Realty Check: A Pierre & Wright Design Reigns In Williams Creek

Before the architecture duo Pierre & Wright became well-known around Indy, they made a  splash in the 1920s by designing five showhomes to be featured at the Fairgrounds. After this success, popularity boomed in the area, and eager buyers transformed the remaining farmland into Williams Creek. Four of the original Pierre & Wright showhomes stand today, including this sprawling Italianate, now on the market.

The current owners worked diligently to retain many of the home’s original features. Entering the massive front doors, the grandeur of the foyer feels Gatsby-esque, with the brass-and-crystal chandelier illuminating wooden beams and wrought-iron touches throughout. Don’t pass through too quickly—you’ll miss the door that shields a hidden staircase to a basement, now outfitted with amenities like a movie theater. When not in use, the screen retracts into the ceiling and reveals a bay of stained-glass windows.

The marriage of old luxury and comfortable convenience continues into the open-concept kitchen, a bright addition that provides gobs of natural light, 10-foot ceilings, and a luxe La Cornue range. For a cohesive flow, the owners were careful to match the shape of the new windows with the originals. Upstairs, the master suite addition feels like a retreat, with its wall of windows, French doors, and heated floors in an opulent bathroom.

Glimpses of yesteryear splendor abound on every floor in this four-bedroom, five-bath historical home. An original “clothes vault” is tucked away in an upstairs closet—a high-end 1920s purchase to keep moths and other pests far from furs and finery.

Though Pierre & Wright went on to larger-scale projects, like the Indiana State Library and Arsenal Tech High School, it was their pioneering work in Williams Creek that cemented their names in local history.

WANT TO BUY IT?

Address

551 Forest Blvd.

List Price

$1,175,000

Agent

Sam Hawkins, F.C. Tucker, 317-679-9211