Irishtown Neighborhood

04/11/2026

This is lot 150 in Williams Addition platted June 28, 1881. In July 1894 the People's Cash Grocery announced they were moving into this "New and Commodious Brick Building". In January 1895 Mr. J P Merillat purchased the store but by August of that year had moved out. In 1896-1897 The Church of the Covenant was meeting there and advertised Covenant Bible School on Sunday afternoons in the "coolest room in the city". In 1897 James Heald Drugs operated here and in 1900 it was Perfection Coffee & Teapot Manufacturers owned by R F Markey and William Mertz. In 1901 Henry M Millier opened his wallpaper store here and remained until 1915. Henry was a Republican who ran for city council. He lived at 3205 S Calhoun. In 1916-1917 it was L L Ittenbach Groceries. The second floor was apartments with ever-changing tenants who worked for the RR, GE, and the FW Traction Co.

https://steffengrp.com/commercial-listings/2102-s-calhoun-st-fort-wayne-in/

04/06/2026

There's a lot of interesting history in these buildings. One of the men who operated businesses out of them was Jacob Erlenbach (1869-1943). He was the proprietor of restaurants and taverns between 2002 and 2018 Fairfield Ave in the early 1900's. A newspaper ad from November 1912 advertises "Something New for Lunch". Turtle soup was a delicacy that was becoming popular because it was served to President William Howard Taft in the White House. Jacob lived in several different houses throughout the area including 327 W Wiliams, 418 W Williams, and 1910 Pine St. In March 1919 he was charged with bringing 6 gallons of whiskey and 4 gallons of beer into Fort Wayne from Payne, OH with several other people. He pled guilty and was fined $100, or around $2000 in today's dollars.

The National Register of Historic Places has added to its register a residential area and several commercial buildings in the Irishtown neighborhood.

03/16/2026

The most comprehensive list for why old places matters was developed by Tom Mayes and includes topics you would typically think of such as identity, memory, continuity, and beauty as well as some m…

03/06/2026

Fairfield Ave, previously Griffin St., is the west border of Irishtown and it was an important commercial corridor. Asa Fairfield moved here from Maine with his family in 1835 and had around 240 acres roughly bounded by Taylor St and Organ Ave, Broadway and Hoagland Ave. His home was the first frame house built in South Wayne on the south side of Creighton Ave between Miner St and Fox Ave in 1839. His son Cyrus was 6 months old when the family moved to FW and grew up here. Asa died in 1868 at his farm on the east side of Bluffton Rd, south of the T&W RR.

Cyrus lived on that farm until 1871 when he moved to Broadway near the corporation line. He and his wife Anna (Field) lived for a time on Fairfield Ave. Anna divorced Cyrus in 1874 because he said unkind things to her. She requested a settlement of $15,000 which is around $500,000 in today's dollars. Cyrus then moved into the homestead on Creighton Ave and married Isabele "Belle" A Briant. In March 1876 he was tearing down the old homestead and living in the barn with his new wife. By September of that year the new house, that was being built on the foundation of the old homestead, was nearly complete. In 1879 he and his wife adopt a baby girl, Ida Belle, and he begins a remodel of his home.

In 1880 he sells his home to Daniel Nestel for $7000, around $225,000 today. This is the Fairfield-Nestel House. It was built by Cyrus Fairfield in 1876 on the foundations of the old Fairfield homestead 8 years after Asa Fairfield died.

Cyrus was a traveling salesman, a farmer, a lawyer, and a real estate agent. He was platting and selling off lots from what was his father's land. In 1880, after he sold his house on Creighton Ave, he and Belle again lived in a barn while he built a house. This one is a brick double house that is now 809 Belle Ave. For some reason he didn't plat the land around this home and it remains that way today. His daughter Alice Edna was born in 1886.

In 1903 his daughter Ida dies 3 days after her 9 day old son died.

In 1910 he and Belle move to 464 E Pontiac St. Belle goes to England and refuses to return to Cyrus. She ends up in Babylon, Long Island, NY with her daughter Alice and son-in-law. In 1911 Cyrus moves to 1005 Phillips St, now Scott Ave. He files for divorce from Belle in 1914 on grounds of abandonment and it was granted.

In 1912 he moves into 1117 Cottage Ave and remains there until 1921.

