In early fall of 1841, thirty-two-year-old Abraham Lincoln, then a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, visited his friend Joshua Speed at Farmington. Lincoln stayed here for a three-week period. At the time, both he and Speed were second-guessing their . . . — — Map (db m162004) HM
Throughout the nineteenth century, Kentucky led the nation in hemp production. By the 1830s, Farmington was 550-acre working hemp plantation - a center of agriculture and industry. Hemp, the most labor-intensive crop grown in the state, perpetuated . . . — — Map (db m244654) HM
Historic residence completed 1816 for John and Lucy (Fry) Speed. The Jefferson-inspired plan by Paul Skidmore includes octagonal rooms, rare in 19th c. Kentucky. As many as 64 African Americans enslaved at Farmington worked the 550-acre hemp . . . — — Map (db m162002) HM
On April 15, 1837, Abraham Lincoln rode into Springfield, Illinois, on a borrowed horse, to begin his career as an attorney. He stopped in a local store where he met the clerk, Joshua Speed, a fellow Kentuckian. They became roommates and began a . . . — — Map (db m162003) HM
To 1997, archaeologists from the Kentucky Archeological Survey and the University of Louisville excavated a 16x16 stone foundation documented to the Rutherford watercolor as a one-story wooden cabin. Based on artifacts recovered from the site, . . . — — Map (db m244656) HM
This Greek Revival mansion was the home of world-renowned botanist Dr. Charles Wilkins Short from 1847 to 1863. Front section of Hayfield built by Col. George Hancock ca. 1834. Rear L-shaped part of house dated by some as late 1700s. Among the first . . . — — Map (db m162012) HM
In 1890, Highland Park was created for railroad workers when L&N expanded in south Louisville. The neighborhood quickly thrived. In 1950, it had nearly 7,000 residents. The self-sustaining community had churches, schools, grocery stores, saloons, . . . — — Map (db m244651) HM
Started by Presbyterian families who came from Pennsylvania to Kentucky in the 1780s. The first church was a log structure built in the 1790s. The present church was built in 1840. It is one of few churches that survived from 19th century and is one . . . — — Map (db m35348) HM
Civil War Dead
An estimated 700,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in the Civil War between April 1861 and April 1865. As the death toll rose, the U.S. government struggled with the urgent but unplanned need to bury fallen Union troops. . . . — — Map (db m161214) HM
As governor, 1907- 1911, Willson acted to quell civil unrest caused by Night Riders in tobacco growing areas of western Ky. A native of Maysville, Willson began career in
Louisville. He became the protégé and law partner of U.S. Supreme Court . . . — — Map (db m164862) HM
Civil War Louisville
When the Civil War began, Louisville was the largest city in Kentucky and the twelfth largest in the nation. Because its commercial and industrial economy was not dependent on slave labor, less than 10 percent of the . . . — — Map (db m161213) HM
Born in 1899 in Indianapolis, Walls earned an M.A. from NY's Columbia Univ. As a teacher, she developed an early black history program in Indiana. In 1930s, Walls worked to secure public housing for blacks in Louisville. In 1940s, she led . . . — — Map (db m161750) HM
Born in Richmond, Va., on October 29, 1810, Wolfe was one of the first two graduates of
the University of Virginia School of Laws in 1829. After law school, he came to Kentucky to begin his law practice. He was a highly respected criminal . . . — — Map (db m161217) HM
The 32nd Indiana at the Battle of Rowletts Station
On December 17, 1861, the "1st German" 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel August Willich, fought Confederate cavalry, infantry and artillery units south of . . . — — Map (db m29483) HM
The Battle of Rowlett's Station
On December 17, 1861, the 32nd Indiana Infantry (nicknamed the "1st German” regiment as it consisted entirely of German immigrants) engaged Confederate forces near Munfordville, Kentucky, in the Battle of . . . — — Map (db m245364) HM
Southern Parkway
Originally named Grand Boulevard. Completed on June 14, 1893. It was 150 feet wide. Constructed of packed dirt and watered daily to keep the dust down. Lined with large trees, flanked to the east with a bicycle path, to the . . . — — Map (db m161570) HM
The Little Loomhouse
Lou Tate Bousman (1906-79), born in Bowling Green, Ky. During Arts & Crafts movement, at Pres. Hoover’s request, she traveled Appalachia preserving historic coverlet patterns. Her work with Mrs. Hoover led to the . . . — — Map (db m161569) HM
Iroquois Amphitheater
