Portland Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Portland Historic District

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Listed
February 21, 1980
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
80001615

About this property

The Squire Earick House is the oldest known wood-frame house in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, built in 1812 in the Portland area of the city, which was then a town all its own. It has had many owners and a complicated history. David Shields and his brother-in-law purchased the house in 1827. Shields was a trader and pilot on the Ohio River, taking flatboats loaded with pork, flour, and whiskey to New Orleans from Portland. In 1831 he ran into financial difficulties that eventually bankrupted him in 1843. He and his family continued to live in the Earick House until about 1843 when a brother-in-law, Squire Jacob Wilstach Earick, purchased the house. Earick remodeled parts of the house with Victorian upgrades and lived there with his large family until his death. The Portland Museum owns two charcoal portraits and two oil portraits by naturalist John James Audubon. The charcoal drawings represent Mary Ann Bell who became Mrs. Jacob Earick and her mother Jane McLean Bell. The oil paintings represent Jacob Earick and Mary Ann Bell Earick. The Portland Development Organization donated the Earick House to the Portland Museum in 1994. It is currently undergoing renovation. With limited funding available, there is not a final finish date. The Earick House was built by timber framing, where heavy timber are jointed together with pegged mortise and tenon joints. The structure was originally built in the Federal architectural style. Once Squire Earick took possession of the home, he renovated with many characteristics of Steamboat Gothic style.

Location

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
38.27567, -85.80245

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

LeCompte Saloon
Industrial
0.2 mi
Meek-Miller House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Portland Proper
Listed
0.3 mi
Irvin, James F., House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Shafer's Hall
Industrial
0.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Morgan's Raid into Indiana
1863Civil War
2.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Portland Historic District listed on the National Register?

Portland Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 21, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Portland Historic District?

Portland Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Portland Historic District?

The period of significance for Portland Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Portland Historic District?

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