Horace Mann Historic District

Horace Mann Historic District is a residential area in Gary featuring Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and English Cottage-style houses arranged along curvilinear streets with attached garages. The buildings contain five to ten rooms on fifty-foot-wide lots and maintain their original character throughout.

The district developed between 1920 and 1930 to meet the housing needs of a growing industrial city. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 recognized the architectural importance of this early planned community.

The neighborhood reflects Small House movement principles through efficient layouts and technological advancements in early 20th-century residential design. Visitors can see how these homes offered maximum comfort within limited space.

The area is best explored on foot by walking the curving streets and observing the varied house styles up close. Wear comfortable shoes, as visitors spend time examining the neighborhood's architectural details and foundation plantings.

One house design from the area won second prize in the 1926 Chicago Tribune Small House Contest for its innovative spatial solutions. This recognition showed how local architecture influenced national standards for affordable housing design.

Location: Indiana

GPS coordinates: 41.60000,-87.36306

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:44