Page last updated on July 10, 2017 at 1:22 pm
North Indiana Avenue was home to many prominent local businessmen, like the Wylies, the Registers, and the Sewards, but was truly a neighborhood composed of diverse economic and social backgrounds.
The McCalla School, built in 1907, is adapted by Indiana University for its Art School. It is perfectly suited for this use because its 10-foot-high ribbon windows wrap the front of the building.
Most of the houses in this neighborhood were built to capture new residents for the area being developed adjacent to Dunn's Woods where the University had moved in 1884.
Hoagy Carmichael's family lived on North Dunn Street for a short time. His home was in close proximity to Bloomington's early black community which centered at 9th and Grant, the second location of the Showers Brothers Furniture Factory. In his memoirs, Hoagy readily acknowledged the influence of local black musicians on his music. Nickelodeons downtown and Fraternity dances just a few houses away provided a local testing ground for his world- famous talent.