Irvington Historical Society

The Irvington Historical Society was founded in 1964 to document and collect the history of Irvington, Indianapolis, Indiana’s first planned suburb. Initially, the Society and their archives were housed in the Benton House, but as the collection of art and materials grew, the home of the society moved to the Brown Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library.

In 1999, with the aid of grants and bequests from the Central Indiana Community Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Indiana Landmarks, Indiana DNR-DHPA, Nicholas Noyes Foundation, and Build Indiana Fund, the society was able to undertake the restoration of the Bona Thompson Center. The restoration has been recognized with awards from U.S. Department of the Interior, Indiana Landmarks, and the Indianapolis-Marion County Historical Society. In October 2002, the Irvington Historical Society opened the newly restored Bona Thompson Memorial Center as its permanent home.

With an organization based entirely on volunteers, the Irvington Historical Society opens the Bona Thompson Center as a free museum and research center. The museum offers rotating exhibits of Irvington art and history, as well as permanent displays focusing on Butler’s Irvington campus, the old Irvington business district, Howe High School, Kin Hubbard & Abe Martin, International Harvester and the West Baden Angels.