Homes for Sale in Fairmount, Indiana

The Fairmount area was settled in the 1830s, mostly by Quakers from North Carolina. The town was laid out in 1850 and named for Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. After a large deposit of natural gas was found in 1887, Fairmount became part of the Indiana Gas Boom and a center of the glass industry for the rest of the 19th century. Shortly after the depletion of its gas in 1900, the automobile industry set up factories in the nearby large cities, and Fairmount became a commuter community.

During the prosperous years during the 1960s, Fairmount enjoyed a time of building with a new town hall, water works, post office, and elementary school. You can live in the heart of town and enjoy close proximity to these amenities as well as stores, restaurants, and other businesses. Our realtors can help you find a home in one of these older neighborhoods. Regardless of your lifestyle, architectural preference, and budget, there is a perfect home for you.

Fairmount Area Homes

The town of Fairmount is known for its tree lined streets named after the presidents and trees. Fairmount has a small town feeling; you may come into town as a stranger, but it doesn’t take long to become friends with your neighbors. We can help you find a beautiful home on one of the tree lined streets. Perhaps you’d like to live close to Playacres Park so you can walk to the 13-acre park on a frequent basis to enjoy the tranquility that nature offers.

State Road 26 runs through Fairmount. It is an easy commute to nearby towns Fowlerton, Gas City, Jonesboro, Matthews, Summitville, and Upland. Muncie is 20 miles away. If you will be commuting to work, we can help you find a home in a central location that will make your commute an easy one. Give our office a call and talk to one of our realtors.

Shopping and Dining

There are some interesting antiques shops in Fairmount and several local restaurants where shoppers can get a good meal when they are done browsing through items from the past. For shoppers, D&M Variety has a huge collection of antiques and collectibles. Celebrate the past, give it a modern twist, and find just the right fit for your home.  Add to your collection or just browse through the vintage items. Fairmount Antique Mall holds rows of shelves and glass cases filled with treasures from the past. The owners call themselves “Kings of Awesome Old Stuff.”

As far as diners go, Grains and Grill Restaurant offers an upscale dining experience at an affordable price. Appetizers include Bavarian pretzel sticks with fondue, loaded fries, and chicken sliders. Craft beers always on tap. El Metate Grill & Bar offers delicious Mexican entrees in the heart of the downtown. Enjoy mouthwatering, authentic tacos, and all of your favorite south-of-the-border dishes. Smokehouse 26 Grill offers family dining in a cozy atmosphere. The bar and bench seating is made from the bleachers from the old Fairmount High School. Order barbecue ribs and tender, mouth-watering pulled pork—the pitmaster is an artist with his grilling.  

Culture and Entertainment

Fairmount is best known as the boyhood home of actor James Dean. In the 1940s Dean lived with his aunt and uncle on a farm north of Fairmount. He attended Fairmount High School and graduated in 1949. After his death in 1955, Dean was buried in Park Cemetery. In 1988 The James Dean Gallery opened in a restored Victorian House on North Main Street. The annual James Dean Festival includes the Custom & Hot Rod Car Show, the Grand Parade, a 1950's Dance Contest, and the James Dean lookalike contest. On September 30 of each year, there is a Memorial Service for James Dean at the Back Creek Friends Church.

As a historic landmark, the Fairmount Historical Museum was founded in 1975. Exhibits showcase authentic artifacts of James Dean, fellow Fairmount resident and Garfield cartoon creator Jim Davis, community history, and much more. The gift shop includes James Dean items, Garfield items, and Fairmount items.  

Careers and Industry

Retail trade is the most common industry in the Fairmount area. Other common industries include manufacturing, construction, healthcare and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and finance and insurance. Two hospitals, Veterans Administration North Indiana Healthcare System and Carey Services, are less than ten miles from town.

Schools

The Madison-Grant United School Corporation consists of four schools serving students in Grades PK–12. The schools have small class sizes and outstanding academic curriculum. Core values are integrity, continuous improvement, high expectations, accountability, data-driven decision making, teamwork, safety, and alignment.

The mission of this school system is to develop students who can read, write, master the core standards, develop responsibility, and who are successful in post-secondary settings. Schools offer a variety of programs that cater to the students’ unique needs and various learning styles including special education and high ability programs. Two career centers offer high school students the technical training they will need to succeed in the workforce after graduation.

Several technical schools and universities are close by. Indiana Wesleyan University and Taylor University are less than ten miles away from Fairmount. Ball State University, Anderson University, Indiana University-Kokomo are less than 25 miles away. ITT Technical Institute-Indianapolis and Butler University are less than 50 miles away.