In the early 1920s, the smoke and noise of commerce at the heart of Indianapolis created a need for residential solutions further from the city center.
Following the advice of nationally recognized landscape architect George Kessler, city officials built wider bridges, widened existing streets, and created new streets to connect the city’s parks. Three segments of the upgraded streets were designated as boulevards and renamed for Mr. Kessler, all of which quickly came in handy with the rise of the automobile.
In anticipation of a suburban housing boom, three prominent Indianapolis businessmen envisioned an upscale neighborhood on the west side of Washington Township, about seven miles from Monument Circle. The partners named the new addition “Northern Estates Section 1,” and divided the acreage into large building sites.