"Millionaires Row": Glen Miller Park Historic District

The East Main Street-Glen Miller Park Historic District comprises an almost nine-tenths mile length of East Main Street between 18th and 30th Streets, including the 175 acres of Glen Miller Park. The overall character of East Main Street is that of a broad tree-lined residential street. The district recognizes the historical significance of East Main as a major entrance to Richmond and pays tribute to the aesthetic character of this thoroughfare.

The early history of East Main Street is linked with the National Road. That interstate route, initiated by federal legislation in 1806, was surveyed through Richmond in 1827 and opened to traffic across the state in 1835. Even during the later half of the 19th century, when the road was controlled and operated by the Wayne County Turnpike Company with a toll gate at 23rd Street, this remained the major eastern entrance and exit from the city.

Several brick houses constructed before 1880 reflect the early existence of the street as part of the National Road. Larger and more ornate residences such as those of architect John Hasecoster, piano and phonograph manufacturer Henry Gennett, and lawn mower manufacturer Elwood W. McGuire attest to the prominence of the street in the decades around the turn of the century. This distinctive street has been refered to as "Millionaire's Row". Even the more modest but well designed homes erected during the 'teens and 'twenties demonstrates the continued attractiveness of this street for residential use.

Glen Miller Park has been serving Richmond for over 100 years. The land was originally owned by John F. Miller, an executive with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The city purchased the land from Miller and named the park in his honor, opening it in 1880. The park is significant as a public space which owed its initial popularity to the street railway access. It has continued to be improved and cared for through city ownership.

The district confirms the relationship between the park and the development of homes along the primary route which led to it from east to west. Thus two features once characteristic of many American cities - the large outlying park, and the grand residential street leading to and from the center of town - are here remarkably well preserved, with only minor intrusions.

Visit our Millionaire's Row set on Flickr to see more images of these beautiful homes.

This information provided by the Wayne County Historical Society
1150 North A Street
Richmond, IN 47374
765.962.5756

Location

East Main Street between 18th and 30th Streets, Richmond, Indiana

Admission

Free

Hours

Public Access
Walking Tour information available from the Tourism Bureau.

Phone

Tourism Bureau Phone:
765.935.8687
800.828.8414

WayNet is Sponsored by: