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The Original Highlands is a historic neighborhood in the Highlands area of
Popularity was further increased by the establishment of Cherokee Park in 1891. Almost all of the land was developed by 1895. The vast majority of houses in the Original Highlands were constructed between 1860 and 1895, especially in the last 11 years of that period, during which 600 were built. The dwellings from before 1884 were mostly located along Breckinridge (formerly Howard), Christy, Baxter and Barret.
The area was simply called the Highlands because it sits on a ridge between the middle and south forks of Beargrass Creek, above the Ohio River flood plain. Today eight other neighborhoods in the area on the same ridge are also collectively called The Highlands. The Original Highlands name has developed to distinguish it from these neighborhoods; the Highlands sometimes specifically refers to this neighborhood.
The Original Highlands' boundaries are East Broadway on the north, Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue on the east, Rufer Avenue on the south and Barret Avenue on the west. The Original Highlands Neighborhood Association also works closely with residents on Ellwood Avenue, located just to the south of Winter Avenue.
As of 2000, the population of the Original Highlands was 1,580 , of which 89.4% are white, 6.8% are listed as other, 2.7% are black, and 1.1% are Hispanic. College graduates are of the 34.3% population, people without a high school degree are 12.6%. Males outnumber females 53.7% to 46.3%.
The Original Highlands Neighborhood Association (OHNA) WebsiteThe Original Highlands Art and Music Festival WebsiteThe Original Highlands Silent Auction and Wine Tasting WebsiteStreet map of The Original HighlandsThe Original Highlands Neighborhood Plan Images of Original Highlands (Louisville, Ky.) in the University of Louisville Libraries Digital Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Highlands History of Louisville, Kentucky Neighborhoods in Louisville, Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Louisville, Kentucky Tourist attractions in Louisville, Kentucky Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Populated places established in 1869 1869 establishments in Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, United States.
History
The neighborhood was built on land surveyed in 1774 and granted to Colonial William Preston, surveyor ofFincastle County, Virginia
Fincastle County, Virginia, was created by act of the Virginia General Assembly April 8, 1772 from Botetourt County.Pendleton, William C. (1920)''History of Tazewell County and Southwest Virginia: 1748-1920'' pp. 255-57. W. C. Hill Printing Com ...
. He died in 1781, and eventually his son, Major William Preston, and wife moved onto the land in 1814 and established a plantation called the "Briar Patch". The 1819 construction of the Louisville and Bardstown Turnpike (now Bardstown Road
Bardstown Road is a major road in Louisville, Kentucky. It is known as "Restaurant Row". It carries U.S. Route 31E and U.S. Route 150, from the intersection of Baxter Avenue (US 31E) and Broadway (US 150), southeast through ...
) would eventually lead to many people moving to the area. Before the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
the area was agricultural and attracted many German immigrants, and was known as New Hamburg.
Formal subdivision began after the land was inherited by Preston's daughter, Susan Preston Christy (after whom Christy Avenue is named). In 1869, Sydney J. Rogers subdivided Hepburn Avenue between Barrett and Baxter. Interest in the neighborhood picked up with the extension of a horse-drawn
A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...
streetcar line to Highland Avenue in 1871. The next subdivision was Hughes Addition, starting in 1875. Much of the rest of the land was subdivided by William Preston Johnson by 1891. The last was the Barr Subdivision in 1896.
Popularity was further increased by the establishment of Cherokee Park in 1891. Almost all of the land was developed by 1895. The vast majority of houses in the Original Highlands were constructed between 1860 and 1895, especially in the last 11 years of that period, during which 600 were built. The dwellings from before 1884 were mostly located along Breckinridge (formerly Howard), Christy, Baxter and Barret.
The area was simply called the Highlands because it sits on a ridge between the middle and south forks of Beargrass Creek, above the Ohio River flood plain. Today eight other neighborhoods in the area on the same ridge are also collectively called The Highlands. The Original Highlands name has developed to distinguish it from these neighborhoods; the Highlands sometimes specifically refers to this neighborhood.
Architecture
The architecture of the neighborhood is a mixture of large, wood framed and brick Victorian houses and working classshotgun house
A shotgun house is a narrow rectangular domestic residence, usually no more than about wide, with rooms arranged one behind the other and doors at each end of the house. It was the most popular style of house in the Southern United States from t ...
s, which often sit right next to each other.
Contemporary history
In recent years the area has attracted many professionals because of its proximity to downtown and the Baxter Avenue/Bardstown Road and Barret Avenue commercial corridors which include arts galleries, eclectic shopping, and night life. National Products, a small factory at the corner of Breckinridge Street and Baxter Avenue, produces moredisco ball
A disco ball (also known as a mirror ball or glitter ball) is a roughly sphere, spherical object that reflects light directed at it in many directions, producing a complex display. Its surface consists of hundreds or thousands of facets, nearl ...
s than any other factory in the world. The stretch of Baxter Avenue between Highland Avenue and Broadway is known as one of Louisville's most popular destinations with its mix of bars, restaurants, galleries and shops. The Barret Avenue commercial corridor is an emerging art zone due to the large number of galleries.
The neighborhood is home to the Original Highlands Art and Music Festival. Held on Baxter Avenue each September, the festival features local and national music acts along with art and vendor booths.
The neighborhood is also host to the annual Highlands Louisville Halloween Parade, Louisville Zombie Attack and Ancient Order of Hibernians St. Patrick's Day Parade.
The area is also well known for its numerous dining establishments, giving it the nickname "Restaurant Row".
The Original Highlands' boundaries are East Broadway on the north, Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue on the east, Rufer Avenue on the south and Barret Avenue on the west. The Original Highlands Neighborhood Association also works closely with residents on Ellwood Avenue, located just to the south of Winter Avenue.
Demographics
As of 2000, the population of the Original Highlands was 1,580 , of which 89.4% are white, 6.8% are listed as other, 2.7% are black, and 1.1% are Hispanic. College graduates are of the 34.3% population, people without a high school degree are 12.6%. Males outnumber females 53.7% to 46.3%.
See also
*History of Louisville, Kentucky
The geology of the Ohio River, with but a single series of rapids halfway in its length from the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers to its union with the Mississippi, made it inevitable that a town would grow on the site. Louisvi ...
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Kentucky
__NOTOC__
The table below includes sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Jefferson County, Kentucky except those in the following neighborhoods/districts of Louisville: Anchorage, Downtown, The Highlands, Old Louisv ...
*List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
This is a list of visitor attractions and annual events in the Louisville metropolitan area.
Annual festivals and other events
Spring
* Abbey Road on the River, a salute to The Beatles with many bands, held Memorial Day weekend in Louisvil ...
Notes
#References
*External links
The Original Highlands Neighborhood Association (OHNA) Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Highlands History of Louisville, Kentucky Neighborhoods in Louisville, Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Louisville, Kentucky Tourist attractions in Louisville, Kentucky Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Populated places established in 1869 1869 establishments in Kentucky