Russell Neighborhood, Bounded by Congress & Esquire Alley, Fifteenth & Twenty-first Streets, Louisville

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,56-LOUVI,80-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Russell Urban Renewal Impact Area. Roughly bounded by Street to the east, portions of and Street to the west, the alley north of Jefferson Street to the north, and the alley south of Magazine Street to the south. U.S.G.S. Louisville West & New Albany, Indiana Quadrangle. Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates: 16.60503O.4234O00,

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,56-LOUVI,80-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The significance of the Russell neighborhood lies in it rich history as an early residential enclave that developed in the second half of the Initially, the area was populated predominantly by German and Irish immigrants. However, by the early the shift in home ownership and occupancy was to African Americans. The existing late Victorian building stock in the Russell Historic District, which ranges from modest to opulent in style and scale, is tangible evidence of the evolution of this area of western Louisville as it pertains to the settlement of these distinct ethnic groups. t RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No.

KY - 230 (Page 2) Historical Information The significance of the Russell Neighborhood lies in its rich history as an early residential enclave that developed in the second half of the Initially the area was populated by German and Irish immigrants. However, by the early the shift in home ownership was to African Americans. The existing late Victorian residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and ecclesiastical building stock is tangible evidence of the evolution of this area of western Louisville as it pertains to settlement patterns of these distinct ethnic groups. Historic District Boundaries Although there is evidence that portions of the Russell neighborhood were settled as early as the the major growth spurt in the area occurred after the Civil War.

Most of the residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and ecclesiastical structures found in Russell were built between the years and The historic district boundaries, as established in were drawn to include as much of Russell's historic fabric as possible based on the area's architectural integrity and cohesiveness as it relates to the specified time period. Although development in the Russell area originally extended west from Sixth Street, because of recent urban renewal mass demolition, the historic district begins at Street. The northern boundary of the district is the alley north of Jefferson Street.

Market Street, north of this boundary, is comprised of predominantly commercial, Victorian and Italianate structures, and the character of the area is different from that of the Russell district (portions are listed on the National Register as the Lower West Market Street National Register District which was listed in The southern boundary is the alley south of Magazine Street from Street to Street, and the alley south of Elliott Avenue from Street to Street. Broadway, south of this bqundary, was, at one time, lined with fine Victorian residences, but commercial and industrial encroachment has diminished its character. The eastern and western boundaries vary according to the concentration of significant structures.

Chestnut Street is a very solid strip of architecturally significant buildings. The boundary, therefore, was drawn east to Street and west to Street. East of Street is an urban renewal area, and west of Street is industrial development. Jefferson Street also extends east to Street but a section between Street and Street, Madison Street and Cedar Street, was not included in the National Register nomination prepared in because the character of the district breaks down due to multiple demolitions and alterations. On the western side of the district, the block of Cedar Street, and everything west of Street and north of Madison Street has been excluded from the district for the same reason.

This section is also of later construction and lacks architectural significance (see attached National Register District map). Historical Development By the mid-1830s Louisville had established herself as a major western river port and by the she had become home to a substantial rail system. The also ushered in the extension of such municipal services as gas and water. Additionally, public schools were established, industry was flourishing, and the city's population was increasing with the influx of Europeans who were fleeing their homelands for a variety of social, political, and economic reasons. African Americans, both freedmen and slaves, were pouring in to Louisville as well LOUISVILLE SURVEY WEST REPORT). All of these factors would have an impact on West Louisville.

In the span of just a few short years the character of the area that # would eventually be called Russell would change substantially. Prior to the Civil War, West Louisville was fertile farm land. Aside from the densely settled RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 3) town of Portland which was situated toward the north, next to the Portland Canal, West Louisville was characterized by dirt roads, fields, ponds, and scattered truck farms. By although the street grid extended west as far as Street, development was sporadic beyond that point (see attached map of Louisville, pg. VIEWS OF LOUISVILLE SINCE German and Irish Immigration Perhaps the most significant factor in West Louisville's growth was the large increase in Louisville's immigrant population.

