The County Line
Carmel’s popular Holiday Home Tour this year will feature homes from the architectural style known as Mid-Century Modern. The homes, built in the 1950s and early 1960s, were the creation of hometown designer Avriel Christie Shull. The annual event will be held Dec. 1 and 2 with decorated homes all located in the Thornhurst subdivision on West Main Street.
The home tour is sponsored by the Carmel Clay Historical Society. A VIP tour followed by a cocktail party at the Evan Lurie Gallery will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. The cost is $50. The following day self-guided tours will be available between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. for $25. Proceeds go to the historical society.
Further information can be found on the society’s website or by calling the historical society office at 317-846-7117.
Avriel, a Carmel native, became nationally known for innovative design later adopted by others. Her Thornhurst addition, composed of 27 homes, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The designer was self-taught and was not a graduate in architectural design. She designed and built numerous Mid-Century Modern homes and buildings in central Indiana and elsewhere.
The daughter of Donald and Genevieve Christie of Carmel, Avriel went to Carmel High School and attended Butler University. She was married to newspaper columnist R.K. Shull and was mother of two daughters. Known professionally as simply ‘Avriel’, she died early in her career at the age of 45 in 1976.
The historical society also sponsors a number of programs and events designed to inform residents of the Carmel community about the numerous historical sites, events and personalities that have contributed to the community’s history and development.
The society headquarters is the former Monon Railroad Depot, currently closed for the season. Among 2018 exhibits at the depot will be one featuring the 100th anniversary of World War I and its impact on the homefront.