This Little Flower house has surprising history tied to first Indianapolis Home Show – IndyStar

Andrea Estes, a lifelong Hoosier, has walked through several centerpiece homes at the Indianapolis Home Show. She had no idea she was living in one.

The roots of her home,on North Emerson Avenue near East 13th Street,have beentraced back 100 years to thefirst home showin 1922.

They built a small bungalow house inside one of the buildings at the fairgrounds, saidBrent Keller, vice president ofMarketplace Eventsand a former home show manager.It was an advertising, fun way to show people what they could have.That'swhat started everything 100 years ago.

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After the show, the house wastaken apartandmovedto its current locationon Indianapolis east side, Keller said.

It's a typical older house where the kitchen is small,Estes said. The appliances were notnearly asbig back then as they aretoday. The closets are nice and tiny. We'vebeen here 21 years and have loved the house and especially the neighborhood.

The Indianapolis Home Show is the oldest of its kind in North America, drawing 450home building, remodeling and designexhibitorsas well as80,000 attendees, according to its website.It was started by Indianapolis residentJ. Frank Cantwell after he attended a similar show in Europe.

He brought that back and thought it would be a great way, coming out of World War I, to get people interested in owning their own homes,Keller said.The centerpiece home has always been avery ship-in-the-bottle-type effect. People areamazedwecanbuild such a structureindoorsin such asmall time frame.

Esteswas surprised and even a little skeptical to learn she was living in the first centerpiece home.Marion County Assessor's Office records online indicateher home was built in 1940, with a garage added in 1989. County Assessor Joseph O'Connor said the office has limited records dating back that far and address changes through the years could make verifying the home's age a challenge.

Keller, who has worked with the Indiana Historical Societyto preserve the home shows history, said he is confident Esteshouseon North Emerson Avenue is the original centerpiece home.

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I am absolutely, positively sure of it, Keller said. There are multiple written records from 1922 and over the years of the house being moved there.

There is at least onephotoaroundof thehome from the 1922 show. The photodoes look like her house, Estes said.

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Window-wise it resembles our home because the north side does only have three windows, Estes said. It has one in each bedroom then of course the one in the bathroom is smaller.

Estes has lived in the home since2000.

I'd love to know what the inside ofthe house looked like in 1922, Estes said.Our house isvery interesting. It hadallthese arches that werebuilt inside of it. Even in the bathroom it was arched to get into the shower and bathtub area.

Mostcenterpiece homeswere taken apart and rebuilt in Indianapolis or other Indiana cities, such asTerre Haute, Muncie and Logansport, Keller said.

People bought the homes at the show itself or they were put up for sale, Keller said. We still get calls today with people trying to find out if they have one of the centerpiece homes of years past.

Sometimes the homes were taken apart and sold in pieces.Othertimes the entire homeor partswere donated toHabitat for Humanity, Keller said.

The home show has happenedevery yearat the Indiana State Fairgroundssince 1922,with a few exceptions. The show was suspendedfrom 1942 to 1945due to a shortage of building materials stemming from World War II.

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The fairgrounds were used for wartime activities during those years, Keller said.There was also no show in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The home shows comeback after World War II was accelerated when it was featured in a nine-page spread in Better Homes and Gardens magazine in 1947.

Ithelped popularize the ranch-style homeinIndianapolis in the 1950s, which wasmore affordable compared to other models. A ranch-style home has an open concept with just one story, Keller said.

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New and innovative products have been introduced to attendees at the home showover the years.

"There have been some things that were first introducedeither to the Indianapolis, Indiana or U.S. markets, Keller said.

Many celebrities, including HGTV host Ty Pennington, interior designer Vern Yip, radio show host Dr. Dirtandactress Ethel Merman haveattended the show.

We've had upside down rooms, full swimming pools, cottages,log homes and even lighthouses built here, Keller said. The centerpiece home has always been a creativewayto showcase the building,remodeling and landscaping exhibitors.

The 2017 centerpiece home stands out in Kellers mind because it was built with a basement.

Think about howthat would bedifficultsince they are building the home inside anotherbuilding," Keller said. They built on top of a hill that was built into thefairgroundsbuilding. That was one of the most fun.

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In recent years, the centerpiece home has been trending toward an empty-nester-type house with extra rooms forthe homeowners parentsoradult children.

It's an ever-expanding type of home, Keller said. It grows when your family grows.

The 2022 centerpiece home will be built byFischer Homes and is called the Leland, said Indianapolis Home Show ManagerLaura Groninger.

Its a four-bedroom, two-story home with the option for 2.5 or 3.5 baths and is offered in Fischer Homes neighborhoods across central Indiana.

The 2022 home show will be from Jan.21 through Jan.30.Indianapolis-basedHGTV starMina Starsiak Hawkas well asCarmel-based Bravo TV starNina Klemmwill attend the show.

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Itwill feature ahome idea center, by Davis Homes, where attendees can learn about the newest and coolest home appliances and trends.The master of ceremonies for this years show will beWIBCs Terri Stacy.

People can come with their checklist of what they need for theirhome, talk to the experts and see all the products right at the show,Groninger said.Theycan get the pricing and sometimes there are special deals."

Cantwell was involved with the home show for close to 40 years after introducing it to Indianapolis. His objectives for the show have carried on, Keller said.

What we've taken 100 years later is we are promoting home ownership and home improvement and anything for the home, Keller said.When youlook at the history of the show, Mr. Cantwell's vision has completely continued, which isreallyneat.

Contact Jake Allenat463-214-7590 orjake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter@Jake_Allen19.

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This Little Flower house has surprising history tied to first Indianapolis Home Show - IndyStar