Comments

Dotty Reehling Submitted on 2010/10/26 at 6:06 pm
I remember driving out there on double dates in the fifties particulary in the fall around Halloween..  I think the fellows liked to scare the girls with tales of the “House of Blue Lights”.  We would start to drive up the drive but always chickened out because of the screams of the girls.My husband and I went to the auction.  Certainly didn’t look scary in any way by this time.

Lynn Watjen  Submitted on 2010/11/15 at 10:33 am
I found this site on a bing.com search.  I have been walking my dog and running through Skiles Test Nature Park for 3 or 4 years now.  I hadn’t been over there for a couple of months and just went this morning.  I noticed that there are some works of art of a sort up there, and there was also a log sign in some fencework that said something about exploring the farm and Skiles Test Estate Tours.  I was just curious as to who did it and if it was a project of some sort.  In any event, I enjoyed the walk though this morning, and was just curious.Have a great day!

George Starkey Submitted on 2010/12/01 at 5:04 pm
This is a lovely history, so vivid and full of interesting tidbits. I’d like to hear more of the ordinary day to day life, it’s just fascinating.  I was wondering, we’ve always heard about how there were lots of blue lights, but really, where were they? Just around the house, or all around the surrounding areas like the pool and pool house too? Were they all Christmas-type lights, or other types too?  I know it’s a strange question, but it will help me envision the place a little better.

Holly Submitted on 2010/12/05 at 2:02 pm
I imagine it was once a beautiful place. Too bad someone didn’t take an interest in refurbishing it and saving it from the disrepair that ended it’s existance. That’s really sad. Also, I wonder how the  myths got started. It seems mean of someone to make up a story like that.

Chuck White Submitted on 2011/02/01 at 1:13 pm
Thanks for sharing the most interesting photos of the famous “House of Blue Lights.” I never had a car until I was out of high school and was never the daring sort who would think of trespassing on someone’s property, so I never saw the place while a teenager. Heard several other kids talk about going there (or at least claiming to). Questions: Did Skiles Test REALLY keep his deceased wife in a glass-top coffin? Did he REALLY have a live bear on his property? What about a pack of vicious dogs? Any other animals? When you look back on this from the perspective of adulthood, it’s a shame the way that kids back then harassed this poor man. I went to Manual on the southside of Indianapolis. I’m sure that kids from many of the other area high schools must have heard the same legend and tried to go see for themselves. Mr. Test was probably “invaded” most every weekend night by such kids. Did he ever say anything about it? Was he really aggravated by it? Or did he not let it bother him? Would love to know. Any feedback appreciated. Thank you.

Submitted on 2011/02/20 at 12:57 pm
kai Binford (Kay Thompson) I remember the story well and the times we tried to get a close up look at the house. We never actually saw the house but the act of trying to get a view was an adventure. I seem to remember that Skiles Test had massive collections of “stuff” Rolls of string. Stacks of bags. etc. Perhaps this is a myth. I would like to join you 8 May if I am in Indianapolis at that time. Please send more information. I graduated from BRHS in 1956.

Phil Stroup Submitted on 2011/02/26 at 7:54 pm
As a teen we use to drive out there from the inter city and we would drive up to the gates, I remember pulling up to some gates that had big spikes on them, I guess it was to keep people from ramming the gates.  Was this a fact ?

Elaine Dunn Lotz Submitted on 2011/04/19 at 1:03 am
I have a couple of pictures of my mother next to the pool with the St. bernards around late 1930 or early 1940.  Her name was Inza Lois Everett at the time, then married Ora M. Dunn in 1945.  She told us she used to date Skiles Test and that was when the pictures were taken.  I also have some letters he wrote her when he was traveling for work.  I’d love to send you copies to post if yoy are interested.

Doug Rollison  Submitted on 2011/05/05 at 6:50 pm
Great site! I love seeing the history preserved. I wondered about the “Four-story Bathhouse”. Is it the same as the Pool House? It doesn’t look four stories in the pictures. Also, what is the North-South building on the West side of the 1937 aerial map? The pictures indicate the pool and pool house ran East-West. Also, when I was at the current park I saw a small piece of frosted glass with chicken wire inside it, what building would that be from? Lastly, why did they tear it down? What a shame, it was all so unique.

Dan Russell Submitted on 2011/05/09 at 11:12 pm
I am Lauren Russell’s Dad.  She works in the US Embassy in Bangkok.  I  have hiked and haunted the woods and ravines In Skiles Test Park since 1974.

Alex Duncan submitted on  2011/08/06 at 11:47 pm
I am obsessed with the local history of the northeast side of Indianapolis. I was at the Skiles Test Nature Park today and even found an arrow head. Great Time.

Michael Curtis submitted on  2012/06/17 at 4:54 am
Super website … Enjoyed every moment of my sojourn here and will return from time to time. God bless you, Garry. Excellent

Angie Baer Submitted on 2012/06/07 at 6:17 pm
Hey Garry, This sure is interesting. I purchased my book on Amazon today. Can’t wait to read it. Why did they bulldoze the house? and what happened to all those cats after he died? Congrats on the release of your book!Charlene Vondersar Submitted on 2013/02/10 at 6:09 pm
When I was a kid, we use to go by the house of blue lights and be scared to death. It was just something we did to scare ourselves.