Founded in 1870, historic Irvington serves as a time capsule to the bygone days of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The once autonomous community along the Pennsylvania Railroad and U.S. Route 40 has a history as rich and spellbinding as the legendary tales of its namesake, Washington Irving. Featuring plenty of architectural diversity and notable citizens, Irvington served as the original home to Butler University and became known as a cultural, arts, and academic pillar of the Indianapolis landscape. Today Irvington continues to be the gem of Indianapolis�s east side with locally owned shops and businesses along with a community that is committed to the past while focusing on the future.
Julie Young is the author of A Belief in Providence: A Life of Saint Theodora Guerin. She covers many of Irvington�s local events for the Indianapolis Star. She writes for a number of local, regional, and national publications, including Indianapolis Monthly magazine, IN Michiana, the AAA�s Home & Away, and CNN.com. She has written for the Associated Press, has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and serves as adjunct faculty for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Young worked with the support of the Irvington Historical Society on this project and lives in Indianapolis with her two sons.