As stated in the LOUISVILLE SURVEY WEST REPORT. "In the middle of the nineteenth century, thousands of European working-class families came to America seeking relief from famine and political unrest. Many Irish and German families arrived in Louisville in the and adding to the areas population... By of Louisville's residents, were of German extraction. There were several waves of German immigration, encompassing Catholics, Protestants, and Jews, peasant fanners, artisans, and small merchants".

Many of these immigrants, the LOUISVILLE SURVEY WEST REPORT continues, "[populated the flat, bottom land west of the city limits and engaged in truck farming...Irish construction workers had arrived in Louisville as early as the to work on the Louisville and Portland Canal but at mid-century there was a large influx of Irish fleeing the terrible potato famine of and seeking to work on the new railroad lines. Between and the Irish population more than doubled"(pg. D- 13 & These European immigrants would serve as a major component of the population base for the expansion of Louisville toward the west. African American Influx Not all of those who settled West Louisville came to this country of their own free will.

In addition to German and Irish immigrants, African Americans were a significant factor in the development of the area. Most of the African Americans who settled in West Louisville were either former slaves or the decedents of slaves. The LOUISVILLE SURVEY WEST REPORT notes that in the early to mid-1800s... "[Bjlacks, both slave and free, contributed a great deal to the Louisville economy. Slaves worked as draymen, on the docks, and in the hemp, iron , and tobacco industries....With the growth of the abolitionist movement, the percentage of whites owning slaves dropped between and and many blacks were sold to industry. Industrial slaves usually lived at or near their places of work.

One hemp factory provided a tenement for its workers....Before emancipation the black population was dispersed throughout the city. Slaves lived in or behind their owners' residences, often in shacks facing the alleys. Black churches and other institutions were located on the city's edge." & West Louisville was well suited to industry and manufacturing because of its topography and natural resources, and as a result, many of the Blacks who worked in manufacturing and industry lived in the area. The majority lived in secondary housing, mostly modest RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 4) shotgun houses or cottages along Russell's alleyways, which was often poorly constructed. It would not be until much later that blacks would occupy the larger, more substantially built homes.

The full impact of the increased number of African Americans moving into this part of Louisville would not be felt until after the turn-of-the-century when many blacks achieved some degree of financial autonomy and security and could afford to purchase homes originally built by and for those of German and Irish decent. The Civil War Years The State of Kentucky took advantage of its strategic location between north and south. As a border state, Kentucky and its citizens could, for the most part, stay out of most of the conflict while reaping substantial economic rewards as an important point for receiving and shipping of troops and war time supplies. For most of the war Louisville declared itself a neutral city which enabled her to trade with both the north and south.

The rail lines were an especially important aspect of Louisville's economy. However, in July after the port director placed an embargo on all southern goods, Louisville traded only with those loyal to the union and in fact became a major supply depot for Union goods. Since no battles of substance occurred within the city's borders Louisville's building stock was spared from destruction. By war's end however, the L&N railroad suffered from deferred maintenance and needed to be substantially rebuilt. Despite deterioration of the city's infrastructure, the growth of industry spurred on by activity during the war years set the stage for the city's later physical expansion.

Post War Residential Expansion A rapid population increase during the Civil War years lead to the need for residential expansion in Louisville. Although there was growth in almost every corner of Louisville after the war, western Louisville was particularly well suited to post-war expansion. In Russell the greatest suburban growth occurred in the and The increasingly crowded conditions in the downtown core area, the general growth in Louisville's population, and the romantic idealization of rural life, all contributed to people's desire to move out of the center city toward the west. From Truck Farms to Subdivisions Most of the early immigrants who settled West Louisville in the mid-1800s had become truck farmers.

