Booth Tarkington House

Excerpt

From

The World Does Move

Booth Tarkington

At the centre, we had finished the building of our great monument to the men of our state who had fought in the Civil War, the War with Mexico and the War of 1812. The shaft rose two hundred feet and more in the air, a mark to be seen all over the countryside, far and wide. Forever it was to dominate; forever it was to stand high above the tallest buildings of the city; for it was higher, even, than the noble green dome of the State House. Straight northward from the monument ran the “principal residence street,” paralleled by four other “principal residence streets” of rival merit. These avenues were amply broad for the family carriages, bicycles, phaëtons, buggies and light delivery wagons that formed the traffic; and they were shaded by maples, by sycamores where lazy bayous from the creek had been, and by old elms, hickory and black walnut trees, relics of the original forest. By mid-Maytime, on many of the streets, leafy branches had crossed and mingled above the roadway, so that the movement below was through cool green tunnels and emerged into sharp sunlight only at the crossings.

Most of the houses facing upon the “principal residence streets” were built solidly of brick and trimmed with white stone; the windows were all plate-glass; the ceilings were high–eleven to fifteen and even sixteen feet; the staircases were walnut and the verandas were of stone or painted wood. The lawns were broad, often generously without fences to mark dividing lines; there were shade and orchard trees in every yard; some yards had fountains, and one or two cast-iron deer were left, though these were disappearing.

NOTES

When Indianapolis experienced a population boom in the 1890s, downtown became more crowded and industrialized. Wealthier residents moved north to escape the fast pace of city life. In the ensuing years, their transition was facilitated by the growing popularity of the personal automobile and the expansion of the city’s trolley car system. By the 1930s, the 4000 block of Meridian, lined with stately mansions, was one of the most prestigious places to live in the city. Booth Tarkington, author of The Magnificent Ambersons, Alice Adams, and other acclaimed novels, made his home at 4270 North Meridian Street from 1923 until his death in 1946.

—Gwen Sunkel, “In the Park: Tarkington Park”
HistoricIndianapolis.com, July 12, 2014

Indianapolis native Booth Tarkington, best known for his Pulitzer Prize–winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams, was considered one of America’s greatest living authors in the 1910s and 1920s. In addition to his award-winning adult fiction, he also wrote dramatic works and popular young adult novels such as Penrod. Tarkington, along with Meredith Nicholson, George Ade and James Whitcomb Riley, was a leading figure during the Golden Age of Indiana Literature.

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4270 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208

Please note the Booth Tarkington Home is a private residence. We ask that you admire the home and grounds from the public sidewalk and do not trespass.

Closest IndyGo Stop:

Illinois Street & 42nd Street (Routes 18 & 28)

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Magnificent Meridian Street Tour

June 29, 2021 | 7:00-8:00 p.m. | 4270 North Meridian Street

We know you’ve gawked at all the houses while speeding along North Meridian Street in your car—now rediscover Indianapolis’s most famous thoroughfare with an up-close and personal walking tour. We’ll meet on the sidewalk outside the home of Booth Tarkington (author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Magnificent Ambersons) and head north, marveling at what the National Park Service calls “a living encyclopedia of American architecture from the roaring twenties.” Historian Jordan Ryan will serve as our host, pointing out the historic homes and telling the stories of the families who lived in them. Masks required.

Registration is required: https://meridiantour.eventbrite.com

Partner: Jordan Ryan