The residence at 10 West 65th Street is located in the northside Indianapolis neighborhood known as Wellington Estates. The area north of 64th Street and west of Meridian Street was originally part of a farm, owned first by the Roberts family and later owned by the Van Scyoc family, both of whom were early settlers of Washington Township.  The land was subdivided in 1923 by Oscar Schmidt. He was a partner in the multi-generational real estate company, Lorenz Schmidt and Sons, a prominent Indianapolis firm from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. In 1937, Wellington Estates was included in the incorporation of the Town of Meridian Hills.

The building site, the legal description of which is Lot Number 15 in Wellington Estates, was purchased in the spring of 1929 by Walter and Lucile (Allen) Jamieson. At nearly two acres, it is one of the largest lots in Wellington Estates. The north property line of the lot abuts the south end of the golf course at the Meridian Hills Country Club.

The building permit filed in 1929 by the architect stated that the structure planned for the lot would be a 2-story brick residence of about 6,100 square feet with stone  trim, a basement, slate roof, 10 rooms, 3 baths, and hardwood floors. When the home was completed, it was given the street address of 6508 North Meridian Street. It was known by that address for more than a quarter of a century.

Walter and Lucile Jamieson had moved to Indianapolis from Utica, New York in 1917, when Walter was hired to be the assistant director of biological research at Eli Lilly and Company. Within a few years of joining the pharmaceutical company, Jamieson became the department’s director. He held that position until his retirement in 1949. The Jamiesons were active in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Audubon Society. Mr. Jamieson was also one of the founders of the Indiana Chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Blindness.

The Jamiesons hired local architect and builder Henry L. Simons to design their new home, as well as to construct it. Simons, who both resided in and operated his business from his personal residence at 5151 North Meridian Street, designed more than 500 upscale residences during his long career. Several of Simons’ projects have been Decorators’ Show Houses over the years since the annual event’s debut in 1962. Construction of the Jamieson home began in June of 1929 and was essentially completed by year’s end. The Jamiesons owned the property for two decades.

Mrs. Jamieson passed away in 1948, and Mr. Jamieson retired from Lilly the following year. He then went to live with his only child, Lucile, on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Lucile and her husband, William George Weiss, had built a home on several acres alongside Eagle Creek, which they named “Green Braes.” In 1949, Walter Jamieson sold 6508 North Meridian Street to its second owners, George and Isabelle (Wolf) Dixon.

Mr. and Mrs. Dixon were the proprietors of a florist’s shop called Flowerland, which was located on College Avenue in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. Isabelle Dixon was the daughter of Arthur Wolf, the founder of the State Auto Insurance Company. “Dotty,” as she was known to family and friends, inherited considerable wealth upon her father’s passing in 1955. She became a major benefactor of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The Dixons’ children were Sandra Corbett Dixon Hardee, George P. Dixon, and Michael Dixon.

In 1956, the Dixons retired to Miami, Florida, at which time they sold the property to its third owner, Edward Hubbard Wiest Jr. By the time that the 1957 Indianapolis City Directory was published, the property’s address had been changed from its original 6508 North Meridian Street to 10 West 65th Street. Ed Wiest was the grandson of Lafayette Jackson, the founder of the Standard Grocery Store chain. He was a member of Second Presbyterian Church, the Dramatic Club, and Traders Point Hunt Club. His sister, Elizabeth (Wiest) Johnson, and Liz’s husband, Sylvester Johnson, were the organizers of the Traders Point Hunt Club Charity Show. Edward Wiest passed away in August of 1986. His estate was settled by his sister, Elizabeth (Wiest) Johnson, and their father, Edward Hubbard Wiest, Sr. 

In 1987, 10 West 65th Street was sold to its fourth owners, James Allan Hall III and Dr. Kathleen S. Hall. Mr. Hall is the owner of J. Allan Hall & Associates, a medical insurance company. He also founded Owl Studios, a jazz record label, and co-chaired the annual Indy Jazz Fest. He has served on the Meridian Hills Town Council. Dr. Hall was a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. She is well-known for her studies of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and she has written many scholarly articles about her research. Dr. and Mr. Hall are the parents of four grown children.

The Halls have been loving stewards of the property throughout their thirty-three years of ownership. During their residency, they named the property "Fox Hill Manor." With many areas for entertaining – both on the sprawling grounds of the property and inside the spacious residence – the Halls’ home has been the site of many gatherings. A unique multi-story addition to the residence was constructed by the Halls in 2004, which increased the square footage of the original home to its present size of approximately 10,000 square feet. Saint Margaret’s Hospital Guild is pleased to be working with the Halls in featuring this wonderful home as its 2020 Decorators’ Show House and Gardens. 

The history of the property and its owners was researched by
St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild member Sharon Butsch Freeland