However, by the late these truck fanners succumbed to development pressures and either sold their rural parcels to speculative developers or subdivided their farm land into smaller lots themselves. As indicated in the LOUISVILLE SURVEY WEST REPORT,... "One problem arising from the multiplicity of western Louisville subdivisions was that each developer was responsible for laying out lots and streets within his own subdivision. Often little regard was given to adjoining tracts, so that the pattern of streets was not at all consistent...

attempts at regulating the street grid were made as early as but it was not until that an ordinance was passed which enabled effective enforcement of the street layout" Improved Modes of Transportation The development of cheap transportation was a major factor in suburban growth in Russell and throughout the City. During the late several transit lines were established in Louisville, employing mule-drawn streetcars running on rails. Besides the old Portland line, there was a railway extending out Market Street to Street. In the late and other lines were added, so tbat by there were one hundred twenty-five miles of track used annually by over twenty million passengers. The early trolley cars were cold and slow, averaging RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No.

KY - 230 (Page 5) five miles per hour, but they were inexpensive. For the first time people who could not afford carriages were no longer required to live within walking distance of their jobs. This transportation factor would have a major impact on Louisville's housing patterns. Innovations in Real Estate Financing Practices The new practice of buying land on credit put suburban living within the reach of the middle and working class. The LOUISVILLE SURVEY WEST REPORT notes that... "building and loan companied offered 'long credit and low terms' (a six year note at 6 percent came into existence in the By the mid-I870's there were thirteen building and loan associations in Louisville.

The number had more than doubled by the early Real estate development companies, which we tend to think of as a twentieth century phenomenon, were responsible for the surveying and platting of tracts for subdivisions before they were offered for sale....The number of real estate agents grew rapidly in the and ' Developers were highly competitive, and advertisements described the various additions and subdivisions in glowing terms. The eastern suburbs offered snob appeal. The western suburbs offered convenience, transportation, and above all, economy.

Land in Parkland [situated to the southwest of Russell] cost an average of an acre compared to an acre for Joshua Speed's tract in the (eastern) Highlands." & Subdivision of Land According to the Atlas of there were a number of subdivisions in what is now Russell. These included the Ferguson Subdivision, Carver, Bryants West End Addition, and Weyers Subdivision, just to mention a few. The bulk of the area was annexed in with the area west of Street being annexed in Shawnee Park as a Western Amenity The saw the development of a vast city-wide park system in Louisville with three major green spaces set aside by the city fathers for Fredrick Law Olmsted, father of American Landscape Architecture, to design.

While south Louisville had its Iroquois Park and east Louisville had its Cherokee, west Louisville had Shawnee Park which stretched for miles along the north and west borders of the city as defined by the curve of the Ohio River. Especially designed by Olmsted as a passive game park, Shawnee was a popular picnic and recreation spot that real estate developers promoted in glowing terms in their advertisements for western lots and houses. Ethnicity As Reflected In Area Churches In Russell's early years the churches catered to the German heritage of the area's population. The Second German Methodist Church, constmcted circa was among the first in the area to be built. Many others would soon follow and would reflect the ethnicity and political make-up of their congregants.

through saw the construction of two additional churches: and Walnut Street Baptist Church, located at W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard (originally called Walnut Street) and built in and Jefferson Street Methodist Evangelical Church, built in at W. Jefferson Street. St. Peter's German Evangelical Church at W. Jefferson Street followed in as did Immanuel Presbyterian Church at West Chestnut Street. The 2nd English Lutheran Church was the last of the historic churches in the area to be built by those of European ancestry. It was constructed in at W. Jefferson Street. There were some early churches built by African American congregations as well, which reflected the presence of blacks in the 6 RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 6) neighborhood early on.

Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Church, constructed at W. Jefferson Street in was the first, and was followed by the Covenant Presbyterian at W. Jefferson in Virtually all of the churches in the Russell neighborhood were high style, architect-designed buildings which reflected a scholarly approach to architectural design. Gothic Revival was by far the preferred ecclesiastic architectural style with a total of seven churches built in that tradition. Of the remainder, two are Romanesque Revival and one was designed based on the basilica plan. In later years, especially during the and as whites moved out of the Russell neighborhood and more blacks moved in, the churches built for German and Irish congregations were purchased by churches with African American congregations.

