If you’re a relatively new resident of Fishers, you may not be familiar with the long-running controversy surrounding one of the city’s oldest structures—the Kincaid House. Also known as the Flanagan-Kincaid House, and sometimes referred to as the Morris-Flanagan-Kincaid House, this historic home dates back to 1861 and stands as a testament to Fishers’ agricultural roots.
The house originally stood near 106th Street and Lantern Road, but as development surged in the area, the historic structure was threatened with demolition. Thanks to the efforts of local preservationists, the Kincaid House was saved—at least for a time. In 2018, it was painstakingly relocated to a site visible from I-69, south of 116th Street.
At the time, I asked those involved in the relocation what the long-term plans were for the house. No one had a clear answer. One proposal even considered moving the house again to the center of a city roundabout, but the logistics never worked out. Since then, the house has sat at its current site without access to utilities or a proper access road. It has slowly deteriorated, largely untouched and increasingly neglected.
On July 22, the City of Fishers announced that the Kincaid House will be “deconstructed.” In other words, the structure will be dismantled, with materials such as its original clay bricks to be “repurposed” for a future project at the Fishers Agripark—though that project has yet to take shape.
Randy Kincaid, speaking on behalf of the family, expressed mixed emotions in a city news release: “We are sad to see it go. We are pleased it can continue in another form to honor the farming heritage of Fishers.”
(You can listen to a podcast with Gail & Randy Kincaid, along with Ashley Elrod from the City of Fishers, about the Kincaid House & Fishers history, recorded in August of 2022, at this link.)
When the house was moved in 2018, there was an expectation that it would become part of a privately operated park. That never materialized.
In the days since the city’s announcement, social media has lit up with criticism directed at city leaders, including Mayor Scott Fadness, for allowing this outcome. But having followed this saga for years, I believe the situation is more complex.
Yes, the city committed to maintaining the house when it took over from the organization then known as Nickel Plate Arts. But preserving the Kincaid House was always a shared responsibility. Since the relocation, no corporations doing business in Fishers—despite benefiting from the area’s growth—stepped up to fund preservation. No nonprofit took ownership of the effort, financially or otherwise. The community at large failed to rally around the cause.
The loss of the Kincaid House in its original form is not just a failure of municipal leadership. It’s a collective failure—a missed opportunity for us all. Before pointing fingers, perhaps we should each take a moment to reflect and ask: What could I have done to help preserve this piece of Fishers history?