West Main Street Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

West Main Street Historic District

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Listed
March 21, 1974
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
74000884

About this property

The West Main District is one of the five districts of downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The district, or a portion of it, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as West Main Street Historic District, due to its containment of some of the oldest structures in the city. The buildings of this district boast the largest collection of cast iron façades of anywhere outside New York's SoHo district. The district also features "Museum Row", a collection of several notable museums located within just a few blocks of each other. The district, named for its main corridor of West Main Street, includes the 800-600 blocks of Main and the southern side of the 500 block.

Location

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
38.25751, -85.76208

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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Everything a full report reveals about West Main Street Historic District

This page lists West Main Street Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
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
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Starks Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Snead Manufacturing Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
West Main Street Historic District, Expanded
Listed
0.2 mi
New Enterprise Tobacco Warehouse
Industrial
0.2 mi
Steam Engine Company No. 2
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Morgan's Raid into Indiana
1863Civil War
2.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was West Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

West Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1974.

What type of historic resource is West Main Street Historic District?

West Main Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for West Main Street Historic District?

The period of significance for West Main Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near West Main Street Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near West Main Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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