Shift in Russell's Ethnic Mix From White Professionals To African American Professionals The area today known as Russell continued to grow from the through the as a fashionable residential enclave for affluent whites. But residential areas south and east of Louisville increased in popularity in the and a change in population patterns began. The City's whites, who were generally more affluent than their black counterparts, could afford to let fashion dictate where they lived. As a result, the area's ethnic make-up evolved through a process of White abandonment and Black replacement.

What makes this phenomenon significant to Louisville is that this change in racial make-up occurred early in the century, with the Black community well established in Russell as early as The major streets in Russell which contained large, expensive residences were purchased by Black professionals in these early years. From through the alternate streets, which contained the more modest, working-class residences, experienced a more gradual increase in Black occupancy. At that time, the quality of Russell's housing increased from east to west. This pattern remains the same today, as does the area's predominantly Black population. Social Services For African Americans An indication of the rapid influx of Black families can be found in the establishment of the Plymouth Settlement House.

Plymouth Congregational Church was founded in and was located at and Chestnut Streets. In the church opened the Settlement House as living quarters for working girls, and as a place for wholesome entertainment for children and adults. The Settlement also provided classes for adults and juveniles. Rev. E.G. Harris, the founder of the Settlement, was a highly respected Black minister, and solicited funds for the Settlement from the very influential families in Louisville, among them the Speed, Belknap and Brandeis families. With their assistance in financial and administrative matters, the Settlement became the area's most vital institution. Today, the name has been changed to Plymouth Urban Center, but it still provides the same vital services as when it was founded.

Housing For African Americans In the Early Years Before Russell became a predominantly Black community, the alleys were lined with small residences, usually with a shotgun floor plan and of frame construction. Oral history tells us that these were the dwellings of Black families who worked for the White property owners. It is not certain whether the houses were rented or owned by the residents, or if the White land owners built the alley structures for their servants. Whatever the situation may have been, it has been said that the alleys were always full of activity, and were considered the real heart of the Black community in those early years.

Few of these structures have survived the years, in all likelihood because they were of inferior construction, but some can be found on Plymouth Alley, Green Alley, Esquire Alley, and Eddy Alley. # RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 7) African American Professionals As African Americans gained financial autonomy during the first half of the century Russell became one of the most desirable neighborhoods in which aspiring Blacks chose to live. As such it was the home of several leaders in the Black community. Samuel Plato was one of Louisville's few Black architects. Simmons University (Limerick National Register District - the Virginia Avenue School, Zion AME Church, and numerous post office buildings throughout the nation are of Plato's design. He built his own home at No.

West Chestnut Street about He used one his favorite building materials, yellow brick. The house is designed in a modified Tudor style. Harvey Clarence Russell, an influential black educator, built his home in Russell in the late at West Chestnut. Russell studied at Kentucky State Normal School and received his B.A. from Simmons University and an M.A. from the University of Cincinnati. Education was an important part of his life and in in recognition of his contributions to education Madison Street Junior High School (originally Western Departmental School) was renamed Harvey C. Russell Junior High School.

Russell had served as a teacher in the Bloomfield Public School, Frankfort State Normal, Louisville Normal and Simmons University; In addition, he was Dean of Kentucky State College, President of West Kentucky Industrial College, President of West Kentucky State Vocational School and a trustee and Business Manager of Simmons University. He was appointed a specialist in Negro education in the United States Office of Education and was elected President of the Kentucky Educational Association. It was in honor of Harvey Clarence Russell that the area's name was changed from Downtown to Russell. # Housing Characteristics The Russell District can be generalized as a district with streets of alternating character. Predominantly large homes are found on Jefferson, Walnut, and Chestnut Streets.

The alternating east-west streets of Cedar, Madison, Magazine and Elliott are representative of more modest dwellings. Jefferson Street Jefferson Street is a broad boulevard and was one of the first streets in the district to be developed. Besides a park and library as residential amenities, Jefferson Street also has six Gothic Revival style churches dating from the late to the early and a fine firehouse built in Cedar Street The type of architecture found on Cedar Street can be characterized as modest working-class housing. Residences along this street are generally shotgun houses with wood siding, although some brick construction is also interspersed.

