LOUISVILLE LANDMARKS COMMISSION DESIGN GUIDELINES, WEST MAIN STREET, PAGE 1

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

During the 1970s, West Main Street was designateda local and a national historic district, in recognitionof its importance to Louisville�s economic develop-ment and the quality of its architecture. The districtcontains a significant concentration of nineteenth-century, cast-iron commercial buildings, rivaled onlyby such cities as New York and Portland, Oregon.

FROM FORTIFIED SETTLEMENT TO COMMERCIAL HUB

In 1779, settlers laid out the town of Louisville,Kentucky County, Virginia, with lots lining either sideof Main Street between Third and Twelfth Streets.Fort Nelson, built to protect the settlement, wasconstructed along this street. Although West Mainoriginally contained both residential and commercialarchitecture, it had become almost exclusivelycommercial by the 1830s. During the mid-nineteenthcentury, it became the commercial heart of the city.

SERVING TRAVELERS AND TRADERS

Gradually a succession of hotels, restaurants, stores,warehouses, and banks grew up along West MainStreet, serving travelers and the trade industry. Logand frame buildings slowly gave way to more perma-nent, and impressive, brick structures. Today, only afew buildings survive from that era, including ActorsTheatre and the former St. Charles Hotel�over theyears, many early buildings have been lost to firesand natural disasters.

POST-WAR GROWTH

The post-Civil War economic boom launched Louis-ville into the industrial age. Heavy commercialgrowth resulted in a building frenzy, with entrepre-neurs scrambling to expand their operations byadding onto their facilities or building new ones.Much of the architecture seen within the West Maindistrict dates to the era between the Civil War andthe turn of the century. In addition to representing astaggering range of architectural styles, thesebuildings are examples of a revolutionary, Victorian-era building technology�cast-iron construction.

Courtesy of the University of Louisville Photographic Archives

WEST MAIN STREETPRESERVATION DISTRICT

A Brief History

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DID YOU KNOW?

• The city�s best example of cast-iron architec-ture stands at 726-730 West Main Street.Louisville architect Charles D. Meyer designedthe building in 1884 for the Hart HardwareCompany.

• Built in 1837, the Actors Theatre at 322 WestMain Street is one of the oldest buildings in thecity.

• A marker at Sixth and Main Streets memorial-izes Fort Nelson, built circa 1781.

• West Main Street has survived two fires, one in1886 and one in 1889, a tornado in 1890, andfloods in 1882, 1883, 1884, and 1937.

MARVELS OF CAST IRON

Cast-iron components were well suited to the eclecticdesigns favored during the late nineteenth century.Architects and builders had the option of selectingand combining a variety styles. Cast iron offeredmany advantages over masonry construction. Mass-produced, cast iron was less expensive to work thanstone, which had to be quarried, cut, and laid up.The casting process also enabled complex patterns ofornament to be incorporated into building compo-nents with relative ease and at a minimal cost.

NO ARCHITECT NEEDED

Lighter and stronger than masonry, cast iron took upless wall space, permitting the insertion of muchlarger windows than had previously been possible.Larger windows created better interior lighting�aplus during the pre-electricity era. Lastly, ownerswishing to build an elaborate cast-iron structure didnot automatically need to hire an architect. Although as

a result, columns in a few structures are known tohave been installed upside down. Merchants andwholesalers had the freedom to select what theyneeded from catalogues, since the individual cast-ironelements were cast in molds at the foundry, shipped,and then assembled at the construction site. Ownersonly needed to team up with a knowledgeable builderwho could complete the on-site work. Buildings of thisperiod that did not use cast iron were generallyconstructed of brick, with facades of masonry such aslimestone, brick, and terra cotta.

BUSINESS RELOCATION

As Louisville entered the twentieth century, WestMain Street began a period of decline. Businessesmoved southward toward Broadway and FourthStreet. The development of manufacturing centers inthe suburbs during the 1940s and 1950s also drainedbusiness from the downtown.

URBAN REDEVELOPMENT

In the late 1960s, urban renewal efforts focused onthe riverfront and began the movement to rebuildthe use and appearance of Louisville�s central busi-ness district. In subsequent years, as an outgrowthof these efforts, developers and investors renovatedand adapted many important buildings to alternativeuses. One example is the conversion of the head-quarters of the wholesaler Carter Dry Goods Com-pany into the Louisville Science Center. Other reno-vated structures include the Hart Block, theHarbison-Gathright Building, and the formerSeelbach European Hotel.

(Continued from Page 1)

• West Main Street was the firststreet in the city.

• The first businesses to line WestMain Street included an attorney,grocer, boardinghouse, auctioneer,merchant, carpenter, tailor, shoe-maker, tobacco inspector, black-smith, engineer, physician, hatter,tallow chandler, barber, painter,upholsterer, insurance company,plasterer, druggist, and brewer.

• John B. Ford of the New Albany PlateGlass Company invented the tech-nique for rolling the expanses ofwindow glass used in cast-ironarchitecture.

