Limerick in Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Seelbach-Parrish House

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2020

1. Seelbach-Parrish House Marker (Side A)

Inscription.
Built in 1888 for German immigrant and hotelier Louis Seelbach (1852-1925) and designed by architects Wehle and Dodd in a modified Richardsonian Romanesque form. This house set the tone for other houses built on this block. In 1905, Seelbach & his brother Otto opened the Seelbach Hotel, which was then the largest hotel in Kentucky.
Sponsored by Louisville Historic League
Charles H. Parrish, Sr. (1859-1931), purchased the house in 1919. Born a slave, Parrish moved to Louisville to pursue an education. He served as president of Simmons Univ. from 1918-1931. Charles H. Parrish, Jr. (1899-1989) and his family lived in the house from 1939-1969 and he became the first black professor at the University of Louisville in 1951.
Sponsored by Parrish Family Descendants

Erected 2019 by Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2525.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Education • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 38° 14.486′

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N, 85° 45.76′ W. Marker is in Louisville, Kentucky, in Jefferson County. It is in Limerick. It is on South 6th Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 926 South 6th Street, Louisville KY 40203, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Ohio River Valley.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Noted School Site (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Thierman Apartments (approx. 0.2 miles away); Simmons University (approx. 0.2 miles away); Louisville Municipal College (approx. 0.2 miles away); Immanuel Baptist Church / First Christian-Lampton Baptist (approx. 0.2 miles away); Presentation Academy (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Derek Smith Gymnasium at Spalding University (approx. ¼ mile away); Memorial Auditorium / Performers at Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.

Seelbach-Parrish House Marker (Side B) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2020

2. Seelbach-Parrish House Marker (Side B)

Seelbach-Parrish House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2020

3. Seelbach-Parrish House Marker

Louis Seelbach image. Click for full size.

Public domain / WikiMedia Commons, 1909

4. Louis Seelbach

Louisville Herald newspaper photo.

Charles H. Parrish, Sr. image. Click for full size.

Public domain / Wikipedia, 1921

5. Charles H. Parrish, Sr.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 888 times since then and 100 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 30, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 1, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.