The dates of construction for the houses are early for the district, falling between and Muhammad Ali Boulevard/Walnut Street Muhammad Ali Boulevard began to develop as a residential area in the with a few commercial ventures located at major intersections. Some of the area's grandest structures are located in the western-most blocks of Muhammad Ali Boulevard. Madison Street On Madison Street, working class houses can be found, but clapboard and brick construction are more mixed. Nearly every residence is a shotgun, with two or three Italianate residences interspersed. The period of construction is RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABSNo. (Page 8) Chestnut Street Chestnut Street is the most solid stretch of quality residential architecture in the Russell neighborhood, taking in thirteen full blocks.

The styles vary from grand Queen Anne residences to modest frame shotguns. Some of the more unusual structures on Chestnut include No. a Shingle Style residence, No. a substantial, finely detailed three-story Italianate home with a limestone facade, No. a large frame Victorian residence with imaginative detailing, and Nos. the only row-shotgun houses in the city. Magazine Street Magazine Street is comprised primarily of moderate to low income housing. The shotgun floor plan with applied architectural ornamentation predominates.

Most of these houses were built in the period between Development progressed south and west, with some residences in the block of Elliott being constructed as late as A pocket of dwellings in the block of Elliott Avenue (originally Bainbridge Street) were constructed and provide the only exception to this general development pattern. The structures on Elliott Avenue are working class dwellings built in shotgun, one-story cottage, and modest two-story Victorian styles. Many are duplex dwellings and most of the property was developed as rental property. Street Amenities In addition to the fine residences that line the streets of Russell there are a number of urban features which enhance the ambience of this western neighborhood.

Russell has managed to retain, over the years, many amenities which add a special nineteenth century flavor to the streetscape, such as a wealth of brick alleys and sidewalks, stone and cast iron fences, and cast iron porches. The survival of cast iron in the quantities found in Russell is particularly rare and reflects the years that Louisville was a major producer of architectural cast iron wares. Most local cast iron was lost during World War I, when property owners donated it to the war effort. Non-Contributing Structures and Sites There are several intrusions in the district. Intrusions are those buildings recently constructed or older buildings which are grossly altered, which make them inconsistent or incompatible with the district. Parking lots are also indicated as intrusions.

Vacant lots are not, The intrusions in the district are scattered and do not diminish the character of the district. Current Development Climate Like many urban neighborhoods, Russell has suffered from some years of neglect. But a revitalization effort is well under way. The neighborhood organization is prompting rehabilitation, and much of the district is a local Community Development target area for low- cost financing for rehabilitation. Another important factor to the area's revitalization is the high percentage of owner occupants. Conclusion Russell is a cohesive community with a healthy balance of residential, commercial and public land use.

It is a neighborhood which displays the evolution of German and Irish immigrant settlement patterns through its remarkably intact and cohesive late nineteenth century building stock. Additionally, Russell holds a very important place in the history of the Black community in Louisville as the cultural, social, residential and commercial hub of Black activity for over fifty years. RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No.

(Page 9) Descriptive Information The Russell District lies to the west of the central business district of Louisville, with its boundaries being the alley north of Jefferson Street on the north, the alley south of Magazine Street and the alley south of Elliott Avenue on the south, Street, Street, Street and Street on the west, and the alley east of Street, Street, Street, Street, and Street on the east. The area included in this nomination has various zoning classifications, but the major classification is residential. residential is the second most predominant, with commercial, industrial, commercial, and residential comprising, a much smaller portion of the area. Approximately structures are included in the district.

As one of the earliest streets in the district to be developed, several residential amenities line Jefferson Street. Western Cemetery between and Streets is the city's oldest cemetery and was converted to a park in the In the northwest corner of the park lies the Jefferson Branch Library (National Register, designed in the Beaux Arts style by focal architect D. X. Murphy in Hook and Ladder Co. #4 is located on the northwest corner of and Jefferson Streets and was built in during the height of the Russell development. It is a fine, brick utilitarian design. Six of the district's twelve churches are found on Jefferson Street.

