Talk:Washington Park Historic District (Indianapolis, Indiana)

A fact from Washington Park Historic District (Indianapolis, Indiana) appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 18 July 2008, and was viewed approximately 0 times (disclaimer) (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that an Indianapolis architect was sent to Château de Malmaison to replicate a copy of it in Indianapolis' Washington Park neighborhood?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2008/July.

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National Register of Historic Places-type blurb[edit]

"Of particular note is the Harry Hartley house, which was based on Château de Malmaison, the boyhood home of Napoleon Bonaparte. Harry Hartley sent architect William Russ to the original in France to replicate the French chalet in a smaller form, in effect creating a Napoleon complex in Indianapolis."

The inflated family tradition that the patron went to the expense of "sending" his architect Russ to France in order to take notes on the "French chalet" Malmaison, boyhood home of Napoleon... Not all of thiese details are in the National Register of Historic Places ("there's one for every town") blurb. There have been some enrichments of detail: architectural "Napoleon complex"? Now, that's town planning! --Wetman (talk) 06:53, 11 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The NRHP form did say they sent the architect to France, so we'd need at least another source to dispel that.--Bedford ^Pray 07:16, 11 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

At the Alfred I. DuPont house, "Bagatelle" near Wilmington, Delaware, back in the 1970s, I was solemnly told that Mr du Pont had designed the house himself. When I inquired whether he'd had anyone to help him out, I was told, oh yes, a draftsman named "Hastings". A memorable moment: rather a definer of the du Ponts, actually. So how many Americans in even more urbane cities than Indianapolis were "sending" architects to Paris, for designs of "chalets" that were the common property of every educated architect— and even of some educated clients! I think for anyone who's been anywhere, read anything or talked to anybody it's a bit of a story. --Wetman (talk) 22:02, 12 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I couldn't get a clear shot; maybe in winter I can.--Bedford ^Pray 16:41, 16 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]