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Louisville’s Most Exuberant Neighborhood Is Still a Diamond in the Rough
Story & photos by Pat Lindsey
“More and more people are discovering Old Louisville, the most exuberant neighborhood,” said David Domine’ during our recent walking tour of Louisville’s first suburb. He added that it is still possible to buy a mansion there for around $300,000, but that won’t be the case for long.
Domine’ has lived in Louisville since 1993 and has written a dozen books about the area. During our one-hour walking tour, we were only able to cover about 20 per cent of the 45 square-block neighborhood, but Domine’ gave us nine blocks worth of fascinating facts about the history, architecture, and residents of one of the most significant preservation districts in the country.
Old Louisville grew on the site of the early world’s fair-like event known as the Southern Exposition, which attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors during 100 days from 1883 
to 1887. Those who stayed ended up building 1400 structures between 1883 and 1905. The wealthiest lived on Millionaires Row and their mansions were built with money that came primarily from three sources–tobacco, bourbon, and horse racing.
As we walked, Domine’ pointed out to us some beautiful examples of Gilded Age architecture that included Gothic Rival, Beaux Arts, Italianate, Chateauesque, Richardsonian Romanesque, Queen Anne, and Second Empire. The designs ranged from charming cottages and shotgun homes to stately mansions. Some of those homes are adorned with stained glass windows, turrets, gargoyles, tobacco leaf carvings beneath their eaves, and elegant entryways. Rarely did we travel a street that didn’t have some restoration underway.
Not all of the 45 blocks are typical streets. Some are broad avenues, quiet lanes. or walking courts. Floral Terrace, built in 1905, is a walking court community where the homes face each other, but are divided by a sidewalk instead of a street. These homes are landscaped with botanical gardens that provide walkers with naturally beautiful scenery in a serene setting. The entire neighborhood is peppered with many lovely parks, with St. James Park being at its heart.
There are several U.S. cities that claim to have a haunted history, and Old Louisville is right up there with Savannah, New Orleans, and Alton, IL. Although Domine’ said he has never seen a ghost, he moved out of his 1895 chateauesque mansion because of “too many paranormal happenings.” His book, Ghosts of Old Louisville: True Stories of Hauntings in America’s Largest Victoria Neighborhood, chronicles some of the paranormal events in his home and others in Old Louisville. These stories make it imperative for visitors to first spend an hour on a walking tour to get acquainted with the neighborhood, and then spend additional time learning more about Louisville’s fascinating Victorian past and the ghosts that might still reside there.
Information on Louisville Walking Tours
From March 15 to Nov. 15, rain or shine, daily “America’s Most Exuberant Neighborhood Tours” can be scheduled at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. To schedule a tour, call (502)718-2764 or e-mail info@louisvillehistorictours.com. Tours depart from Smokey’s Bean Coffee Shop at 1212 South Fourth Street. Wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella, if necessary.
Info on the Photos by Pat Lindsey: The homes along Floral Terrace in Old Louisville have a beautifully landscaped walking court. These homes were built in 1905. Mansions in Old Louisville are elegant and are one-of-a-kind. Every street is different.
