Vienna Restaurant, 133-135 South Fourth Street, Louisville

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,56-LOUVI,24-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

At one time the most elegant and sumptuous restaurant in Louisville, the Vienna Restaurant, is a very rare example of the Art Nouveau influence in Louisville. Aside from remnants of the interior, only the exterior remains as a reminder of the former grandeur. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History 1. Date of erection: Circa It is known that the restaurant, which was founded in was initially housed in a pre-1893 building, before its move to its circa building at 133 S. Fourth Street. Photographs of the interior taken circa show it in its finished state. The earliest known photograph of the exterior dates from It is probable that the facade uniting the two buildings was erected sometime after the consolidation of the property between and 2. Architect: Not known. 3.

Original and subsequent owners: The Vienna Restaurant is located on lot 195 of block 14-E in the City of Louisville. The following references tracing the title of these lots are found in the Jefferson County, Kentucky Deed Books. Deed, November 11, located in Deed Book page Charles M. Thruston and Leonora Thruston sold the lot at 249 Fourth Street (now 133 S. Fourth Street) to William R. Ray. Deed, June 5, recorded in Deed Book page Underwood and Underwood sold the lot at 251 Fourth Street (now 135 S. Fourth Street) to George W. Norton for Deed, June 8, recorded in Deed Book page Martha H. Norton and George W. Norton, executors of George W. Norton, Martha H. Norton, Julliette N. Marvin and Joseph B. Marvin, Susan N. Coleman and John Coleman, Vienna Restaurant (Brennan Building) HABS No.

(Page 2) Minnie N. Caldwell, Lucie W. Norton arid Mattie A. Norton, and George W. Norton, and Margaret M. Norton conveyed the lot at 251 Fourth Street to the Norton Company. Will, November 17, recorded in Will Book 23, page William R. Ray devised the lot at 249 South Fourth Street to Isabel Ray LaVielle, his daughter, Deed, August 6, recorded in Deed Book page The Norton Company sold the lot at 249 South Fourth Street to Rhodes, Oscar Fenley and John W. Barr, trustees under the will of William R. Ray, recorded in Will Book 23, page Deed, May 28, recorded in Deed Book page 56. Rhodes, Oscar Fenley, and John W. Barr, trustees under the will of William R. Ray, Joseph L. LaVielle, Thomas D. Osborne and Christine C. Osborne, and Charles D.

Ray, all by Herr, Commissioner of the Jefferson County Circuit Court, sold the lot at 251 South Fourth Street to Isabel LaVielle. Deed, September 23, recorded in Deed Book page 88. The Fidelity and Columbia Trust Company, executor of the will of Isabel Ray LaVielle, dated August 11, and recorded in Will Book 45, page 99, sold the two lots comprising the Vienna Restaurant to Wathan Realty Company. Deed, June 1, recorded in Deed Book page Wathan Realty Company conveyed the property to John A. Wathan Distillery Company. Deed, July recorded in Deed Book page 2. Wathan Realty Company conveyed the property to John A. Wathan Distillery Company. Deed, July, recorded in Deed Book page John A, Wathan Distillery Company sold the property to George T. Stagg Company.

Deed, May 22, recorded in Deed Book page Georgf. T. Stagg Company sold the lots to Morten Manufacturing Company. Deed, June 28, recorded in Deed Book page Morton Manufacturing Company sold the property to Louisville Lodge #5, Loyal Order of Moose. Vienna Restaurant (Brennan Building) HABS No. {Page 3) Deed, December 11, recorded in Deed Book page Louisville Lodge #5, Loyal Order of Moose sold the property to One Thirty-Three South Fourth Street, Inc. 4. Original plans and construction: No original plans are known to exist. A description of the restaurant in its original state reads as follows: "The first floor is elegantly fitted up as a restaurant, being furnished with fine Vienna imported oak tables and chairs, electric lights, fans, etc.

as well as the snowiest of linen and fine tableware. The second floor is used as the kitchen and bakery where genuine Vienna bread, rolls, etc, are made; the third floor is devoted to fancy pastry, etc. ... ...The Cumberland Telephone connects every department." It is also known that the interior- was decorated in the Classical Revival style, and. "bentwood furniture was used to accentuate the interior. One exterior photograph of the restaurant survives from showing it in its final form. 5. Alterations and additions: Following occupancy by the Jefferson County Democratic party two stained glass panels, one at each end of the facade, were removed and stored in the basement to be replaced with fans.

