Starr Historic District

Falling Starr

Beginning in the 1860s, Richmond’s well-to-do flocked to an elite residential neighborhood north of the city’s downtown, where they built large homes reflecting their elevated status. Named for early residents Charles and Elizabeth Starr, the neighborhood’s architecture captures the range of house styles popular during the later nineteenth century, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, and Queen Anne.

At one time, architecture enthusiasts considered the Starr Historic District one of the Midwest’s best-preserved Victorian-era neighborhoods. Today, however, the area is better known for its ongoing decline.

Most of the large homes built for wealthy families have been divided into multi-unit rental housing, much of it controlled by negligent or absentee owners. A 2018 study by Ball State University found that less than a quarter of the district’s homes are occupied by their owners, and several properties have been abandoned altogether.

Though revitalization is on the rise in downtown Richmond, it has yet to spread to the Starr neighborhood in any substantial way, and the district’s National Register status offers no protection against neglectful property owners. Local designation under a historic preservation commission would help, as would strengthened ordinances against absentee owners and landlords.