VFW Post 7403

Today I am going to tell you a tale of legend and mystery.

Back in the hazy summer days when we were waiting not so patiently for the city to do its necessary wheel turning and red-tape cutting, Eric and I crept (furtively) again and again to Toad Hall. Watching. Waiting. Bringing others with us to do necessary work, but trying to stay out of site so that the wheel turning and red-tape cutting would not be somehow compromised and brought to a grinding halt. Every trip to the house we practically held our breath for fear that something would go wrong, and on the days that someone saw us there... Well, I'm not sure how we survived stress of it all.

One particular Sunday Mom and I were there, try to be inconspicuous, when two couples who were out taking a walk saw us and came up to have a chat. And one of the ladies related a tale from her memory. She remembered moving to the neighborhood in the early 1940's as a young woman, a young bride at the time, and she remembered the house being used as a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. And the tale grew stranger the more she talked. She also remembered that they ran a small tearoom from the home. Talk about your stuff of legends!

We must not have stepped too wrong, for the days and then weeks passed, and eventually we were able to purchase the lovely, sad Toad Hall. And the legend of the VFW has stayed with me and bloomed in my imagination ever since that day. So, on occasion I have tried to track down any leads I can to see if it was just a story or if it's real. 

First, I tried calling the closest VFW Post and asking them if they knew anything. I talked to the historian there and was told that they have been at their location for many years and it could not possibly be them. So, after a cursory check of  the Indianapolis City Directories I felt myself to be at a temporary dead end, and moved on other research for the time being, knowing that eventually I would return to this topic.

Then last week I was going through the abstract again and what did I find? That the information I wanted was available to me all along had I read the abstract more carefully. I could have kicked myself!

Case No. 16 Year 1947 - Variance - Records in the office of the City Plan Commission shows that the Board of Zoning Appeals, at its meeting held January 13, 1947 granted a petition for the existing residence into a club house.

So, after kicking myself I went down to the city county building and asked for Variance  Case Number 16 from 1947. It took them about thirty minutes to pull it up. Which was fine with me, as I went down to the Recorders Office and worked on pulling old deeds for the house while I was there. (That's always gonna take some time!) And when I went back upstairs they had a pile of documents for me. It was all still there! We just had to know what to ask for.

Board of Zoning Appeals, Zoning Board, City of Indianapolis, 304 City Hall, Indianapolis, Ind., Gentleman, This letter is to notify you that I am granting Irvington Post #7403, Veterans of Foreign Wars the privilege to file for zoning on property at 410 South Emerson Avenue, as Post Headquarters as Club.

       

Indianapolis Irvington Post No 7403, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U. S. 501 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana, Gentleman: Permission cannot be given you to convert into a club house the existing residence located on the premises known as 410 South Emerson Avenue, as this would be in violation of the Zoning Ordinance. Very truly yours, Chas, E. Bacon, Commissioner of Buildings 

So the city obviously didn't like Mr. McMillin's letter. As the property owner, he had to be the one to file on behalf of the club on the formal paperwork, which you will see below. The city is sooo picky. :)

Approximate Cost of Proposed Improvement $None, Full Statement of Variation Applied for Under Sec. 23 from the Requirements of Sec. of General Ordinance No. 114, 1922 (Detailed description of variance applied for, with reasons), Our Organization has no meeting place of it's own for business and recreational purposes. We are presently using the Irvington Republican Club twice a month. We have been fortunate in obtaining the above property from Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. McMillin for our proposed Headquarters and Clubhouse. Property to be used exclusively for members of organization. Propose the resale of beer and spirited beverage to members only. Total membership at present - 98, all having served overseas in World War II. The above information, to my knowledge and belief is true and correct. Indianapolis, Irvington Post #7403, VFW (Signature something Poland?) Quartermaster, Indpls, Irvington, Post No. 7403Veteran of Foreign Wars of the U. S., State of Indiana County of Marion, Subscribed and sworn before me this 28th day, of December, 1946 (Signature Glenn C. Martin?) Notary Public My commission expires June 27, 1949, A Fee of $3.50 TO BE PAID TO THE CITY CONTROLLER MUST ACCOMPANY THIS APPLICATION TO OFFSET THE COST OF ADVERTISING, (GENERAL ORDINANCE No. 6,1934)

Notice - This application must be TYPEWRITTEN, accompanied by the information specified on the reverse side and filed at least ten (10) days prior to date of meeting. Case No. 16-V-47 U 1A 2 H 1  CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS 304 CITY HALL, Application for Variation from the Requirements of the Zoning Ordinance, Name of Applicant Indianapolis Irvington Post No. 7403 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Phone No Fr 2494, Applicant Address 301 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, Name of Owner Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. McMillin, Address 530 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, Premises affected, Street and No 410 South Emerson, Between Brookville Road St and English Avenue St, Lot No 1 in Downey and Brouse's Addition, Lot Size 185.55x186.6x138.55.178.3, Fronting on Emerson Avenue St, Date Property was Purchased Option to purchase in one year, nature and size of improvements now existing on lot 3 story house and barn barn - 20' x 26' house 44' x 60'

    This is a blurry map of the corner.    

The above three photos are the application documents for the variance. As you can see, they were asking for the house to be used as a "clubhouse" for VFW Post 7403 and to be allowed to sell alcohol to their members. They had 98 members at the time. Wow! The application had tons of hidden gems of information in it. :)

I'm not even going to try and interpret this thing. Even my copy isn't very legible. The lovely gentleman at the Department of Metropolitan Development said that he believes that it was the notice sent out to the neighbors, but that this is the best copy he could get me. Hey, that's okay! He was very nice and didn't complain once that I was in there at the end of the day!  

 

16-V-47 LEGAL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BY, BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE UNDERSIGNED HAS FILED WITH THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS A PETITION REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ? the operation of the existing residence into a club huose at 410 South Emerson Avenue A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD BY SAID BOARD IN ROOM 104 CITY HALL ON MONDAY, January 13, 1947, AT 3:30 P.M. AT WHICH TIME AND PLACE ALL INTERESTED PERSONS WILL BE GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD IN REFERENCE TO THE MATTERS SET OUT IN SAID PETITION. THIS NOTICE IS SENT TI YOU, AS AN OWNER OF PROPERTY AFFECTED BY SAID PETITION, BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS. INDIANAPOLIS IRVINGTON POST No. 7403 Veterans of Foreign Wars, Petitioner.    

The above two photos are what we believe were sent to the neighboring property owners. It's a standard legal part of any zoning change to let adjoining property owners have a chance to remonstrate. Not everyone would want up to 98 people showing up next door drinking. Personally, I understand that the VFW is more than that, but not everyone has spent time researching it so they may not know as much about it as I have learned.

January 15, 1947, 16-V-47, Indianapolis Irvington Post No. 7403 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. 501 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana, Gentleman, The Board, of Zoning Appeals, at its regular meeting January 13, 1947, reviewed your petition for the conversion of the existing residence into a club house at 410 South Emerson Avenue. Being fully advised in the matter, it was the finding of the Board that this proposed conversion is in general keeping with and appropriate to the uses of buildings authorized in the district involved, and the Board, therefor, approved the petition, subject to the following provisions; The building shall be subject to all the requirements of the Building code. Respectfully yours, secretary, BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS

Once the correct paperwork went through they got their club house approval! So the Horner House was used as VFW Post 7403! It's NOT legend! It's HISTORY!!!