In the stained glass panels over the doorways the central lettering, probably and respectively, was replaced with stained glass, reading "BRENNAN BUILDING," in honor of Mr. Brennan, a prominent Democrat. Also, following occupancy, the interior of 133 South Fourth Street was partitioned and converted to office space. At August 6, a fire swept through the upper two floors of the restaurant, completely destroying those floors. B. Historical Context: The Vienna Restaurant was one of the city's most elegant restaurants. Opened in as the Vienna Restaurant and Bakery by Frank Erpeldinger, a native of Vienna, it was host to both residents and visitors to Louisville.

Following the death of Frank Erpeldinger in the restaurant was sold to a Chicago firm in January of Vienna Restaurant (Brennan Building) HABS No. (Page 4) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION General description: The front facade of this three-story commercial building boasts a rare form of Art Nouveau style. The walls are faced with colorful ceramic tile with contrasting, light-color terra cotta trim used on the window enframement and roof elements. Colorful stained glass panels above the large clear glass windows on the first floor further enhance the building. A vertical sign that reads "Vienna" is above the central main entryway. It is also faced with ceramic tile and terra cotta trim.

The simple glass double doors of the main entryway and a balustrade atop the flat roof are among the non-Art Nouveau elements. Inside the building is dark stained woodwork that trims the walls, ceilings and doorways. Prepared by; David Arbogast Historian National Park Service August and Susan McCown Historian Historic American Buildings Survey Spring PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Early Views: Two photographs, R. G. Potter Collection, ca. show the interiors of the Ladies' Dining Room and the Gentlemens' Dining Room. Prints of these photographs may be found in the following places: Jefferson County Democratic Headquarters, 133 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky. Cunningham's Restaurant, 900 South Fifth Street, Louisville, Kentucky.

Louisville Pictorial Souvenir, Louisville, Kentucky. "Where to Dine," Courier-Journal, March 25, Four photographs, two of which are the same as above, and two of which show the front of the same rooms from the interior, plus a portrait of the owner, Frank Erpeldinger, are in Greater Louisville - illustrated. National publishing Compnay, Louisville, An interior photograph of the restaurant before remodeling in a reprint of an article now found in the Jefferson County Democratic Headquarters, but listing no source. At the top of the page is written "Louisville, Kentucky, Resources and Industries," page 85. Vienna Restaurant (Brennan Building) HABS No. (Page 5) An interior photograph of the restaurant before remodeling in Commercial History of the State of Kentucky, edited by T.

Edgar Harvey, by Post D of the Traveler's Protective Association of America, Courier-Journal Job Printing Co., Louisville, p. A photograph of the exterior in its final form in "Where to Dine," Courier-Journal, March 25, B.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,56-LOUVI,24-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

1. Primary and unpublished sources: Deed Books located in the Clerk's Office, Jefferson County Courthouse, Louisville, Kentucky. Will Books located in the Probate Office, Jefferson County Courthouse, Louisville, Kentucky. 2. Secondary and published sources: Newspaper clippings: "The Vienna Restaurant Holds a Warm Place in a Former Louisville Man's Heart," Louisville Times, December 31, "Famous Old Restaurant to Change Hands," Louisville Herald- Post, January 14, "Fire Sweeps Restaurant on Fourth," Courier-Journal, August 7, "Curio Now Having Its Day," by Floyd Edwards, Louisville Times, February 6, PART IV. PROJECT INFORMATION The project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in cooperation with the Preservation Alliance of Louisville and Jefferson County, Inc.

Under the direction of John Poppeliers, chief of HABS, the project was completed during the summer of at the HABS Field Office in Louisville by Prof. John Haggard, (Syracuse University), project Supervisor; David Arbogast (Columbia University), Project Historian; Mary Oehrlein, Project Foreman; Bayer Lee (City College of New York) , Architect; and Mary M. Herd (University of Tennessee) and Charles Raith (University of Cincinnati), student assistant architects. Susan McCown, a HABS staff historian in the Washington, office, edited the written descriptive data in the spring of for transmittal to the Library of Congress. HABS staff photographer Jack E. Boucher took the photographs of the structures in ADDENDUM TO HABS No.

VIENNA RESTAURANT U&Pfi South Fourth Street uHVO Louisville Jefferson County <r/ ^ ! Ai Kentucky XEROGRAPHIC COPIES OF COLOR TRANSPARENCIES HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington,