Marktown

Marktown is a historic district in East Chicago covering 40 acres with stucco-walled homes built in English Tudor Revival style, designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw. The buildings throughout the area feature retail shops on the ground level and residential apartments above.

Clayton Mark established this planned worker community in 1917 to house employees of Mark Manufacturing Company, a steel pipe producer. The neighborhood developed as a direct response to the need for housing as the factory expanded its operations.

The district shows how early 20th-century industrial communities were built to mix homes with shops and apartments in the same buildings. You can still see this blend of living and working spaces in the homes throughout the neighborhood.

You can reach the area by driving north on Indianapolis Boulevard from Interstate 80/94 and turning at Riley Road or 129th Street. The neighborhoods streets are easy to walk, with a straightforward layout that is simple to navigate.

The neighborhood features an unusual traffic arrangement where cars park on sidewalks while pedestrians walk through the streets. This inverted layout was a deliberate design choice in the original planning of the community.

Location: Indiana

GPS coordinates: 41.65890,-87.46780

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:54