Central Christian Church, West Jefferson Street, is a modest Gothic Revival structure built in Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Jefferson Street, is a magnificent Romanesque Revival church built in and now serves the congregation of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, the oldest black congregation in Louisville. A lovely arcade on the Jefferson Street side of the church is balanced by a magnificent corner tower. Across the street is Corinthian Baptist Church, West Jefferson Street, built in in a Gothic Revival style, with an elliptical apse. Good Shepherd Baptist Church, West Jefferson Street, and Wesley AME Church, West Jefferson Street, were built in in the Gothic Revival style. Wesley AME has remained in use by the same congregation since its founding.

Fenner Memorial, West Jefferson Street, is one of the finest works of the architectural firm of McDonald & Sheblessey, a local firm. Built in it is also the most handsome of the Gothic Revival churches in Russell. and Walnut Street Baptist Church (Walnut Street is now Muhammad Ali Boulevard) was built in the Romanesque Revival style. C. A. Curtin designed this church in Curtin was also responsible for the design of St. Charles Borromeo Church at West Chestnut Street. St. Charles is designed in the Early Basilica style, an unusual style in Louisville. Plymouth Congregational Church, West Chestnut Street, was organized in and replaced a frame church building with the existing orange glazed brick church in It is a lovely Gothic Revival structure.

Plymouth Congregational Church was also responsible for the establishment of the Plymouth Settlement in which provided living quarters for working girls, children and adults, and a place for wholesome recreation and educational classes for adults and juveniles. Asbury Chapel, at and West Chestnut Streets was built in as the Zion Church. It is a small, red brick Gothic Revival church with lovely stained glass windows. Third Presbyterian Church, now United Pentecostal Church of Holiness, West Chestnut Street, is another brick Gothic Revival church which dates from The last architecturally or historically significant church in the district is Hughlett Temple, at West Chestnut Street, an Gothic Revival structure. RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No.

(Page 10) Other buildings which contribute to the character of the district include the old Twelfth Ward School at and Magazine Streets. It is a three story brick Victorian structure built in to serve the Russell Community. It is currently used commercially. Harvey C. Russell Junior High School, is a fine Neoclassical structure, built in Originally Western Departmental School, it was rededicated in to the educator who was so influential in the area, and for whom the neighborhood was named. The building, located at and Madison Streets, is currently vacant. Russell is, however, primarily a residential district. Approximately residential structures comprise the district.

These structures can generally be divided into six stylistic categories; Italianate, Victorian, Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Shotgun. There are also commercial interpretations of each. The Italianate style is the most frequently used of the. early styles, and is generally found on those streets where middle to upper income individuals chose to build. No. West Jefferson, is an example of a three-story brick Italianate residence. It is three bays in width with a recessed entrance, stone window hoods and a bracketed cornice. No, West Muhammad Ali Boulevard, is also three stories, but is an example of the larger Italianate dwelling, with an L shaped plan and five facade bays. The architectural detail work is generally the same, but this residence also retains its cast iron porch.

An example of a lower-to-middle class Italianate residence is No. West Madison Street, It is a two-story, three bay, brick structure with similar architectural detailing. The Italianate style, as used in the lower-to-middle income areas of Russell, is generally less decorative, with either incised lintels instead of elaborate window hoods, or simple hoods, and usually two instead of three stories in height. Nearly all of the Italianate residences are brick. The Victorian style is by far the most predominant style used in Russell, in both lower and upper income areas. The style is flexible and can easily be applied to clapboard or masonry structures, narrow or wide lots. No. W. Chestnut Street, is an example of the late Victorian style.

It is a two-and-one-half-story brick residence with a lavish pink marble columned porch and sculpted terra cotta details. Also on Chestnut Street, No. is a frame Victorian example of generally the same size, scale and quality. The door and window caps are decorated with Victorian gingerbread motifs, and the gabled porch contains a spindle-arched entrance. Similar Victorian residences can be found generally on Muhammad AH Boulevard and Jefferson Street. More modest interpretations of this style are generally of frame construction and are found on the alternate east-west streets and the cross streets. As an example, No. Elliott is a two- story frame Victorian duplex, situated on a very narrow lot.

