Griffytown is a neighborhood of

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

established in 1879 in unincorporated Jefferson County, along Old Harrods Creek Road. Streets within its boundaries include: Bellewood Road, Robert Road, Church Lane, Lincoln Way, Cox Lane, Malcolm Avenue, Plainview Avenue and Booker Road. It has also been known as Griffeytown, and Griffithtown. It has a historical marker presented by African American Heritage Committee, Inc. of Louisville and Jefferson County.

History

In 1879, a freed

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

slave named Dan Griffith, purchased a cabin from Minor White, an early Middletown settler. Griffith moved it to the land he had been living on along Old Harrods Creek Road, and the neighborhood appears to be named for him. From its beginnings through the mid-1970s, Griffytown had a very rural character with primarily small, shotgun-style homes, dirt roads, backyard gardens and small farms. The majority of these houses had no indoor plumbing. During those early years, up until the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, many of its residents were maids, cooks, butlers, chauffeurs, and gardeners for the wealthy white families of nearby

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and Middletown. The neighborhood was redeveloped in the 1970s through

urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

and many dilapidated houses were demolished, remaining homes had indoor plumbing and bathrooms installed, and new homes were built on the vacant lots. It remains a predominantly African American community, although a number of families of other races live there as well. The Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee placed a historical marker near 401 Old Harrods Creek Road, designating the southwest boundary.

History

See also

References

Further reading