Does Fountain Square require historic review?

Inside the Fountain Square Historic Area and adjoining Fletcher Place, yes — exterior alterations, additions, new construction, demolition, and signage need a Certificate of Appropriateness from IHPC before a building permit is issued.

Can I add a second story to a Fountain Square cottage?

Often yes, within the 35 ft height limit, but inside the historic area the added mass usually needs to be set back from the front wall so the original cottage still reads from the street.

Is an ADU allowed here?

Detached accessory dwellings are workable on many of these alley-served lots. The limits are rear setback, lot coverage, and — inside the historic area — the design review of the new structure.

Fountain Square · Indianapolis, IN

Streetcar-era cottages and a regulated historic commercial core

Fountain Square is a compact, walkable district where Virginia Avenue, Shelby Street, and Prospect Street converge. The residential side streets are small-lot cottages and doubles; the commercial core is an IHPC-regulated historic area with its own 1984 preservation plan.

Get a consultation All of Indianapolis

Rendering of a rear home addition with a raised deck in Nashville, Tennessee, designed by Fabl Design

History & architecture

How Fountain Square was built

The district grew from the 1820s Mile Square plan as Virginia Avenue pushed southeast, becoming a commercial node through the 1830s–1860s and then a streetcar and interurban hub.

Neighboring Fletcher Place developed out of Calvin Fletcher's farmland as one of the city's earliest residential subdivisions and is separately listed on the National Register.

The Fountain Square Commercial Areas were listed on the National Register in 1978, recognizing the turn-of-the-century commercial architecture of the core.

Post-war decline and interstate construction were followed by revitalization from the 1980s, anchored by IHPC's 1984 Fountain Square Historic Area Preservation Plan and today's arts and cultural district identity.

Typical era: 1870s–1920s
Lot sizes: Small platted lots, commonly 30–40 ft wide
Common types: Workers' cottages, Italianate singles, doubles, and shotgun-plan houses
Design review: COA required in the Fountain Square and Fletcher Place historic areas

Landmarks & shared spaces

Places that anchor Fountain Square

Fountain Square Theatre Building

A 1928 building at Shelby and Prospect with a restored theater, hotel rooms, duckpin bowling, and restaurants.

The Murphy Arts Center

A 57,000 sq ft multi-use building of artist studios, galleries, and restaurants, home to monthly First Fridays.

Fletcher Place Historic District

Adjoining National Register district of mid-to-late 19th-century Italianate houses and workers' cottages.

The fountain at Virginia and Shelby

The plaza and fountain that give the district its name and its center.

Cultural Trail connection

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail links Fountain Square directly to downtown along Virginia Avenue.

Businesses & districts

Where Fountain Square gathers

Virginia Avenue

The primary commercial spine, running from downtown into the square.

Shelby Street

Restaurants, bars, and galleries through the historic core and south toward Garfield Park.

Prospect Street

Mixed commercial and small-scale service businesses east and west of the square.

Zoning & overlays

Common zoning codes in Fountain Square

These are the base districts and overlays we see most often on Fountain Square lots. Always confirm your parcel's district and overlays on the Metro zoning map before design decisions get expensive.

D-5Dwelling District, medium-high density

The common close-in urban district: 5,000 sq ft minimum lot, 40 ft width, front yard set by the established block-face average (typically 20–25 ft), 5 ft sides, 20 ft rear, 35 ft height, 40% coverage.

D-8Dwelling District, urban multi-family

Applies to apartment and attached-housing parcels near corridors: 2,000 sq ft per unit, 25 ft width, 10 ft front, 5 ft sides, 15 ft rear, 45 ft height, 60% coverage.

MU-1 / MU-2Mixed-Use districts

Applied along the commercial corridors to allow ground-floor commercial with residential above at neighborhood scale — the common designation in recent Fountain Square rezoning cases.

Overlays that apply here

IHPC

Fountain Square Historic Area (HA-16)

Adopted in January 1984 as part of the Comprehensive Plan for Marion County, giving IHPC design review authority over the historic commercial core.

IHPC

Fletcher Place Historic Area

The adjoining locally designated district, also subject to Certificate of Appropriateness review.

Fountain Square Cultural District

A city-designated cultural district — a marketing and investment designation rather than a zoning overlay.

Permitting path

1Confirm on the city's historic districts map whether the parcel sits inside an IHPC-regulated historic area or conservation district. National Register listing on its own carries no restriction on private exterior work — the local designation is what triggers review.
2Inside an IHPC area, a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is required under IC 36-7-11-10 before exterior alterations, additions, new construction, demolition, fences, and signage. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services will not issue the building permit without it.
3IHPC runs three tracks: administrative staff approval for routine, guideline-compliant work; a hearing officer for intermediate cases; and a full Commission public hearing for new construction, large additions, and demolition. The Commission meets monthly at the City-County Building.
4Reviews are measured against the district's adopted Historic Area Preservation Plan plus IHPC's citywide design Policies, last readopted January 8, 2025.
5The base dwelling district still applies underneath the overlay — lot coverage, side and rear setbacks, and the 35 ft height cap are all still enforced by zoning review.

Why it matters

Fountain Square's place in Indianapolis

Fountain Square is one of Indianapolis's six designated cultural districts and the main arts and nightlife anchor on the near southeast side.

The Cultural Trail connection has made it the most transit- and bike-accessible near-downtown neighborhood, which drives steady residential reinvestment.

Its mix of small cottages and mixed-use corridor buildings makes it the city's most active area for small-lot infill and cottage additions.

Events & festivals

What happens in Fountain Square

First Fridays

Monthly

Gallery and studio night centered on the Murphy Arts Center, 6–10 p.m.

Spirit & Place Festival

November

Citywide festival with a recurring presence in Fountain Square venues.

Cultural district arts walks

Seasonal

Gallery and antique walks organized around the district's arts identity.

Designing here

What this means for your Fountain Square project

Confirm whether the parcel is inside the historic area boundary or just outside it — the line runs through the neighborhood, and it decides whether a COA is required.
Lots are small. On a 30–40 ft wide lot the side setbacks and coverage cap leave a rear addition or a pop-top as the only realistic moves.
Cottage additions work best as a rear ell that keeps the original gable or hip visible from the street; that's also the easiest form to get through review.
Mixed-use corridor parcels follow different rules from the side streets — an MU district allows a much tighter street wall than a D-5 lot one block away.
Alley access is common, so detached garages and ADUs are a natural fit, but their height and roof form are reviewed inside the historic area.

FAQ

Questions about Fountain Square

Keep exploring

Other Indianapolis neighborhoods

Broad Ripple Meridian-Kessler Irvington Butler-Tarkington Herron-Morton Place Garfield Park Woodruff Place Speedway (adjacent)Warfleigh

Sources

Start your project

Planning an addition or ADU in Fountain Square?

Tell us about your lot and what you're hoping to do. We'll write back within one business day.

Start your project (615) 241-0860