2888 W 44th ST Indianapolis, IN 46228

Quite simply, this is the sort of property Indianapolis waits years to see: 6.79 rolling, wooded acres on a beautiful creek in Washington Township, a private architectural setting of real consequence, and a 1951 one-level residence designed by Leslie Ayres for Ophelia and Merle Miller, of the venerable Ice Miller firm. At 5 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, it offers rare scale without surrendering the ease and clarity of single-level living. The architecture is not merely "mid-century inspired"; it is the thing itself. A long, low composition of stone, brick, wood and glass opens to the landscape through dramatic walls of windows, clerestory light, cathedral ceilings, exposed beams, stained woodwork, cork floors and a commanding great room fireplace with original indoor/outdoor waterfall feature just waiting to be restored. The custom work throughout is extraordinary: built-in bedroom closets, dressers and desks, warm wood display cabinetry, playful custom cabinet pulls marked for the people or purpose they served, and even a Boy Scout camp-inflected half bath recalling Mr. Miller's deep involvement with scouting. The sliding wall partition marked with a "T" drops down to reveal the dining room table. Every feature a custom wish, granted. Ayres, one of Indiana's great modern tastemakers, is remembered for his exquisite architectural renderings and celebrated works including the Wilkinson House in Muncie. This home, reportedly his final project, was shaped in close collaboration with the Millers and was featured in Popular Science magazine in the 1950s. The grounds add another layer of provenance, on both sides of the creek, remnants of a defunct train trestle from an important 19th-to-early-20th-century rail line said to have carried Abraham Lincoln. A true admirer's house, not for those merely house-shopping, we hope you find your home, here.