Fifth Ward School
National Register of Historic Places

Fifth Ward School

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Listed
March 30, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78001353

About this property

The Fifth Ward School, also known as the Monsarrat School, is a 19th-century, three-story brick building located on 5th and York streets in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Over the years the building has served as a school, a hospital, a dormitory, a library, and a museum, and is currently occupied by apartments. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The original Fifth Ward School was completed in 1854. It burned down the next year, and the architect Isaiah Rogers was contracted to rebuild the school. The result, the current building in modified Renaissance Revival style, was completed in 1857. The school later came to be known as the Monsarrat School, after its first principal, Laura Lucas Monsarrat. The Fifth Ward School would serve three hundred children annually. During the Civil War it served as a hospital. During World War II, the building became a dormitory for soldiers. From 1937 to 1951, the Monsarrat School was used to operate the Free Public Library and Museum, on loan from the Board of Education. This was due to the flood of 1937 that damaged the Louisville Free Public Library building. The museum was located on the first floor. Visitors had to pack into the small museum location until a new one could be afforded. On May 20, 1940, the library on York Street reopened; however, the museum continued on at the Monsarrat for another 37 years. In 1977, the museum was relocated to downtown, where it is now known as the Kentucky Science Center. In the 1980s the Monsarrat building was transformed into upscale apartments. History of the Monserrat Building. (n.d.). retrieved April 30, 2017

Location

743 S. 5th St.
Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
38.24462, -85.75997

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Church of the Messiah
Industrial
0.1 mi
Marvin, Dr. J. B., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Louisville Free Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Heyburn Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Calvary Episcopal Church
Early Republic
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Fort Nelson (Louisville)
1781Revolutionary War
0.6 mi
Battle of Long Run (KY)
1781Revolutionary War
11.2 mi
Battle of Long Run
1781Revolutionary War
11.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fifth Ward School listed on the National Register?

Fifth Ward School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Fifth Ward School?

Fifth Ward School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fifth Ward School?

The period of significance for Fifth Ward School is recorded as the industrial era.

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