LOUISVILLE LANDMARKS COMMISSION DESIGN GUIDELINES, WEST MAIN STREET, PAGE 3

�Reading� Your Building�A Crash Course

Property owners planning to make exterior changesto a historic building should start by identifying thefeatures and materials that give their structure itsunique character, as well as its historic and non-historic elements. By taking the time to recognizeand understand significant features, you will bemuch more likely to plan a project that is compatiblewith the original style of the building.

If, after looking over these guidelines, you would stilllike more information, the staff will be happy toarrange a pre-application meeting. Staff members canprovide additional advice on the character of yourbuilding and how it relates to your upcoming project.

Learning to read a building and identify its significantelements is not complicated. Begin by thinking aboutand answering the questions below.

STEP ONE

Identify the overall visual aspects of a building. Donot focus on the details, but on the setting andarchitectural context. Begin by working through thechecklist below.

SHAPEWhat is there about the form or shape of the build-ing that gives the building its identity? Is it short andsquat, or tall and narrow?

ROOF AND ROOF FEATURESHow does the roof shape or pitch contribute to thebuilding�s character? Are there unique features likeweathervanes, cresting, or cupolas?

OPENINGSWhat rhythm or pattern does the arrangement ofwindow or door openings create? Are thereunusually-shaped window openings or distinctiveentryways?

PROJECTIONSAre there parts of the building that are character-defining because they project from the walls of thebuilding like porches, cornices, bay windows, orbalconies? Are there turrets, or widely overhangingeaves, projecting pediments, or chimneys?

TRIM AND SECONDARY FEATURESHow does window and door trim contribute to thecharacter of the building? Be sure to consider thedecoration, color, or patterning of the trim. Whatabout secondary features like shutters, decorativegables, and railings?

MATERIALSFrom a distance, what contribution do the color,texture, and combination of exterior materials maketo the overall character of the building?

SETTINGWhat aspects of the setting are important in establish-ing the visual character of the site? Think about thebuilding�s setback, alignment with adjacent buildings,plantings, fencing, terracing, and outbuildings, andits relationship to the street and alley.

STEP TWO

Identify the character of the building at close range.Assess the color and texture of the building materialsas they convey the craftsmanship and age that givesthe building its unique appearance. Begin by workingthrough the checklist below.

MATERIALS AT CLOSE INSPECTIONAre there one or more materials that have an inher-ent texture that contribute to the close-range charac-ter, such as stucco, exposed aggregate concrete, orbrick textured with vertical grooves?

CRAFT DETAILSIs there high-quality brickwork with narrow mortarjoints, or hand-tooled or patterned stonework? Arethere hand-split or hand-dressed clapboards ormachine-smoothed beveled siding? Craft details,whether handmade or machine-made, contribute tothe character of a building because they are manifes-tations of the time in which the work was done andof the tools and processes that were used.

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West Main Street�From Warehouses to Galleries

EVOLVING USES

The West Main Preservation District has undergonemany changes over the past two hundred years. Inthe 1830s, a large number of lodging establishmentsand taverns serving canal travelers sprang up. WestMain Street later became an important transfer pointfor goods in the 1850s after the introduction of raillines into the district encouraged the construction ofnumerous warehouses. The district�s commercialsuccess continued through the turn of the century,but investment then shifted to other municipalsectors. Many buildings were left abandoned orunderutilized until renewal efforts began in the1970s. Today, the historic warehouses along WestMain Street have regained a high degree of occu-pancy, housing a mix of professional offices, galler-ies, cultural centers, and retail enterprises.

CIRCULATION PATTERNS

West Main Street runs east-west along the leveltopography of the Ohio River floodplain and is part of

the urban grid. Rear alleys are a secondary system ofcirculation with the potential to support the develop-ment of rear-facade-oriented uses in the West MainStreet area. Within the district, buildings extend outto the property lines, creating a continuous architec-tural wall along the street. Most structures averagebetween four and six stories in height, and store-fronts and generous sidewalks provide a pedestrian-friendly, human scale.

STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS

The district contains a limited number of projectingsigns and awnings, with most business identificationpresented on wall signs or storefront windows.Parking garages and metered on-street parking servethe district, and numerous streetscape improvementshave recently been implemented. Now such elementsas street trees, benches, reproduction lightingstandards, and public sculpture enhance thestreetscape and testify to the city�s commitment toinvestment within the district.

CAST-IRON CONSTRUCTION

No early nineteenth-century buildings have survivedwithin the West Main Street Preservation District. Allhave been lost to fire, demolition, or natural forceslike floods and tornadoes. A few buildings date to theearly 1850s era of cast iron; however, businessowners built the majority of structures between the1880s and 1900. Although one of the strongestunifying elements within the West Main Street districtis the use of cast iron in the front facades, there isgreat ornamental variety within the district. Eachblock contains buildings exhibiting a range of distinc-tive personalities−bold, demure, elegant, and bois-terous are all present on West Main Street.

