Fletcher Park

Fletcher Park was platted as a park space by the Fletcher Family in the 1860s, when they were developing their farmland into residential neighborhoods and is one of Indianapolis' oldest continuously used park spaces. By 1870, the City had acquired the parcel. And its original name was "Brookside Park". In the early 1900s, the park became known as "Fletcher Place Triangle" and joined Spades and Brookside Parks as part of the east side chain of public parks that follow our local waterway, Pogue’s Run. As a part of his sweeping "Parks and Boulevard System" plans, George Kessler did a minor redesign of the park but maintained the original path locations, fountain and trees. True to Kessler’s plan, the park works as both an entry point to the near eastside parks and a natural gathering spot for neighbors. In 1980, the Indianapolis Parks Department transferred ownership of Fletcher Park to the Switzer Company (which occupied what is now the Circle City Industrial Complex). After the Switzer Company closed the park changed hands multiple times. With each new owner, the park fell further into disrepair. Fortunately, the city had covenants on the property which saved it from inappropriate development and protected the hardscaping and large trees.

In April of 2013, Windsor Park Neighborhood Association (WPNA) became the new owner and steward of Fletcher Park, as part of a collaborative agreement between The National Bank of Indianapolis, East 10th Street Civic Association (now defunct) and WPNA. The National Bank of Indianapolis graciously agreed to donate the park parcel to the neighborhood, under the condition it be kept open to the public as a park. During the negotiations to assume ownership, WPNA successfully applied for an IPL Project Greenspace grant through Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) and work began immediately to return Fletcher Park to a usable, active community space utilizing both new and historic design elements. A large bed of native Indiana plants, the Native Field, was added as a part of Lilly Day of Service and with the help of neighborhood volunteers, thousands of native forbs and spring-flowering bulbs were planted. With the help of KIB and the Arts Council and with input from the neighborhood, Fletcher Park obtained its first piece of artwork, Andrew Severns' Sundial-Flatland, which was inspired by both the geometry of the park, a 3-4-5 triangle, and the tradition of solar timepieces as a way to mark the passage of hours and seasons. In 2014, the neighborhood added some upcycled picnic tables (donated by RecycleForce), planted the center beds and built a fire pit. 2015 saw the construction of the Pogues Run Trail and a massive environmental remediation and the replanting of the Native Field.

The first leg of the Pogues Run Trail connects the park and the neighborhood to Spades Park, the Spades Park Library, the Cultural Trail, the Monon Trail, 10th Street and Mass Ave. It provides a connection point between the business and industry in the CCIC building and the residential neighborhood.