INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Avenue was the center of Indianapolis' Black culture, but most of the buildings that could tell that story are gone. The best reminder is a small group of houses that are federally protected from the wrecking ball.

Ransom Place is all that remains of a once-sprawling neighborhood of homes and businesses built by Indianapolis' Black elite. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
The district was named after Freeman Ransom shortly before it achieved historic status. Ransom lived in the neighborhood and served as Madam CJ Walker's lawyer and business manager.

The homes in Ransom Place date back to the 1880s and are located near Indiana Avenue and the Walker Theatre. The remaining historic neighborhood is bounded by 10th, West, St. Clair, and Paca Streets.
Susan Hall Dotson of the Indiana Historical Society said it was extremely unlikely for the homes to survive after the urban renewal and demolition that hollowed out Indiana Avenue.

"Universities and medical centers all took homes, businesses, and land to expand their dreams. The land all around [Ransom Place] was not spared," Hall Dotson said. "Was it renewal or was it erasure?"
The homes were protected largely because of the efforts of Jean Spears, who formed the Ransom Place Neighborhood Association in 1991 and led the charge for the district's historic status.

"She preserved this place because it was necessary to remember correctly who had been here and how," said her daughter, fellow preservationist Claudia Polley.
Hall Dotson said Spears' mission helped save the homes and tell the complete story of Indiana Avenue's history.

"In spite of all of the things that were there to keep the neighborhood back including urban renewal and progress, they stood firm," Hall Dotson said.
-
If uncertain times are weighing on you, you’re not alone
Right now, many are grappling with a lot of changes that can lead to uncertainty and take a toll on you. Here's how experts say you can manage your mental health.Steel and aluminum tariffs: Trade-offs and political calculations
President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on some of the U.S.' top trading partners may be dominating news headlines. But the history of tariffs dates back to past White House administrations.Bill at the statehouse pushes to end rape kit backlog
House Bill 1413 would allocate $2.5 million to tackle the backlog of rape kits and require state police to provide an annual report on the backlog status.Department of Education announces plan to eliminate roughly half its workforce
The Department of Education plans to cut about half its staff in an effort to consolidate redundant roles, officials announced Tuesday evening.