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The Fayette Street Conservation Area is associated with two important historical themes. First, it represents what little is left of the century-old African-American neighborhood in downtown Indianapolis. Just after the turn of the century when African-American settlement was at its peak, it stretched from the banks of the downtown Central Canal to the White River.
The second theme associated with the Fayette Street Conservation Area is its association to the Indianapolis Central Canal. The canal, built in the 1830's holds the distinction of being one of the oldest man-made features in the city and has been designated as an American Water Landmark by the American Water Works Association. It is not by accident that these two historical themes are intertwined. As early as the 1840's, some of Indianapolis' first factories located along the canal in anticipation of it becoming the principle means of commercial transportation. In the early 1860's, when blacks began moving into the area, the new settlers depended upon the existence of the canal by finding jobs in the factories. |
