Summary of History and Significance
The Lockefield Gardens apartment complex was a Public Works Administration (PWA) project built between 1935-38. The intent was three-fold: it provided jobs in the construction industry, cleared an area of substandard housing and replaced it with new public housing. It was exclusively for low-income blacks in Indianapolis. The design and plan provided residents with decent, safe, sanitary, and uncrowded dwellings at a low cost. It incorporated accessible public features including: thirteen play areas, four larger playgrounds, an elementary school, shops, and an aesthetically landscaped mall. Lockefield Gardens was a national example for public housing built thereafter. The complex was closed in 1976, and a number of structures were demolished in the early 1980's. Today, the only structures remaining are those along Blake Street.