Franklin Township Historical Society

Vintage Clothing Show & SALE
2023-08-18 10:00 - 2023-08-19 14:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | Grace Church, 5605 S. Franklin Rd., Indianapolis, IN, 46239, United States
Our popular Vintage Clothing Show is returning as something even better: This time, in addition to the displays of and history about clothing items from the 1830s through the 1970s, the show will also include vintage items available for purchase. Plus, the show is being expanded to two days! Join us at Grace Church, 5605 S. Franklin Road, from 10 AM to 6PM on Friday, August 18, and 10AM to 2 PM on Saturda7, August 19 for this event.

Movie outing: See Marjorie Main as Ma Kettle
2023-07-15 13:00 - 17:00 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Join us to watch Acton’s own Marjorie Main in her iconic film role of Ma Kettle, on a 33-foot screen at the one-hundred-year-old Historic Artcraft Theatre! Movie tickets are $5 for seniors, $6 for other adults. Be at the Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, at 1:00 to carpool.

Old Settlers Day 2023
2023-06-25 09:00 - 16:00
Join us June 25 at Old Settlers Day, Wanamaker’s annual street fair! We’ll have a booth on Southeastern Avenue with our memberships, publications, Franklin Township woven coverlets, and more available for purchase. Stop by to check out our special offers!

Antiques & Rummage Sale
2023-06-16 - 2023-06-17 | Franklin Township Civic League, 8822 Southeastern Ave, 8822 Southeastern Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46239, United States
Our annual Antiques & Rummage Sale fundraiser is expanded to two days this year!
Donation items may be brought to the Civic League building, 8822 Southeastern Avenue, between noon and 6 PM on Wednesday June 14. No clothing accepted. Tax receipts will be given for donations. If you have items to donate and can’t deliver them, please contact us.

Visit Joseph Boggs Society for Historical Preservation
2023-04-16 13:00 - 17:00 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
We’ve been invited to visit the Joseph Boggs Society for Historical Preservation in Boggstown, IN. Those wishing to carpool should be at the Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Rd, by 1:00 PM.

History Presentation at Southport/Perry Township Historical Society
2023-03-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Perry Township Education Center, 6548 Orinoco Ave, Rm 210, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Historical Society president Nancy VanArendonk will be repeating her Harvest Luncheon presentation about local history at the Southport/Perry Township Historical Society meeting in Perry Township Education Center, 6548 Orinoco Ave, Rm 210. Event is free, snacks and beverages will be offered. Enter from Banta Road side, at NW corner of the building.

Harvest Luncheon and Silent Auction
2022-11-05 12:00 | Grace Church, 5605 S. Franklin Rd., Indianapolis, IN, 46239, United States
After a successful series of Harvest Luncheons (in 2019 we had 59 people attend and sold every single Auction item), the luncheon was unable to be held in 2020 and in 2021 because of COVID-19 concerns, but it’s back this year! Join us for this fun time of great food, door prizes, a local history presentation, and the very popular Silent Auction.
This year’s menu is Chicken Normandy, which will be served with a green salad, bread, dessert and beverages. The entrée is gluten free.
Please note that this is a professionally catered dinner, so there is a deadline for ordering meals. Reservations must be made by October 28!

Open Hours at Meeting House
2022-10-16 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-10-01 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-09-18 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-09-08 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-21 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-07-17 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-07-02 14:00 - 16:00, 2022-05-22 08:00 - 17:00 and 3 more dates | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Our building is open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. on the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month, March through October. Stop by for a visit!

Open Hours
2022-08-06 14:00 - 16:00 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States

Steve McQueen Presentation
2022-07-17 14:00 - 15:00 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
On July 17 at 2 p.m., a presentation will be offered in our Meeting House at 6510 S. Franklin Road about actor Steve McQueen, who was born in nearby Beech Grove. This presentation is being done in partnership with the Beech Grove Historical Society.
McQueen, who in the 1970s was the highest-paid movie star in the world, was an award-winning actor whose list of films includes The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Sand Pebbles, The Towering Inferno, and others. He was a top box-office draw in films during the late 1950s, the ‘60s and ‘70s. Such was his popularity that more than 25 years after his death his estate was in the top 10 highest-earning deceased celebrities.
Area resident Steve Nontell, who has done presentations about McQueen for other groups, will be sharing the actor’s story with us that afternoon. Join us for this interesting and free event!

Marjorie Main film: The Egg and I
2022-07-15 - 2022-07-16
Marjorie Main, born in Acton and best known for her role as Ma Kettle in 10 films, can be seen July 15 & 16 in the 1947 movie The Egg and I at The Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin. This was the first film to feature Ma & Pa Kettle, characters created by Betty MacDonald in her 1945 best-selling novel The Egg and I, on which this movie was based.
Showtimes and tickets are available on the Historic Artcraft Theatre website.

Old Settlers Day
2022-06-26 09:00 - 15:00
After a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, the Old Settlers Day Street Fair & Car Show on Southeastern Avenue in Wanamaker is returning! The fair will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. Our booth will be offering our books and historical publication, maps of Franklin Township as it was in 1889, membership sales and renewals, postcards with vintage township photos, and more.

Antiques & Rummage Sale
2022-06-04 08:00 - 14:00 | Franklin Township Civic League, 8822 Southeastern Ave, 8822 Southeastern Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46239, United States
Come shop at our largest annual fundraiser! The sale will be held at the Franklin Township Civic League building, 8822 Southeastern Avenue, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. NO EARLY SALES.

Rummage Sale Donation Drop-Off
2022-06-03 12:00 - 18:00
Drop off your sale donations at the Franklin Township Civic League building, 8822 Southeastern Ave. Tax receipts will be available. Please, NO CLOTHING unless it is an item of unusual historic interest.

Open Hours at the Meeting House
2022-05-07 14:00 - 16:00 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States

Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration
2021-12-12 18:00 - 19:30 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Join us for our annual holiday celebration! Come to the Meeting House for Christmas carols accompanied by our original antique pump organ, holiday history and stories, candle luminaria lining the walkway, cookies and punch… and quite possibly a visit from old St. Nicholas himself! Please park at the south end of The Creek’s paved lot next door in order to reserve our gravel lot for handicapped and limited-mobility parking.
To keep everyone safe this holiday season, face masks are required for anyone over 2 years of age. Thank you for your cooperation.

Holiday Members' Outing: Lunch & Irvington Historical Society Visit
2021-12-04 11:30 - 14:00
Join us on Saturday, December 4 for lunch and a visit to the Irvington Historical Society, housed in the lovely Bona Thompson Memorial building. The Memorial was built in 1902 as the Butler University Library and was funded by Bona’s parents in memory of their daughter who had died not long after graduating from Butler University, which at that time was located in Irvington.
Attendees will meet for lunch as a group at 11:30 a.m. at Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza, 5646 E. Washington Street, before visiting the Irvington Historical Society. Those not wishing to lunch beforehand are welcome to go directly to the Bona Memorial (5350 E. University Avenue), which opens at 1 p.m. There will be a Christmas display in addition to the Irvington Historical Society’s usual wide array of exhibits. There are stairs into the building, but an elevator is available from the east entrance. Please bring a face mask in case of public health restrictions in place at the time of our visit.
Advance registration is requested so that we can give a head count to the restaurant when reserving space for our group. RSVP by November 30 to franklintownshiphistory@gmail.com. Carpooling is recommended to simplify parking; please let us know when you RSVP whether you would like to carpool or will be driving separately.
There is no charge for this event other than whatever you spend for lunch.

The Black Dress & Other Stories
2021-10-21 18:30 - 19:30 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Join us in October for spooky legends around a fire!
Bring a lawn chair to the Meeting House parking lot, 6510 S. Franklin Rd, at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21st (please park next door at the south end of The Creek’s lot) to hear seasonal ghostly stories around a wood fire! Free event. Marshmallows and roasting sticks provided. Since this is an outdoor event, it will not take place if it’s significantly raining. Check our Facebook page for any updates about last-minute cancellation.

Open Hours at Meeting House
2021-10-17 13:00 - 16:00, 2021-10-02 13:00 - 16:00 | FTHS Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Open Hours at the Historical Society Meeting House, 6510 S. Franklin Road, Indianapolis, are held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the first Saturday and the third Sunday of each month, March through October. There is no charge to visit.