The official amphitheater of Ky., it was built in 75 days by 275 WPA employees. It opened with a sold-out production of Naughty Marietta on July 4, 1938. The main attraction was the dazzling water curtain. In . . . — — Map (db m161571) HM
The Kenwood Drive-In opened July 31, 1949, featuring the movie El Paso. Construction cost $100,000. At 71 ft. high and 72 ft. wide, the screen was billed as the biggest in the south and could withstand 100 mph winds. It was Louisville’s last . . . — — Map (db m161568) HM
Located on original site of Simmons University and Bible Collège, a black institution. Opened Feb. 9, 1931, as the segregated branch of University of Louisville in response to black political activism. It was third municipally supported college for . . . — — Map (db m203388) HM
Designed in 1873 by B.J. McElfatrick, architect, as first black public school in Ky. Central Colored School served as cultural and educational center for city's black community until 1894. Then, because of overcrowding, Central relocated. Education . . . — — Map (db m161289) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m161287) HM
School proposed by Gen. Assoc. of Colored Baptists in Kentucky and chartered through legislature in 1873 as Ky. Normal and Theological Institute. Frankfort was the first site suggested but Assoc. selected Louisville. Charter amended in 1882, . . . — — Map (db m161288) HM
Forest Home Cemetery evolved from an old slave burial ground and is final resting place of Eliza Curtis Hundley Tevis (ca. 1802-84) and other early settlers of Petersburg community. Tevis was born a slave but gained freedom in 1833. She and her . . . — — Map (db m162013) HM
KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL
JUNE 25, 1950 - North Korean Communist troops crossed the 38th Parallel, invading South Korea. Within days, the South Korean capital of Seoul fell into Communist hands.
SEPTEMBER 15, 1950 - Allied troops make very . . . — — Map (db m35357) WM
Trail of thousands of pioneers through here, 1775 to 1811. Made into wagon road by Act of the Legislature 1796. Lifeline for Gen. George Rogers Clark's army at Falls of Ohio, Louisville, 1778-83. Road abandoned 1840. It followed ancient buffalo path. — — Map (db m162014) HM
Serving children and families of the Cabbage Patch, as the neighborhood was known at the time. Founded 1910 as Christian-based charity by Louise Marshall, great-great-granddaughter of Chief Justice John Marshall. Director until her death in 1981. . . . — — Map (db m161562) HM
Calvary's congregation was derived from Sehon Methodist Chapel; it was admitted as an Episcopal parish at Diocesan Convention of 1861. The church was incorporated by Kentucky General Assembly in 1869. Outstanding rectors have included W. H. . . . — — Map (db m161372) HM
Chateauesque Architecture. Alongside the impressive examples of Romanesque, Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Queen Anne, Beaux Arts and Eclectic styles found in Old Louisville is Chateauesque, a rare French-inspired design exemplified by . . . — — Map (db m104872) HM
In 1941, the Louisville Service Club opened in the former Knights of Columbus and Columbia Auditorium building. The club provided weekend housing and entertainment for service men in the city in the lead up to US entry into World War II. The . . . — — Map (db m161371) HM
Conrad-Caldwell House
Theophilus Conrad, tannery owner, built this home 1893-95. Designed by Clarke & Loomis architects in Richardsonian Romanesque style. After Conrad’s death in 1905, the house was sold to William Caldwell, maker of wooden and . . . — — Map (db m104875) HM
Founded in 1830, First Unitarian Church has been active in civil-rights movements as well as community-wide initiatives. Several fires have damaged the church. Including one in 1985 which left only the stone walls. Each time it has been rebuilt . . . — — Map (db m104729) HM
George Denison Prentice (1802-1870) was a controversial figure in Louisville history. Born in Connecticut, educated at Brown University, Prentice taught school, and studied both law and medicine before embarking on a career in journalism. Henry . . . — — Map (db m178908) HM
Immanuel Baptist Church. Formed in 1887 at Shelby Street Brewery by students at Southern Baptist Seminary. Originally named Germantown Mission and Logan Street Baptist Church. In 1905 renamed Immanuel: “God with us.” Congregation worshipped . . . — — Map (db m161370) HM
Serving girls' education for almost 100 years, school was originally known as Female High School and provided women of Louisville with a strong educational base. Opened on April 7, 1856 at Center and Walnut, school functioned on 1st Street and at . . . — — Map (db m161356) HM
Memorial Auditorium Construction began in 1927 as a tribute to Louisvillians who died in First World War. Architect of the Greek Revival building was Thomas Hastings, assisted by E. T. Hutchings. On Decoration Day, May 30, 1929, the War Memorial . . . — — Map (db m203393) HM
