Ayres House
124 East Staat Street, Fortville
Grand Vision
Near downtown Fortville, a stately house with columned portico captures the eye, its grand architectural features still signaling the prosperity of its original owner. Now vacant, the property occupies a coveted spot near the city’s thriving Main Street, where its future hangs in the balance.
In 1913, businessman Arthur B. Ayres commissioned construction of a new home for his family in a prime location near downtown Fortville. Constructed of Redwood shipped from California, the Colonial Revival-style house reflected Ayres’ status as a businessman whose influence reached well beyond Fortville.
A Rush County native, Ayres built major oil interests in Kentucky, selling his company to Standard Oil and developing a friendship with John Rockefeller before settling in Hancock County, where he founded Fortville’s gas and telephone companies. He channeled his wealth into philanthropic support for the town’s Carnegie Library and the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children in nearby Indianapolis.
While the Ayres’ home remains one of the town’s most architecturally distinguished houses, its elite status isn’t secure. The building requires substantial investment and environmental remediation after long use as a funeral home. The Town of Fortville acquired the property in 2024 and has considered demolishing it for surface parking. At Indiana Landmarks’ urging, the Town issued a request for redevelopment proposals in 2025 but received no response, leaving the Ayres House in limbo.
Sam Burgess
Director
Indiana Landmarks Central Regional Office
317-639-4534
sburgess@indianalandmarks.org
Adam Zaklikowski
Planning & Building Director
Town of Fortville
317-482-4050
azaklikowski@fortville.in.gov
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