page_title: Fountain Square, Indianapolis
hierarchical_section_title: Fountain Square, Indianapolis
caption_attribution_description: English: Front and northern side of the Fountain Square Theatre, located at 1101-1115 Shelby Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Built in 1928, it is a part of the Virginia Avenue District, a historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
context_page_description: Fountain Square is one of seven designated cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. Located right outside the city's downtown district, Fountain Square is home to three designated national historic districts, the Laurel and Prospect, the State and Prospect, and the Virginia Avenue districts, all of which were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The neighborhood derives its name from the successive fountains that have been prominently featured at the intersection of Virginia Avenue, East Prospect Street, and Shelby Street.
  Fountain Square is the first commercial historic district in Indiana, and it is the only portion of the city outside the initial mile square that has continually operated as a recognized commercial area, dating back to the 1870s. Its significance is not only as an early commercial district, but also as one that was developed and dominated by German-American immigrants, merchants, and entrepreneurs, who established a strong German character on the city's southside. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Fountain Square was the city's main entertainment district, with as many as seven theaters in operation at one point in time.
context_section_description: Fountain Square (abbreviated as FSQ) is one of seven designated cultural districts in Indianapolis, Indiana. Located right outside the city's downtown district, Fountain Square is home to three designated national historic districts, the Laurel and Prospect, the State and Prospect, and the Virginia Avenue districts, all of which were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The neighborhood derives its name from the successive fountains that have been prominently featured at the intersection of Virginia Avenue, East Prospect Street, and Shelby Street.
  Fountain Square is the first commercial historic district in Indiana, and it is the only portion of the city outside the initial mile square that has continually operated as a recognized commercial area, dating back to the 1870s. Its significance is not only as an early commercial district, but also as one that was developed and dominated by German-American immigrants, merchants, and entrepreneurs, who established a strong German character on the city's southside. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Fountain Square was the city's main entertainment district, with as many as seven theaters in operation at one point in time.
  After the construction of the interstate through Indianapolis, a portion of Fountain Square was demolished, with the remaining neighborhood disconnected from the surrounding areas. After decades of a declining population, the neighborhood is currently estimated to have 9,839 inhabitants. Historic preservation efforts began in the late 1990s, and the neighborhood slowly emerged as a vibrant commercial center once again. Today, Fountain Square is widely considered to be Indianapolis's newest trendy neighborhood, with an eclectic mix of retro architecture and modern, urban design.
caption: Fountain Square Theatre Building and the Lady Spray Fountain in the foreground.
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