Born in 1899, Walls fought to end segregation in public housing, city libraries, and local Girl Scouts. Walls led the movement that integrated Girl Scout programs and camps by 1956. She was the first black woman to serve on the Girl Scout Board and . . . — — Map (db m104727) HM
The city's first Catholic school and Louisville's oldest existing school, founded 1831, by Mother Catherine Spalding. Recognized as co-founder of Sisters of Charity of Nazareth with Bishop J. B. David, she began a hospital and city's first orphan . . . — — Map (db m161367) HM
Samuel Grabfelder (1846-1920)
Born in Rehweiler, Bavaria, his family moved to Louisville in 1857. He attended Louisville (Male) H.S. then went to work in the wholesale liquor trade. In 1871 he married Cordelia Griff and, in 1879, began S. . . . — — Map (db m161564) HM
Built in 1923 by Louisville businessman James Graham Brown, the Brown Hotel has anchored the 'Magic Corner' of Fourth and Broadway for decades. Over the years the hotel has hosted an array of dignitaries, actors, and presidents, as well as . . . — — Map (db m178897) HM
Constructed in 1925 as a live performance venue, the Brown Theatre was soon converted into a movie theatre in 1930 to respond to the changing economic realities of the Great Depression. Through the 1950s, the Brown served as a first-run movie . . . — — Map (db m178901) HM
August 1 – 1883 President Chester A. Arthur opened the Southern Exposition of “Art, Industry and Agriculture.”
The 40 acre grounds extended from Park Ave. to Hill St. and from 4th to 6th Streets.
The two story 600’ . . . — — Map (db m104876) HM
Susan Look Avery
Suffragist, author, orator and founder of The Woman’s Club of Louisville. Avery held an early suffrage meeting in her parlor, with guest lecturer Lucy Stone. Associate of Susan B. Anthony, Jane Addams, Booker T. Washington . . . — — Map (db m161561) HM
Remembering the life and legacy of the lake Derek Smith, Spalding University has named the campus gymnasium in honor of this wonderful man. Derek, a member of UDFL's 1980 NCAA Championship Team and a nine-year NBA star, held his first high school . . . — — Map (db m179906) HM
The Filson Historical Society
Founded in 1884 and named for John Filson (1753-1788), Kentucky's first historian, this institution collects, preserves, and publishes historical material pertaining to Kentucky and the Ohio Valley. The . . . — — Map (db m161375) HM
VisionsIn the 1890s, Wm. H. Slaughter envisioned and with the Victoria Land Co. developed St. James Court. Earlier (1874-1882) the land served as a sports and entertainment complex, including home field of Louisville’s charter-member National . . . — — Map (db m161563) HM
This area was settled by Major William Preston and his wife, Caroline Hancock, who established a plantation known as the “Briar Patch” in 1815. Bardstown Pike, just to the east, was approved for construction in 1819 as major state . . . — — Map (db m162010) HM
Algonquin Park Algonquin Park was designed by Olmsted Brothers, a well-known landscape architecture firm, in 1929. The sixteen-acre Algonquin Park is one of seventeen parks in Louisville laid out by Olmsted and his sons over a fifty-year period . . . — — Map (db m203461) HM
Black members of Walnut Street Baptist Church formed own congregation by 1829, and began worshipping on Market St. They acquired lot on Fifth & York, 1833; held services there until 1957. The church played an especially prominent role under the . . . — — Map (db m161677) HM
Catherine Spalding
Co-founder of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Ky., she wrote that the orphanage was “the only place on earth to which my heart clings.” Catherine loved and nurtured hundreds of children and it was said that . . . — — Map (db m104471) HM
Father Herman Felhoelter
Herman Gilbert Felhoelter was born in Louisville, July 17, 1913. Ordained a catholic priest by Order of Franciscans, 1939. Commissioned a captain in Chaplain Corps of U.S. Army, 1944. Awarded Bronze Star for service . . . — — Map (db m161260) HM WM
Founded as the First English Lutheran Church in Louisville in June 1872. The present Gothic-style facade and sanctuary, designed by Louisville architect Mason Maury, was dedicated in May 1905 in the midst of a thriving residential neighborhood. . . . — — Map (db m161268) HM
This church was constituted on Green Street, Sept. 29, 1844, with Brother George Wells as pastor. A noted trustee and treasurer was Ben Duke, who lived to age 110. Present church built 1930 by Samuel Plato under pastorate of H. W. Jones. Scene of . . . — — Map (db m161270) HM
History of Eastern Cemetery
