
BWPhotos 379493
HB471201
BWPhotos 379494

HB471202
BWPhotos 379495
HB471203
BWPhotos 379496
HB471204
BWPhotos 379497
HB471205
BWPhotos 379498

HB471206
BWPhotos 379499
HB471207
BWPhotos 379500
HB471208
BWPhotos 379501
HB471209
BWPhotos 379502

HB471210
BWPhotos 379503
HB471211
BWPhotos 379504
HB471212
BWPhotos 379505
HB471213
BWPhotos 379506

HB471214
BWPhotos 379507
HB471215
BWPhotos 379508


Item Title
BWPhotos 379508

Location
1 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN

Find maps of Indianapolis, IN


Created/Published
Documentation compiled after 1933.

Notes
Survey number HABS IN-253
Significance: The L.S. Ayres & Company Department Store is locally significant in the areas of architecture and commerce. The original 1905 portion of the department store, located at the corner of Washington and Meridian Streets, was the work of one of Indianapolis' most famous architectural firms, Vonnegut & Bohn. When opened, the original building was the first "modern" department store built in the city. It was eight stories high, with six modern elevators, 250 feet of show windows, soda fountain and Tea Room - plus a startling concept locally, the Economy Basement. For nearly eighty years, the Ayres department store, was one of the leading retail dry goods operations in Indiana. Additions constructed in 1914 and 1928-29 were designed by the firm of Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller. The final addition, built in 1946, was the work of the nationally recognized firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago. The construction was under the personal supervision of Nathaniel Owings, a former Indianapolis resident. From its founding, the department store has been "first in Indiana": in 1872, city water, in 1876, illuminating gas. A telephone was installed in 1877, and in 1880, electric lights. The year 1890 saw the first elevator and 1928, the first air conditioning in an Indianapolis department store. Escalators came in 1937, with access to all selling floors by 1954. The new and now familiar credit card service, the Carga-Plate was introduced in 1937.

Collection
Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

Contents


Back to Indianapolis, Indiana