ABUNDANCE OF ORNAMENT

Nineteenth-century owners worked with builders tomix and match architectural elements for a customlook, either fanciful or restrained. Interchangeablecast-iron elements turned many utilitarian ware-houses into commercial palaces. Today, the appliedornament of carved stone, terra cotta, and cast ironstill conveys its original individualistic exuberance.Much of the architectural ornament within the districtis in the Italianate, Renaissance Revival, and Beaux-Arts styles. Builders and architects incorporateddetail at all levels of the facade, lavishing it onstorefronts, window surrounds, quoins along wallfaces, and highly decorative cornice treatments. Useof ornament often emphasizes tripartite facadearrangements.

LOUISVILLE LANDMARKS COMMISSION DESIGN GUIDELINES, WEST MAIN STREET, PAGE 5

FACADE ORGANIZATION

Some buildings employ cast-iron storefronts thatsupport masonry bearing walls above (brick orlimestone), while other facades are totally cast ofiron. Use of the cast-iron support system enabledbuilders to have much more window space than waspreviously possible. Windows, along with storefronts,play a major role in establishing a facade�s character.The organization of a building into bays emphasizesits verticality and regularity, since the bay width isnarrow compared with the overall height of a build-ing. Shed roofs are standard and often concealedfrom street view by decorative cornices. Overall, thebuildings in the West Main Street PreservationDistrict are industrial in the regularity of their form,but adopt elements of organic and naturalisticornament that add substantially to their character.

CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES

Urban Design• principles and guidelines of the Downtown Devel-

opment Review Overlay �Main-Market� Districtapply to West Main Street.

Site• is part of the urban grid;• has a cohesiveness achieved by consistent build-

out of the lots; and• is unified through shared streetscape-level

features, such as storefronts, street trees, andstreet furniture.

Windows• are generally one-over-one or two-over-two,

wood, double-hung sash;• are given prominence by ornamental sills, lintels,

hoods, and moldings; and• comprise a large part of front facades, providing

an overall sense of translucence.

Storefronts• have a tripartite organization of bulkheads, plate-

glass windows, and transom;• are generally unified under a decorative cornice,

often with a signboard; and• help maintain a pedestrian-scaled streetscape.

Applied Ornament

• distinguishes a variety of facade elements−storefronts, walls, and cornices;

• uses features such as delicate rosettes and robustbrackets to add dynamism; and

• embraces a variety of materials including carvedstone, terra cotta, and cast iron.

Cornices• give closure to the upper portion of the facade;• establish relationships among buildings on a

given block; and• provide an area for a decorative statement�

conservative or flamboyant.

Rear Facades• front onto alleys, the district�s secondary circula-

tion network;• have much simpler ornamentation; and• often include secondary entrances and windows

that have future development potential.

Streetscape• improvements in the public-right-of-way are

governed by the West Main Street Cultural ArtsDistrict Urban Design Plan.

Courtesy of the University of Louisville Photographic Archives

LOUISVILLE LANDMARKS COMMISSION DESIGN GUIDELINES, WEST MAIN STREET, PAGE 6

HARDWARE

INCISED ORNAMENT

STOREFRONT

LIMESTONE AND CAST-IRON PIER

LOUISVILLE LANDMARKS COMMISSION DESIGN GUIDELINES, WEST MAIN STREET, PAGE 7

SITE

REAR FACADE

WINDOWCORNICE

SIGNS

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Preservation Principles

Outlined below are a number of guiding preservationprinciples that are modeled after the Secretary of theInterior�s Standards for Rehabilitation. Readingthrough these principles will help you begin to thinkabout how you can carry out your upcoming projectin a way that both enhances your historic building orsite and preserves its character-defining features.

RELATIONSHIPS

When evaluating the appropriateness of a givenproject, the structure, the site, and their relationshipto the rest of the district should be given carefulconsideration.

USE

Historic structures within a local preservation districtshould be used for their originally intended purposeor for an alternate purpose that requires minimalalteration to the building and site.

ALTERATIONS

Repair is always preferred over replacement. Whenreplacement is necessary, materials should replicateor match the visual appearance of the original.

A high level of craftsmanship distinguishes structureswithin local preservation districts. Distinctive fea-

tures, finishes, and construction techniques shouldbe preserved whenever possible.

Removal or alteration of historic fabric compromisesthe original character of a building or site and shouldbe avoided.

Properties, however, do change over time. Thosealterations that have become historic in their ownright should be maintained as a record of aresource�s physical evolution.

NEW CONSTRUCTION AND ADDITIONS

Additions should be designed to minimize impact tohistoric fabric and should be compatible with themain structure in massing, size, and scale.

New, infill construction should be designed so that itis compatible with its neighbors in size, massing,scale, setback, facade organization, and roof form.

New construction and additions should also drawupon established stylistic elements to create asympathetic design that is clearly of its own era.

ARCHEOLOGY

Historic sites often contain archeological resources,which should be protected and preserved wheneverpossible. If artifacts are found, contact theLandmarks Commission for an assessment.

Courtesy of the University of Louisville Photographic Archives