12/1 Garret - Batman House Online Real Estate Auction

Description

Bidding is open now and ends at 8PM on December 1st 2025. The Historic Garret / Batman House is being sold at auction. Located 2 blocks from the Courthouse Square in Bloomington IN at 403 W Kirkwood, this iconic home was built in 1895 by John Waldron, Sr as a wedding gift for his daughter Mary and her husband, then city attorney, Ira C. Batman. A historical plaque on the house names it the Batman House. The home is in Bloomington's West Side National Register Historic District. This Victorian extravaganza was designed by Bloomington architect John Nichols with elements of the French Second Empire, Queen Ann & Romanesque Revival styles. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this home was the extensive use of Indiana limestone, in a beautiful color, and somewhat experimental style, from top to bottom. Looking around Bloomington, this is one of the most unique historical structures standing still in private hands. Dennis and Nancy Garrett purchased this iconic building in 1974. After working on the building for 2 years, they opened The Garret Antique Shop in 1976. Prior to their ownership, the building was owned by the local Labor Unions as their headquarters. They had a sign on the building, naming it "The Temple". The history before that isn't as clear. After the original Batman family, the only other use we can clarify is the Weir Funeral Home which appears to be in the 1920's to perhaps the 1940's or 50's. Many stories and rumors exist about what the home was used for between the Batman's and the Labor Union but none that can be verified except Weir. One very positive physical change to the property was the reconstruction of the basement and foundation. The enormous amount of brick and limestone is an immeasurable amount of weight. The Garrett family feels this work was done prior to their parents' ownership. Modern concrete block walls were installed around the perimeter of the basement; a center wall was also added. New floors were poured. This was a major reinforcement of the traditional stacked limestone block foundation, creating the strength and capacity to carry this enormous load and stabilizing the home for future generations to admire and respect. Because of the age of the materials and the Union's access to tradesman specializing in masonry work, it is assumed this work was done during their ownership of the building. The home has approximately 4000 SF of finished space on the first and second levels. County records list the basement and attic at Approximately 1780 SF. This makes the total SF of the home between 7500 and 8000. Each of the finished floors have traditional high ceilings. The home is heated by a boiler system and the boiler itself was replaced in the last 5 years. One of the most unique spaces in the building is the attic. With the exposed framing of the roof structure and turret towers, the height of most of this space is usable and comfortable to walk through, with the peak nearly 18' off the floor. The entire floor is covered in wood planking, and it is very usable space, short of the very limited and somewhat treacherous stairway access. Mr. Garrett had this space filled with his private collections, including a full-size horse drawn sleigh. Auction Details "Bidding opens Nov 1st and will end Monday December 1st at 8PM. "Bidding will end with a soft staggered close. "The opening bid is $750,000 which is also the reserve price - if it gets an opening bid, it will sell. "Registration is on the website at EDSAuctions.com. "Final approval of all bidders is at the sole discretion of the Auctioneer. "There is NO Buyers Premium in this auction. "Buyer is responsible for any associated broker fees or commissions on this sale. "A State of IN-Approved Purchase Agreement is to be signed within 5 days of the sale close or by December 6th. "A Non-Refundable deposit of 1% of final sale price is due at the signing of the purchase agreement. "By registering in this auction the buyer agrees that the seller will retain the deposit if they can't close on this property. "This property is being sold as-is and is part of the Estate of Nancy Garrett. "All inspections and any financing must be completed prior to the close of the auction. "Closing will be at Title Plus - Bloomington IN. "Seller guarantees clear title and will provide a Title Insurance Policy to the buyer. "Closing fees are to be split equally between buyer and seller. "Closing is to be no later than Jan 30th, 2026. "It is our understanding that this home is historically designated both locally and nationally. Zoning for this property is a combination of both residential and commercial use. Any issues regarding the possible use of this property or limitations related to it's historical status are the sole responsibility of the buyer. More importantly, these questions must be resolved prior to the close of the auction and will in no way be considered a contingency or requirement by the buyer regarding the final closing of the real estate. See below for more information on these issues and details. The Garrett - Batman house is listed as being of Outstanding importance historically. Listed as the Batman/Waldron house, this is property # 93 on the local historic property map. To find out more about Historic Bloomington please visit : https://bloomington.in.gov/historic-bloomington Questions regarding the possible uses of this property should be directed to the Bloomington Planning and Transportation Department at (812) 349-3423. Questions regarding the historical status and limitations of the renovation of this property should be directed to the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission at (812) 349-3507. If you are interested in bidding on this Real Estate and have any questions, or if you want to schedule a showing, inspection, or other visit to the property, please call or contact Brian Sample at EDSIndiana@gmail.com or phone 812-327-8273.