Old Louisville

**Old Louisville** is a Historic district in central Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is the third largest such district in the United States, and the largest preservation district featuring almost entirely Victorian architecture. It is also unique in that a majority of its structures are made of
brick, and the neighborhood contains the highest concentration of
residential homes with stained glass windows in the United States. Many of the buildings are in the Victorian-era styles of Romanesque, Queen Anne, Italianate, among others, and a large number of blocks have had few or no buildings razed. There are also several 20th-century buildings from 15 to 20 stories.

Despite its name, Old Louisville was actually built as a suburb of
Louisville starting in the 1870s, nearly a century after Louisville was
founded. It was initially called the *Southern Extension*, and the
name Old Louisville did not come until the 1960s. Old Louisville was
initially home to some of Louisville's wealthiest residents, but saw a
decline in the early and mid-20th century. Following revitalization
efforts and gentrification, Old Louisville is currently home to a diverse population with a high concentration of students and young professionals.

## Architecture

Old Louisville is well known for its architecture, with styles ranging from Federal architecture to Queen Anne. Very few antebellum buildings remain, and the most impressive buildings were built in the late 19th century. There are a few Italianate, Beaux-Arts architecture, and Second Empire-style houses, but Victorian styles dominate. Victorian Gothic styles are also common. Many styles in Old Louisville are united by their use of red sandstone
 trim, which became popular by the 1880s to the point that the
Courier-Journal said "few new residences are going up in Louisville in
which it is *not* being used". Another common Victorian style is the Richardsonian.

Aside from the best represented styles of architecture listed above, Old
 Louisville also has several great examples of the Chateauesque style of
 architecture in select buildings throughout the area. For example, one
of these examples is a residential building, a mansion, at 400 Belgravia
 Court, which is a "walking court" where the mansions face a park like
walk rather than a street. This specific building was completed in 1897
and one of its first residents was William H. Wathen, M.D., an eminent
medical educator in Louisville from a family of successful distillers.

Although some portions have been razed, many entire blocks remain almost
 untouched, and historian Theodore M. Brown said "it remains the only
nineteenth-century segment of the city that is mostly intact". As infills, some American Craftsman style houses can be found in Old Louisville.

## Images

A two-story house on 6th StreetLocally dubbed the "Hansel and Gretel House", this home on 6th Street is believed to be sided with the original roofing from the Southern Exposition Building. It was opened as a center for disadvantaged women and childrenShotgun houses on Myrtle StreetT. Hoyt Gamble House in the 100 West block of Ormsby AveSt. James Court's "Pink Palace"
## Notable houses

* Bayly-Schroering House
* Cornwall and Brown Houses
* William J. Dodd Residence
* Landward House
* Dr. J.B. Marvin House
* Porter-Todd House
* Rauchfuss Houses
* Tompkins-Buchanan House

## Rumors and legends

Old Louisville is rumored to be one of the most haunted neighborhoods in the United States.

## References

1. ↑ *Brown & Bidwell*, 15-17
2. ↑ Archer, Meg. "These 8 Haunted Places In Louisville Will Send Chills Down Your Spine". *Only In Your State*.