1. Home Page
2. Planning Your Event
   1. Planning Your Event
   2. Weddings
   3. Corporate Events
   4. Non-Profit Events
   5. Other Special Events
3. Estate Tour
   1. First Floor
   2. Second Floor
   3. Third Floor
   4. Basement
   5. Exterior & Grounds
4. Client Scrapbook
   1. Client Scrapbook
   2. Event Photos
   3. Testimonials
   4. Scrapbook Submission
5. Estate History
   1. Estate History
   2. The Fletcher Family
   3. A Prepatory Institution
   4. Housing Development
   5. The Hudson Institute
   6. The Endowment Fund
6. Ways to Give
7. Travel Directions
8. Contact Us
   1. Contact Information
   2. Event Reservation Form

The Sisters of Providence purchased Laurel Hall, along with ".the garage and power house, a large greenhouse with three wings, five stucco houses, five cottages, a laundry and more than 220 acres of surrounding land," for $600,000, as reported in the Nov. 7, 1925 edition of the Indianapolis News, again as the banner headline. A number of new buildings were planned to create one of the most impressive preparatory schools in the nation.

During the early years of Ladywood, girls lived and were educated within Laurel Hall. Lenkowsky notes that the Ladywood diploma was very well-regarded, attracting the daughters of some of America's most wealthy families, including the daughter of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman and Antoinette Giancana, who "found her education cut short when it became known that her father, Sam, had connections with organized crime in Chicago."

The post-World War II population boom sparked a need for larger schools across the nation. In 1963, a new building was opened, increasing Ladywood's total capacity to 600 students, according to Lenkowsky. Unfortunately for the Sisters of Providence, this investment would prove to quicken Ladywood's downfall, as that capacity was not filled. Lenkowsky writes that a 1970 merger with St. Agnes School, another Sisters of Providence school in the Indianapolis area, could not save the project, and Laurel Hall was sold to local businessman Robert V. Welch in 1974.

Thank you for making Laurel Hall Indy's premier event venue!
With so much to offer to truly make your event unique, Laurel Hall has something for everyone!