On May 15, 2014 John Carmer, Chris Gautier, and Brenda Havens each took groups of 10-15 people on walking tours of Historic Meridian Park. The 90-minute tour started at the beautifully refurbished Meridian Park Studios (the former Art League) and walked by former homes of:
- Aviator Weir Cook
- Philanthropist Harrison Eiteljorg
- Businessmen Louis Huesmann, Howard J. Lacy Sr., and George Marott
- Educator Louis B. Russell
The tour also highlighted local homes built by notable Indy and national architects such as:
- Jose Balz
- Arthur Bonn
- Harry Fitton
- Lawrence George
- Howard van Doren Shaw
The Reverend Bob and Joann Giannini graciously opened their lovely 1909 home designed by Clarence Martindale for a walk through. Early owners of the home included Anthony Kleinschmidt, President of Builder’s Supply Co.; Charles Emerson, Dean of the Indiana School of Medicine; and Ben Solomon, the IMA’s first Decorative Arts Curator and co-owner of Solomon Antiques.
John Carmer discussed characteristics of American Arts and Crafts architecture with tour goers along the Washington Blvd. leg of the tour.
A very special thank you to Jess LaNore and Lorraine Vavul for researching and compiling talking points for our tour guides.