15 acres incorporated in 1854 for Methodist Episcopal Church. By 1872 it doubled in size. Clarke & Loomis designed wake house 1891. Eastern Cemetery Corp. built 1st crematorium in KY 1935. Modern building erected . . . — — Map (db m161303) HM
Founded in 1836 to serve German Catholics and named for the Apostle of Germany, St. Boniface is the oldest Catholic parish in Louisville existing under its original name. The Gothic-style church, dedicated in 1900, was designed by D. X. Murphy and . . . — — Map (db m161749) HM
Louisville Cemetery
Original 31 acres incorporated Mar. 23, 1886, by prominent black citizens Bishop W. H. Miles, H. C. Weeden, J. Meriwether, A. J. Bibb, W. P. Churchill, William H. Gibson, Sr., and Felix Johnson. Buried here are Dr. Robert . . . — — Map (db m161299) HM
"Bloody Monday". Election day, Aug. 6, 1855, known as Bloody Monday due to riots led by "Know-Nothing" mobs. This political party was anti-Catholic and nativist. Attacks on German immigrants east of downtown and Irish in the west caused at . . . — — Map (db m25914) HM
This site marks the location of Fort-on-Shore, which was the the first building erected on the mainland when General George Rogers Clark and the settlers of Corn Island came ashore. The stockade and fort, built 1778-79 on orders from General Clark, . . . — — Map (db m161710) HM
Mary M. Miller of Louisville, a pioneer among women, was issued license as master of a steamboat on inland waters, Feb. 16, 1884, in New Orleans. License authorized her to navigate waters of Ouachita, Mississippi, Red, and other western rivers. She . . . — — Map (db m68597) HM
In 1914, the Louisville Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance prohibiting a person of one race from living on a block where the majority of residents were of another race. In response, Nat'l Assoc. for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) . . . — — Map (db m161704) HM
By the late eighteenth century, large boats carried people and products to villages dotting the banks of the Ohio River. Yet the boats had to halt at the 26’ drop at the Falls of the Ohio where Louisville is today. Draymen portaged freight to the . . . — — Map (db m161709) HM
Built in 1853, the Montgomery Street School was an educational institution for 155 years. Designed in classic Renaissance Revival style, it is a significant example of a mid-19th century educational facility. During the Civil War, it likely served . . . — — Map (db m161706) HM
French immigrants established a community here in 1806. In 1814 it was surveyed and platted. By 1837 it was incorporated as a suburb of Louisville. It was an early port and boatbuilding center - 41 steamers had been built by 1855. Portland was site . . . — — Map (db m68536) HM
Built between 1845 and 1852, during the zenith of steamboat and river commerce, the U.S. Marine Hospital in Louisville served boatmen on the Western waterways. Designed by Robert Mills, one of the first American- born professionally trained . . . — — Map (db m161707) HM
The rock spring on Beal's Branch 800 feet south marks Spring Fort. One of the pioneer "Beargrass settlements" contemporary with the founding of Louisville. When its commander, Richard Steele, was wounded in an Indian attack, his wife, at Floyd's . . . — — Map (db m161994) HM
Dr. James Bond (1863-1929)
Born in Woodford County during slavery, James Bond was raised in Knox Co. He led a young steer to Berea College for his tuition. In 1896, became a trustee of Berea. After Day Law passed, he joined college's staff . . . — — Map (db m161254) HM
I. Willis Cole, 1887-1950
Militant editor and sole owner of The Louisville Leader and I. Willis Cole Publishing Co. (1917-1950). A race paper boasting, “We print your news, we employ your people, we champion your cause,” . . . — — Map (db m161249) HM
Knights of Pythias Temple
The Knights of Pythias Lodge was organized in 1893 and the state headquarters built, 1915, at a cost of $130,000. The same prominent leaders organized the Lodge and Chestnut Street YMCA. Among those founding fathers . . . — — Map (db m161255) HM
This Carnegie-endowed library was one of the first in the nation to extend privileges to the black community. The library was first in William M. Andrews' residence at 1125 West Chestnut, now gone. The present library was designed by the . . . — — Map (db m161253) HM
Samuel M. Plato, Architect. Samuel Plato was a prominent African American architect. He was born in 1882 in Montgomery County, AL. Attended schools in Waugh, AL, Winston-Salem, NC, & 1902 State Univ. Normal school, now Simmons College. Early . . . — — Map (db m161251) HM
Parish founded September 1866
Laying of cornerstone May 18, 1884
Destroyed by fire on January 26, 1939
Rededicated December 8, 1941
Placed on National Register of Historic
