Four historic churches will be featured in Indiana Landmarks’ 2024 Holiday Church Tour, a Dec. 7th exploration of Indianapolis’s historic Irvington neighborhood, highlighting the architecture, history and preservation of sacred spaces.

The self-directed tour allows participants to go at their own pace, with church interiors – some decorated for the holidays – open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors should allow at least 2 hours to enjoy the full experience.

Tourgoers are responsible for their own transportation between stops. Parking is available at all sites but may be limited. Street parking is available on most surrounding streets. Interiors of all sites are accessible via ramp and elevator. (For more information, contact tourism@indianalandmarks.org.)

Indiana Landmarks presents this tour in partnership with area congregations, and a portion of the proceeds benefit Indiana Landmarks’ Sacred Places Indiana program.
Tour stops include the following.

• Irvington Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson Ave. A petition signed by more than 100 residents helped establish Irvington Presbyterian Church in 1906. After worshiping in various Irvington locations, including school auditoriums and a tent, the congregation dedicated its first building, a simple red brick structure, in 1909. By 1924, significant growth and financing from sources including (then) Butler College allowed for a new church. Dedicated in 1929, the current Gothic limestone building, designed by local architect and congregation member Merritt Harrison, included a two-story gymnasium built over first-floor meeting and Sunday School rooms. Though the congregation has adapted the building to suit changing needs, the original 1929 gym floor is still used in the second-floor classrooms.

• Irvington United Methodist Church, 30 N. Audubon Rd. Originally formed in 1878, the congregation of Irvington Methodist Episcopal Church resided at a series of locations in Irvington before taking on an usual property as its church home – the former residence of Thomas Carr Howe, then president of Butler University. The 1906 brick Tudor Revival-style house needed a few additions for its new purpose, and local architect Herbert Folz, designer of Shortridge High School and several other area churches, was chosen for the project. The adapted building was dedicated in 1926 as Irvington Methodist Episcopal Church, known since 1968 as Irvington United Methodist Church following the formation of the larger United Methodist Church denomination.

• Downey Avenue Christian Church, 111 S. Downey Ave. In September 1875, a small group, including professors and other leaders from North Western Christian College (now Butler University), began meeting in classrooms on campus before chartering Irvington’s first congregation, First Church of Christ in Irvington (Disciples of Christ). Later renamed Downey Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the congregation grew to over 1,500 people by the 1950s. Local church architect Edward J. Clark designed the current limestone structure, dedicated in 1953 with the additions of an educational wing in 1962 and a fellowship hall, called Century Hall in honor of the congregation’s 100th anniversary in 1975.

• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 5333 E. Washington St. Founded by 40 local Catholic families in 1900, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Parish purchased land on Washington Street and used a home on the property as its first place of worship. After building and outgrowing additional structures on the site, the congregation laid the cornerstone for the current building in 1941. Architect Edward Schulte, known for his work on churches and cathedrals across the country, designed the in a combination of Gothic and Tudor styles, using Kankakee sandstone and Indiana limestone church for the exterior and incorporating important religious imagery throughout the interior. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, established in 1911 by the Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg, Indiana, has operated on the site since 1915 and constructed the current building in 1958.

For additional insight into Irvington’s history, tourgoers are encouraged to visit Bona Thompson Center, home of Irvington Historical Society, open during their regular public hours on the day of the tour, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (free admission).

WHAT: Indiana Landmarks’ Holiday Church Tour 2024

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Irvington Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46219 (tour headquarters)

COST: Advance tour tickets cost $20/adult (age 12 & up), $15/member of Indiana Landmarks, $10/child (ages 6-11), and are free for kids ages 5 and under.
Day-of-tour tickets cost an additional $5 per ticket price and may be purchased at Irvington Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson Ave., Indianapolis beginning at 10 a.m. on December 7.

TICKETS: Buy tickets at indianalandmarks.org/indianapolis-holiday-church-tour-2024 or by calling 317-639-4534.

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Indiana Landmarks revitalizes communities, strengthens connections to our diverse heritage, and saves meaningful places. With nine offices located throughout the state, Indiana Landmarks helps people rescue endangered landmarks and restore historic neighborhoods and downtowns. People who join Indiana Landmarks receive its bimonthly magazine, Indiana Preservation. For more information on the not-for-profit organization, call 317-639-4534, 800-450-4534, or visit www.indianalandmarks.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Kasey Zronek, Director of Volunteers and Heritage Experiences, Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534, kzronek@indianalandmarks.org

Mindi Woolman, Director of Marketing and Communications, Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534, mwoolman@indianalandmarks.org