A foodie's dream in Hancock County
Fortville was once a sleepy one-stoplight town whose claim to fame was a 12-foot-tall bespectacled pink elephant sipping a martini outside Elite Beverages on Broadway. While the unofficial town mascot still stands at attention, Fortville has since gained a reputation for great restaurants in a walkable, historic downtown. The town of 5,000 maintains its easygoing charm while trending toward becoming a bedroom community for the Indianapolis metropolitan area. “I used to always brag that Fortville is far enough from the city to be considered country but close enough to eventually become a suburb,” says Jeff Ratliff, broker and owner of Ratliff Realtors and a lifelong Fortville resident. “That suburb is now upon us.”
An abundance of walkable restaurants
Despite its small size, Fortville punches above its weight when it comes to restaurants. Main Street and Broadway Street are lined with nearly a dozen restaurants, most of which are locally owned or part of a regional franchise. Residents meet for breakfast at Broadway Diner, a cheery Fortville institution for 40 years. Nearby, Denver’s Garage Pizza and Brews is a modern joint with live music in a converted 1956 service station. Residents also head to FoxGardin Kitchen & Ale, an intimate pub with a sophisticated take on comfort food, or Taxman Fortville, which offers elevated American fare and beer from Taxman Brewing Company. After a hearty meal, diners can walk to Libby’s Ice Cream & Gifts for a flight of homemade ice cream. Strough’s IGA offers groceries, and big-box stores are 12 miles away in Greenfield or about 15 miles away in Cumberland.
Old homes and new builds
In the past 15 years, home prices in the neighborhood have increased significantly. But the community remains a relatively inexpensive option near the Hamilton County area. “The average person who grew up in Fortville... can’t afford to live in Fortville any longer because the price of homes is so dramatically expensive,” Ratliff explains. Homes range in price from $140,000 for a 3-bedroom ranch built in 1956 to more than $700,000 for a recently built five-bedroom new traditional mansion outside of town with additional acreage. Many homes are priced between $250,000 to $350,000. “I would say the main reason someone would move here is because you can build the exact same house in Hancock County that you would in Hamilton County and save yourself between $100,000 and $200,000,” Ratliff adds.
Highly rated public schools at Mt. Vernon
Students can start at Fortville Elementary School, which receives an A-minus from Niche, before heading to the B-plus rated Mt. Vernon Middle School. From there, teens can progress to B-rated Mt. Vernon High School, which offers a state-of-the-art computer modeling and animation lab, plus a modern video production studio where students produce live news and entertainment segments for the school's television program.
Two parks to explore
Residents turn to the town’s two parks for outdoor fun, exercise and relaxation, starting with Memorial Park, the largest park with the most amenities. Locals picnic under tall trees, pop an ollie at the skate park, host graduation parties at the enclosed shelter house and watch young teams shag flies on the baseball fields. There’s also a dog park, which requires a membership to access. About a half-block from Main Street, Landmark Park offers some outdoor respite closer to town, with a gazebo, walking paths and plenty of trees.
Seasonal events in Fortville
Fortville has a handful of events throughout the year that draw residents from around the region. In July, the daylong Summerfest features more than 75 vendors, a kid zone and fireworks at dusk. During the winter, residents look forward to Winterfest and the parade on Main Street. Kammy’s Kause fundraiser, one of the town’s biggest events, is an annual all-day music festival in Landmark Park, where residents from all across Hancock County come to dance, eat, shop and support the nonprofit organization.
Not far from Indianapolis
Fortville is about 25 miles northeast of Indianapolis and about 37 miles from the Indianapolis International Airport. Given its small stature, the town has no public transportation; downtown is walkable, but residents must drive to get to school or out of town. Broadway Street, one of Fortville’s main thoroughfares, is undergoing a massive reconstruction project led by the Indiana Department of Transportation, scheduled for completion in November 2024. The construction led to lengthy detours as well as a decline in revenue for local businesses, which Fortville officials hope to address with a new social media campaign to promote the town.
Written By
Leslie Klosterman
Photography Contributed By
Tyler Bolduc