On April 1, 1916, when he was 81 years and worth $800,000 ($24 million today,) he eloped with Mary Fogle, a 34 year old widow from Muncie who he met at the home of her sister, Mrs. Bryant, at 225 W Dewald St. Mary had been a pastry chef at a hotel he had boarded at. She was 2 heads taller than he and people snickered as they boarded the train to elope and she demanded to carry the bigger suitcase. They returned from their elopement and honeymoon to live at 1117 Cottage Ave until she fled the home with her belongings on May 19 while Cyrus was in town on business. He filed for divorce on August 24, it was granted October 27 and her maiden name was restored.

In 1922 Cyrus lived at 907 Park Ave. He died at Lutheran Hospital July 17, 1923 after nearly a year long stay.

03/04/2026

What is now 1902 S Harrison is lot 12 in Johnson's Addition platted December 7, 1859. Before this commercial building it was a home with rooms for rent. The house was demolished between 1924 and 1938 and this dealership was built by 1938. It was a Packard dealership into the 1940's. It's offered for sale by BND Commercial.

https://www.cityfeet.com/cont/listing/1902-s-harrison-st-fort-wayne-in-46802/cs38904661

03/03/2026

This is the south part of lot 62 of Brandriff & Ayres Addition platted April 27, 1858. The John D and Margaret (Finnerty) Buckley house was built in 1909. John was a RR engineer. Margaret was born in Ireland. They remained in the home until 1936.

For Sale: View 19 photos for 1829 Hoagland Ave, this 3 bed, 2 bath, 1532 sqft. single family home in Fort Wayne, IN listed at $120,000. MLS #202606438

03/01/2026

This home is on the west half of lot 62 in Williams Addition, platted March 29, 1865. It was built in 1906 by Joseph E and Mary M (Littot) Rondot. Joseph was a truckman for Wabash RR. Joseph's father and both of Mary's parents were born in France.

For Sale: View 14 photos for 324 W Butler St, this 4 bed, 4 bath, 2456 sqft. multi family home in Fort Wayne, IN listed at $94,900. MLS #202604988

02/28/2026

This is lot 1 of Hoagland and Williams Addition platted April 4, 1863. Prior to 1902 the address was 96 W Williams St. The home was built in 1896 by Conrad Woebeking for John M and Jennie Cook. John Cook owned a coal company. He was a Republican and ran for an at large city council seat in 1913 but withdrew before the election. In 1908 the house was used as a voting place for residents of the 4th Ward. The Cooks sold the house in 1916 or 1917 and moved to 2218 Webster St. The parcel was divided and part of it sold off. The home became a boarding house and in the early 1920's there were advertisements for rooms for rent with soft water bath and an apartment with a kitchenette and 2 rooms. In 1921 seven people lived there including one married couple.

For Sale: View 36 photos for 404 W Williams St, this 5 bed, 1.5 bath, 4192 sqft. single family home in Fort Wayne, IN listed at $275,000. MLS #202606100

02/24/2026

This is 318 W Butler St, parts of lots 61 and 62 in Williams Addition platted March 29, 1865. Edward C and Mary V (Larimore) Carter bought this parcel from Edward Peet Williams, son of Jesse Lynch and Susan (Creighton) Williams, in 1905 for $1150. Edward Carter was a traveling salesman for drug companies, was active in the United Commercial Travelers, and was named a state bank examiner. The house was built in 1906 and the Carters lived there until 1912 when they sold it to Harrie V and Susan (Shaffer) Anders for $5000. At the same time the Carters bought the Anders home at 245 E Woodland Ave for $5800. Harrie Anders died in this home in 1934. His widow remained there for a few more years. He was a dispatcher for Penn & Co.

318 W Butler St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 is pending. View 9 photos of this 3 bed, 2 bath, 1960 sqft. single family home with a list price of $44900.

01/26/2026

This is the John and Agnes (Watson) Falconer House, built before 1872. John and Agnes were both born in Scotland. John worked as a blacksmith and the Falconer family lived in this home until 1918.

323 W Williams St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 is for sale. View 23 photos of this 3 bed, 1 bath, 1224 sqft. single family home with a list price of $80000.

12/02/2025

This is the Philip and Sofia Graf House built on lot 210 in Hamilton's 4th Addition, platted November 29, 1876. Philip was a grocer who's store was further north, ay 1913 Lafayette St. Philip bought this lot in 1892 from Mary Williams, daughter of Allen Hamilton and married to Henry, son of Jesse Lynch Williams. In October 1900 Philip paid John Sueltzer $3500 to build this home and he and his family moved in June of 1901. In 1919 Dr Joseph C Lill set up his practice here and by 1923 rooms were advertised for rent.

1930 Lafayette St, Fort Wayne, IN 46803 is for sale. View 1 photos of this 4 bed, 6 bath, 3592 sqft. multi family home with a list price of $320000.