‘Neighborhood in Harmony’ is theme of Herron-Morton Place home tour

By Kristen Edmundson

There’s a good reason “Neighborhood in Harmony” is the theme of the 2010 Herron-Morton Place Home Tour, which will take place on Sunday, Sept. 12.

The home of Dennis Ryerson at 1630 N. Delaware St.

“We chose this theme to reflect how both new homes and old homes are valued in our neighborhood,” said Julie Brooks, co-chair of the home tour committee. “Herron-Morton is going through a renaissance right now with historic homes being restored to their former glory, but at the same time our neighborhood has a reputation of being open to new architecture forms and abandoned lots have been sprouting urban-friendly creative designs,”

For example, this year’s home tour will feature two architect-owned homes on New Jersey Street.

The home of Rod Collier and John Strachan at 1646 N. New Jersey St. may look familiar to architecture buffs. Since it was built in 2006 it has been featured on the cover of Indianapolis Monthly Home, highlighted in The Indianapolis Star, included in the American Institute of Architects home tour, and opened for several fund-raising events.

Collier, an architect at Rottmann Architects, and Strachan, an account executive at RJE Business Interiors, designed the custom home to accommodate their busy schedules. Built by The ReDevelopment Group, the environmentally friendly house features a steep-pitched roof, rectilinear features, and exposed faux-steel beams.

Inside, the open plan displays the owners’ affinity for entertaining, including a double kitchen so Rod can cook and John can bake at the same time. Continuous window seats and benches add flexibility and storage; the custom dining table can expand to seat 20 people and two window seats are large enough to fit beds for the owners’ nieces and nephews to perch during overnight visits. The interior and exterior color palette of the entire house came from the various colored veins of the Michelangelo marble in the master bathroom.

The home of Rod Collier and John Strachan at 1646 N. New Jersey St.

When Rod studied in Germany, his apartment overlooked a building that was clad in this exact marble, and he was determined to use the gorgeous marble in his future house. In addition to architectural features and interior design treats, home tour guests will be treated to artwork throughout the house by E.E. Herrmann, a professional artist and Strachan’s grandfather. Rod and John said they are proud to open their home to benefit the neighborhood’s non-profit Herron-Morton Place Foundation, Inc.

In stark contrast to the Collier-Strachan house, the home of Ryan and Melissa Iannucci takes a softer approach to modern architecture. Melissa, an architect for North Avenue Trades, designed and served as general contractor for the house located at 1728 N. New Jersey St.. Constructed in 2007, the home features a traditional façade taking inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement. Although its street-side presence might fool you into thinking the house is a small cottage, the floor plan extends far back into the deep lot and features an inconspicuous second story with multi-faceted dormers.

Ryan and Melissa, both collegiate soccer players, love to be outdoors and they have brought the

The home of Kathy Shortridge and Karen Johnson at 1919 N. Delaware St.

outdoors in with an ingenious wall of sliding glass. This wall is corner-less and when opened fully allows guests to walk back and forth from the kitchen and dining room to the outdoor patio – as if two sides of the house just disappear. Many of the interior details were designed and fabricated by the Iannuccis themselves, including mosquito netting curtains for the sliding glass door.

Two streets over, two historic homes on Delaware Street are part of the line-up for the 2010 home tour.

Owned by Dennis Ryerson, the editor of The Indianapolis Star, 1630 N. Delaware St. has had quite a history. Built between 1871 and 1887, the first owner-occupant was druggist John M. Scott. He sold the house in 1910 for $6,000. After 1910, the house was used as a single-family rental until 1931, and then cut up into six apartments. During this rental period the ownership of the house changed hands more than 40 times.

The home was remodeled in 2004 with a major exterior facelift and a completely modernized inside. Ryerson chose this house over Mass Ave condo-living because of the home’s large rear balcony. Improvements during his tenure include landscape design by a Purdue University landscape architect major and the ultimate in bachelor-pad living: an entire room dedicated to his pool table. Home tour guests will also enjoy a literary art motif throughout the house.

Farther north on Delaware Street, the home of Karen Johnson and Kathy Shortridge is a classic Herron-Morton beauty. Built circa 1900, it is known as the Knight-Graham house and it was grand from the start. The lot alone sold in 1895 for $1,000 (a princely sum for the time) and the house was sold in 1903 to Arthur Jordan, president of Meridian Life & Trust Co. of Indiana for $11,000. Karen and Kathy are long-time Herron-Morton residents who have restored their home to its original glory.

They enjoy the trials and tribulations of downtown living and historic restoration. One story they have to share is about the front staircase. When they bought the house, curious wooden boxes protruded out of the top of the staircase newel posts. The contractor asked if he should take them off and Karen and Kathy agreed. When the boxes were removed, an intricate decorative carving was revealed to the delight of the surprised homeowners. Kathy said she wasn’t sure if she should be thankful that previous owners had covered up the detail so that it was perfectly preserved, or if she should be horrified that someone would ever cover up such a thing.

Additional homes on tour include new homes, historic homes and a pre-restoration house.

Edmonson is vice-president of the Herron-Morton Place Foundation, and co-chair of the home tour committee.

Neighborhood in Harmony

Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12

– Dennis Ryerson,1630 N. Delaware St.

– John Richardson, 1928 N. Delaware St.

– Jennifer Orr, 1629 N. New Jersey St.

– Melissa and Ryan Iannucci, 1728 N. New Jersey St.

– Kathy Shortridge and Karen Johnson, 1919 N. Delaware St.

– Lindsay and Russ Newton, 2045 N. New Jersey St.

– Jeanne and Bob Chandler, 2001 N. Alabama St.

– Sheila Wilson and Brad Banfill, 1645 N. New Jersey St.

– Rod Collier/ John Strachan, 1646 N. New Jersey St.

Tickets for the Herron-Morton Place Home Tour are $10 and are available the day of the tour in the Historic Herron-Morton Park, 1900 block of North Alabama Street. To learn more about the neighborhood, visit www.herron-morton.org or look up Herron-Morton on Facebook.