Development into the Fountain Square neighborhood from Fletcher Place continued southeast along the commercial corridors of Virginia Avenue, Shelby Street, and Prospect Street throughout the 1870s. There were many dwellings, or homes, scattered along Virginia Avenue at this time as well; very few of these historic houses on the avenue remain today. Interestingly, this commercial corridor is the oldest commercial district outside of downtown’s historic district. And it had to be. Two significant railroad lines and the viaduct at the intersection of Virginia Avenue and South Alabama Street cut off both Fletcher Place and Fountain Square from the downtown area. It was difficult to access downtown during this time. This meant that residents in our neighborhoods had to be resourceful, often opening up their own businesses, shops, and services in the neighborhood to serve our community. 

Many of these new neighbors were German immigrants. Whether they were laborers, blacksmiths, carpenters, shoemakers, or butchers, many Germans emigrated to the United States during the political instability of the 1850s Germany and found themselves in Indianapolis by the 1860s and 1870s. Think of the historic South Side Turnverein Hall – a gymnasium, meeting hall, and community space at the intersection of Prospect Street and Madison Avenue in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood – this is one of many of the German institutions serving the community. Germans also lived in the Lockerbie Square area east of downtown. 

The Fountain Fletcher district area was quite populated by the 1880s, with many businesses, industries, and other commercial one-story, one and one-half, and two-story buildings, mostly wood-sided, but a few brick. By the end of the century, there was an increase in height and density within the district, with many of these new buildings being built of brick. During this time period, significant neighborhood construction included: Calvin Fletcher School (1857), the first St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (1865-1871), Fletcher Place Methodist Episcopal Church (1872-1874), the Hoffman Block (1875), Moh’s Block (1881), and the Indianapolis Fire Station #3 (1883). 

One immigration story often missing on the southeast side is that of Asian immigrants. Chinese immigrants came to Indianapolis as early as the 1870s according to the U.S. Census. Sam Sing Lee operated many laundry businesses throughout the 1870s-1890s in the city. Lee’s business was located at Virginia Avenue at South Delaware Street in the 1880s. He moved the business to Fountain Square, at Virginia Avenue near Buchanan Street, in the 1890s, before moving north to Muncie, Indiana. This store continued to be operated by Charlie Gum, Bang Gee Lang, George Pang and many others as a Chinese laundry until 1920. Additional Chinese laundries continued to operate in the neighborhood for many decades. 

Fountain Square got its namesake from the 1889 fountain built at the early streetcar turnaround on Virginia Avenue at the intersection of Prospect Street and Shelby Street. Known as “Lady of the Fountain” and “Lady Spray,” the statue toppled down about thirty years later. A second fountain was commissioned in 1922, “The Pioneer Family” – sculpted by Myra Reynolds Richards and completed in 1924. Lady Spray was moved back to the center of the intersection in 2010. The Pioneer Family was relocated to the public plaza directly to the west in 2013.