The Propylaeum
historic building and women's club in Indianapolis, Indiana
The Propylaeum, also known as the John W. Schmidt House or as the Schmidt-Schaf House, is a historic home and carriage house located at 1410 North Delaware Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. The name "Propylaeum" is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek word προπύλαιον (propýlaion), which referred to monumental gateways to the sacred parts of a city. The property became the headquarters for the Indianapolis Woman's Club in 1923, as well as the host for several other social and cultural organizations. It was initially built in 1890–1891 as a private residence for John William Schmidt, president of the Indianapolis Brewing Company, and his family. Joseph C. Schaf, president of the American Brewing Company of Indianapolis, and his family were subsequent owners of the home.
The Indianapolis Propylaeum association, formed in 1888 as a joint stock company of women, continues to manage the site as a gathering place and rental facility for cultural activities and private events. The three-story, Neo-Jacobean-style building is constructed of red brick with limestone trim. It sits on a full basement and has hipped roof of slate with several gables. The main features of its exterior include a wraparound verandah, square tower, and porte-cochère. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "The Propylaeum (John W. Schmidt House)" in 1973.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “The Propylaeum” is historic building and women's club in Indianapolis, Indiana. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Propylaeum, historic and building, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “historic building and women's club in Indianapolis, Indiana” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q28124518. Authority coordinates are 39.786, -86.154. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1410, 1923, 1890 and 1891.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “The Propylaeum”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow The Propylaeum primary sources, The Propylaeum archive and Propylaeum research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “The Propylaeum”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “The Propylaeum” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.