The gable is filled with fish scale shingles and the windows and doors are all hooded with simple but elegant details. No. 628 Street is similar. It is also a two-story frame structure on a very narrow lot, but has used different decorative features, such as bargeboards. Along with the outstanding Victorian homes in Russell, there are several Queen Anne structures which are outstanding. No. West Chestnut is an example of the Queen Anne style in Russell. Designed by McDonald Brothers, the most prominent architectural firm locally of the period, this two-and-one-half-story brick residence has two horse-shoe shaped openings, a massive tower, and a cantilevered bay window. No. West Muhammad Ali Boulevard is another example of the Queen Anne style.

It is a three-story brick residence with a four-bay facade filled with irregular openings and multiple decorative elements. RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABSNo. (Page 11) The Richardsonian Romanesque style is not as frequently used in Russell as it is in other areas of the city, but where the style was applied, it was mastered. The most outstanding is the Ouerbacher House, a massive three-and-one-half-story stone residence. Located at No. West Jefferson Street, it is located directly across from Western Cemetery. Two towers rise to full height, one with a third floor balcony. Clark and Loomis, a local architectural firm, designed this residence. Other fine examples of the Richardsonian Romanesque style are No. West Jefferson Street, with the typically heavy arched entrance and No.

West Chestnut Street. The latter has a particularly interesting interpretation of the style, with engaged paired columns between the first floor arched openings, and alternating rectangular and arched openings on the second floor. The fifth style used in the Russell District, the shotgun, is the most common style, and the one which makes the greatest contribution to the cohesive architectural character of the district. The shotgun residence is common throughout the City of Louisville, but perhaps in no other section of the city are so very many types of the style found. The shotgun is basically one room wide and three rooms deep.

Variations of the style include the camelback shotgun, with an additional one or two rooms above the rear, the L shaped camel back with a side entrance, and the single-story shotgun with a side entrance. Brick and clapboard are both used, with various roof pitches, porches, fenestration and decoration. The plan is generally the same, but rarely can two identical shotguns be found. This style was largely used by the working class, and is most frequently found on Cedar, Madison, Magazine, and the numbered cross streets. An example of the typical frame shotgun can be found at No. Madison Street. It is a single-story shotgun with low sloping roof, no porch addition, bracketed cornice and hooded doors and windows. No. Madison is a brick, single-story shotgun with the L plan.

It has a low sloping pyramidal roof, and elaborate stone hoods. No. West Madison has a gabled roof and features which illustrate the diversity of shotgun design. Fish scale shingles, a Palladian window and a semi-elliptical stained glass transom are all elements which are used in the shotgun design to express the individuality of the owner or builder. Duplexes are common in the Russell District. Some are designed in the same styles used by adjacent properties, as seen at No. West Chestnut Street. It is a two-story brick Victorian duplex with stone lintels, a bracketed cornice and small frame porches to the recessed corner entrances. This type is the most common and is frequently found in the district. There are two duplexes on Jefferson Street designed by Drach and Thomas in the early No.

is a three-story brick, late Victorian structure with cantilevered bay windows on the second floor, horse-shoe shaped windows and stained-glass transoms on the first floor. No. West Jefferson is a two-and-one-half-story structure with a Romanesque Revival flair. All the arched windows have brick voussoirs, and sandstone stringcourses articulate the facade divisions. Two gables rest in the center of the structure and contain fish scale shingles. There are many structures in the Russell District which are exceptional examples of their particular styles, but to site them all is not feasible. These outstanding architectural examples do, however, play a major role in the character of the district and should be mentioned. No.

West Jefferson Street is a magnificent brick structure designed in a transitional style from Italianate to Victorian. An unusual cast iron porch with slender classical columns has other features which are repeated in the facade decoration. The first floor windows begin at the porch level and rise to full height, with very large leaded-glass transoms. RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. (Page 12) The windows are hinged and can be opened onto the porch. The facade is articulated with engaged columns, recessed and protruding bays, curved brick corners and a pressed metal cornice. This house is an extraordinary architectural accomplishment and is currently in excellent condition. No. West Chestnut is a modest frame residence designed in the Shingle Style.

