Much of the Lakeside area of the Northside Neighborhood is now part of the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official list of properties considered worthy of preservation.

The Lakeside Historic District boundaries are Tennessee Avenue to the north, St. Joe Boulevard to the west, Edgewater Avenue to the south, and Crescent and California avenues to the east.

There are more than 400 properties in the Lakeside Historic District; most are homes built between 1890 and 1940. The district has a variety of architectural styles, including Queen Anne, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Cape Cod and the American Foursquare.

The Lakeside Historic District is significant not only for its architectural styles, but also because it was the first electrified streetcar suburb. Additionally, it was one of the first residential areas to include uniform setbacks from the street, utility poles along the alleys, groupings of trees along the curbs, curving streets and a small area set aside for a park.

“It’s important to recognize our City’s unique history and architecture,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry. “Designations such as this bring recognition not only to the Lakeside area, but to our entire community.”

“Historic districts provide the Northside Neighborhood with the opportunity to recognize and capitalize on its historic character as a community revitalization tool,” said Dan Wire, advisory council member for the Northside Neighborhood Association. “The Lakeside area is the second of several areas identified as potential historic districts in our strategic plan to receive designation.”

The Northside Neighborhood Association worked with the City and the State Historic Preservation office to nominate the area to the National Register. The project was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund. The Fund is administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. The application was prepared by John Warner of Indianapolis.