Places March 1, 1982
Centennial celebration June 17 1984
Fr. . . . — — Map (db m203226) HM
Congregation was organized by 18
Blacks in Aug., 1878. First church
on Center St., 1882; present church
bought, 1927. Notable pastors have
been W. H. Craighead, D.E. King,
A.D. Wms. King (brother of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.) and . . . — — Map (db m203236) HM
The Grotto (D.X. Murphy & Bros., Architects) was dedicated in 1927 as a place for contemplation on St. Joseph Infirmary grounds. Two-story, half-domed, concrete apse is faced on inside with stones and rubble. Modeled on natural grotto at Lourdes, SW . . . — — Map (db m161327) HM
Heroism at Little Big Horn
Co. H, Seventh U.S. Cavalry, was taking heavy losses at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Intense fire from nearly all sides led to more wounded and a critical need for water. Otto Voit and three other soldiers stood . . . — — Map (db m161328) HM
In 1899, because black physicians were barred from treating patients at public or church hospitals, Drs. W. T. Merchant, Ellis D. Whedbee and R. B. Scott founded Red Cross Hospital at Sixth & Walnut Street. In 1905, it moved to 1436 S. Shelby St. . . . — — Map (db m161298) HM
Louisville Cotton Mill
Built in 1889, this was the first cotton mill in Louisville and a significant example of Victorian industrial architecture. The mill initially produced cotton warp for “Kentucky Jeans,” but in 1919 . . . — — Map (db m161296) HM
Schnitzelburg
Once part of Germantown, area’s growth occurred after completion of 1891 Goss-Texas Ave. streetcar loop. Part of Alexander Spotswood 1000~acre land grant; region platted 1866 by D.H. Meriwether. Landmarks include Louisville . . . — — Map (db m124965) HM
Falls City Jeans & Woolen Mills
Incorporated in 1882, the Falls City Jeans & Woolen Mill Company produced the most Kentucky Jeans in Louisville. The company created 2.5 million yards of jeans a year. Later, Enro Shirt Company & Ohio Valley . . . — — Map (db m161290) HM
Off Shelby
This road was once part of the Shelby St. streetcar line, which connected Germantown to downtown Louisville. This included the famous “Schnitzelburg Loop.” Completed in 1907, the loop helped transform Schnitzelburg, . . . — — Map (db m161297) HM
Preston and St. Catherine Streets Historic District
This section of Shelby Park neighborhood was laid out ca. 1847. C. P. Moorman, a distiller, built this development in 1884-85. It was made up of Queen Anne rowhouses, detached homes, and . . . — — Map (db m161292) HM
Shelby Park Neighborhood
In 1847, the German working class first populated the area bounded by Kentucky, Preston, Bergman, & Logan Streets. In 1907, Mayor Paul Barth personally purchased part of the land that made up the 17-acre park. . . . — — Map (db m161293) HM
Society of St. Vincent de Paul An international lay Roman Catholic organization dedicated to the poor, Bishop John Spalding brought the idea to Louisville when he saw it during trips to Europe to recruit teachers for the state’s Catholic school . . . — — Map (db m203220) HM
St. Matthew Church
On November 3, 1889, the original church on this property was dedicated as the St. Matthew Evangelical Church. The congregation soon outgrew it, and the current building designed by Arthur Loomis was completed ca. 1908. . . . — — Map (db m161291) HM
St. Vincent de Paul Parish
Parish included a church, convent, rectory and school. Original church cornerstone laid in 1878 at present site. D.X. Murphy designed the larger Gothic Church begun in 1886. Expanded by Fred Erhart in 1927. Parish . . . — — Map (db m161294) HM
Louis D. Brandeis Home
Built in 1864, this was the boyhood home of first Jewish U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Louis D. Brandeis. It was here, in his formative years, that Brandeis developed the democratic social philosophy that would later be . . . — — Map (db m161261) HM
The Presbyterian Community Center was founded in 1898 on Preston Street by Rev. John Little. It was Louisville’s first African American Mission Sunday school. A second location on Hancock Street opened in 1902. The Centers were known as Hope and . . . — — Map (db m161264) HM
Born in Waynesboro, Virginia, in 1865, Sheppard attended Hampton and Stillman Institutes. Sent to the Belgian Congo in 1890, he served as missionary in Africa until 1910. Became a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society of London in 1893 for his . . . — — Map (db m161266) HM
Smoketown
This historically black community began to flourish following end of slavery in 1865, when thousands of African Americans moved to Louisville. Shotgun-type houses on closely spaced streets and alleys allowed both black and white . . . — — Map (db m161263) HM