Although there has been a porch addition, this residence is a contributing structure to the district, and is one of few Shingle Style residences in the area.. The asymmetrical design is highlighted by a gable, one side of which extends down through the second floor plane where a small balcony is formed. Fish scale shingles are used for the upper two-thirds of the facade. The shotgun residence is the most common building style in the area, but the Russell District contains the only row-shotguns known in the city. Nos. West Chestnut Street, four camel-back shotguns, are all connected by the two-story rear sections of each. The protruding "shotgun" has a single bay on the facade with elaborate incised stone lintels.

The entrances to all four residences are from the west side, with an additional entrance in the rear where the houses are connected. The facade gables of each are decorated with different features. In several sections of the district, the consistency in architectural style reveals a speculative development, but this is usually found involving only three or four structures. In the block of Chestnut Street, however, are twelve nearly identical brick structures built in by Wm. Bennett, a developer. They are all two-and-one-half-story brick Victorian residences. Different color brick and various differences in detailing keep the similarities from being monotonous.

The variety of architectural styles and building -materials used in Russell combine to create a cohesive district with a predominance of residential structures, with commercial uses interspersed. Besides the high quality of architecture generally employed in the district, the use of consistent set-backs also contributes to the area's character. Most of the buildings are spaced evenly and fairly close to each other. The larger the lot the larger the building. The relationship, therefore, of buildings with each other is very compatible. RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. (Page 13) Major Bibliographical References Caron's Directory of the City of Louisville. Louisville Caron Directory Company, City of Louisville Atlas".

Louisville, Louisville Abstract and Loan Association, City of Louisville Atlas". Philadelphia, PA.: Hopkins Louisville Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission. "National Register File". Louisville, "Plymouth Settlement House Scrap Book". Louisville, Plymouth Urban Center, Preservation Alliance of Louisville and Jefferson County Inc. Louisville Survey West: Final Report. Louisville, City of Louisville, Sanborn Insurance Maps. Pelham, New York: Sanborn Map Company, and # RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 14) IFR) jo A RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 15) "A New Map of Louisville" publIshed by Lee White Source: Thomas, Samuel W. ed. Views of Louisville , *** j iQtb'^C^Tj""."I? ! P u.l -rt Vw^i.>.Filialaj H-^^i^VTSZV^' RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No.

KY - 230 (Page 16) 11 "Louisville and Its Defenses" Accompanying report of Lieut, Col, J, H, Simpson, Corps of Engrs,, U.S.Army, dated June 24, SERIES 1. VOL. XLIX. (D JO" 1 'tfortirt\G"Jir [iX - -C __. i i if- h \ r-^uUL^-^^t-r^-W y lifP'tSj: '\ ^ J : "( i 1 /i"'" Si' rV' >y FO"TK*BH CM _ ^ ^_^ C=* WCOSZJ mil 'i*"fr .I^L? :. ;. <* ^, Titwrtpsori '". \ " i *5 " " .^vi-^w^rv * X >"; - L\\ 4 RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 17) Map of Loulsvtl le ./ : ^r^'iw'i'-t-" ' ' - -- \, *ii \h *, X. 3= irz^^r--=r~T a !a =i^ri. J OjZg|P'#= ;X_U_U#; i^I ife l^i t ;, n :-r/i n * f~^r-hLL,i . yibuisviileJlbstrarfand <gg wuJiisp^ * Loan Association SaA/eeenitir*. $L EXPLANATION. f * IMinntoi Mli^<n^l>Hin". huJt]fuHd rid !(, ;*f ilt <, - tfmliniga. T>W h- TTnlir,.

H, <lut " "* *Our - iknll ~- / fi VIM -r rj %. RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 18) H1STORT MAP T i! jl P LOUISVLLE SURVEY WEST PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF LOUISVILLE AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, INC. RUSSELL NEIGHBORHOOD HABS No. KY - 230 (Page 19) HISTORY MAP H . DDIDQDll'I HJ3SVUJ ;Y WEST HiiJiiii! PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF LOUISVILLE AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, INC.