Barr-Wagner House
1445 Broadway
c. 1872-75
Despite the addition of the later porch, the bracketed cornice, hipped roof, and round arched openings show the Italianate character of this house. The stucco, a later embellishment, is scored to look like stone. The rock faced quoins were probably added with the stucco. This "upgrading" of the surface was not uncommon in the nineteenth century. Often frame buildings were painted with a paint and sand mixture to increase the illusion that the wood was stone. It was constructed by Hugh Barr, of whom no information is available.
Calvin Fletcher, Jr. purchased the residence in 1877 and made a gift of it to his daughter, Sarah Hill Fletcher. After she married Dr. Theodore Wagner, the couple moved here about 1882. A native of Luxembourg, Wagner (1849-1911) arrived in the United States in 1866. He moved to Indianapolis shortly thereafter, and worked for a tobacco firm for a time before entering medical school. In 1885 he graduated from the Medical College of Indiana. During the smallpox epidemic of 1883, he treated many, eventually contracting it himself. He made a thorough study of the disease and became a known authority on its treatment. A republican throughout his life, he was twice elected Marion County Coroner and defeated once as a candidate for mayor. Wagner lived at this address until his death in 1911.
Old Northside Historic Area Preservation Plan, 1979
