Plus, a Highlands church boutique hotel.
 
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A trip down memory lane

30 historic street names in Louisville, KY
A vibrant street is framed a bright yellow and blue house with a brick church visible in the background. Large Bradford pear trees bloom in the foreground on the other side of the sidewalk.
Butchertown is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Derby City, and its street names have lots of history. | Photo by LOUtoday
The city of Louisville was chartered in 1780, and was named in honor of King Louis XVI of France. Now that 240+ years have passed, the city and its streets are chock-full of vibrant history.

In this guide, we’re delving into the history of Louisville’s streets — specifically how they were named.

Downtown

The names of downtown streets serve an obvious function —think numbered streets — but many others have a local history behind their monikers.

Liberty Street — formerly called Green Street when it was a grassy area for horses to graze. It was named “Liberty” after World War I as a sign of patriotism.

A black-and-white photo showing brick-lined street leading to an intersection in Louisville, Kentuky's butchertown neighborhood.

Story Avenue at the intersection with Frankfort Avenue, as it looked in 1945.

|

Photo courtesy Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville

Butchertown

It’s now home to a modern soccer stadium, but for decades Butchertown was known for its slaughterhouses. Several of the neighborhood streets are named for people you probably learned about in elementary social studies.

Washington Street — named for George Washington. Bonus: The Vernon Lanes bowling alley on Story Avenue was named after Mount Vernon, Washington’s home.

Some of the neighborhood’s other streets, though, were named after locally prominent landowners, civic leaders, and politicians.

Story Avenue — named for John W. Story, a carpenter and civic leader who owned land in the area in the 19th century.

Cowan Street — named for Andrew Cowan, one of the founders of Louisville’s park system. He’s credited with inviting Frederick Law Olmsted to the city, eventually leading to the system’s design.

Bonus: Want to hear more about the background of these Butchertown streets? Louisville historian Tom Owen led a walking tour of the area.

Portland

The Portland neighborhood is one of the oldest in the city, dating back to a 1837 when it was a separate town completely.

34th Street — it was originally known as Commercial Street. The oldest known house in Louisville, the Squire Earick House, is located there.
Get street smart
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Events
Friday, Jan. 5
  • Family Fun Night | Friday, Jan. 5 | 5-8 p.m. | Logan Street Market, 1001 Logan St., Louisville | Free | Start the weekend by letting the kids play while you eat, drink, and shop at the market.
  • “Sugar in Our Wounds” | Friday, Jan. 5 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Henry Clay, 604 S. 3rd St., Louisville | $20-$28 | Experience playwright Donja R. Love’s lyrical play, exploring queer love at pivotal moments in Black history.
Saturday, Jan. 6
  • Nature Poetry Workshop Series: Emily Dickinson | Saturday, Jan. 6 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, 2075 Clermont Rd., Clermont | $10-$15 | Register a day-in-advance for this writing class where you’ll read + compose poetry.
  • Cold Weather Prep | Saturday, Jan. 6 | 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Bon Air Branch Library, 2816 Del Rio Place, Louisville | Free | Learn how to prepare your pooch for cold outdoor temperatures during winter.
Sunday, Jan. 7
  • Golden Globes Party | Sunday, Jan. 7 | 7 p.m. | Shop Bar, 950 Barret Ave., Louisville | Free | Eat complimentary pizza and watch the annual awards show with other movie fans.
  • New Year, New Jokes | Sunday, Jan. 7 | 7-8:30 p.m. | TEN20 Craft Brewery, 1020 E. Washington St., Louisville | $10 | Listen to comics who are trying out new material, with the best new joke winning a cash prize.
Thursday, Jan. 11
  • Harlem Globetrotters | Thursday, Jan. 11 | 7 p.m. | KFC YUM! Center, 1 Arena Plaza, Louisville | $37-$139 | Whistle “Sweet Georgia Brown” and watch the world famous basketball team take on the Washington Generals in a night of hoops hi-jinks.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Kenagra Health
 
Eat

How to Thrive in the new year
picture of an opened cardboard box with a Thrive Market logo on it, surrounded by groceries and goods including black beans, avocado oil cooking spray, almond milk, probiotics, nut pods coffee creamer, beef jerky, rice, and chocolate bars.
Never wait in line at a supermarket again with a Thrive Market membership. | Photo by Thrive Market
Our suggestions on how to thrive in 2024:
  1. Try a new hobby.
  2. Find a fun way to move.
  3. Go organic with groceries.
And Thrive Market can help you out with No. 3.

For a limited time, join Thrive Market and get 30% off your purchase + a free gift up to $60, plus:
  • Access to wholesale pricing (products are up to 30% off traditional grocery stores)
  • Free two-day shipping with orders $49+
  • All organic or non-GMO food
  • Guaranteed price matching and more
Join Thrive Market
News Notes
Development
  • Developers are planning to convert a 129-year-old Highlands church into a 26-room boutique hotel. The plans for the former Highland Methodist Church at 1140 Cherokee Rd. are pending government approval. Learn more at a public meeting at the Highlands-Shelby Park Library on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 6:30 p.m. (WDRB)
Opening
  • A new Korean BBQ restaurant will hold a soft opening on Friday, Jan. 12. Located in the former Bard’s Town space at 1803 Bardstown Rd., Top1 Korean BBQ and Hotpot will have an all-you-can-eat menu with a two-hour time limit, priced at $35 for adults and $14-$19 for children up to 10-years-old.
Business
  • $3.2 million. That’s how much money Louisville Metro’s Metropolitan Business Development Corporation awarded to 28 local businesses last year, including a forthcoming Germantown bagel shop. The loan program accepts applications year round.
Drink
  • Ethan Almighty has his own bourbon. EthanAlmighty’s is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey made by former Cards basketball star Russ Smith’s Mr. and Mrs. brand. “Distilled with Pawsitivity in Kentucky,” the $100 bottle will be for sale at Patrick O’Shea’s (123 W. Main St.) on Friday, Jan. 26.
Closing
  • Annie May’s Sweet Cafe is closing its brick-and-mortar location at 3110 Frankfort Ave. in March. The bakery will transition to an at-home baking operation in April and sell baked goods at farmer’s markets. The final day for online orders will be Saturday, March 9.
Listen
  • There’s a new voice coming to the Louisville radio airwaves this month. William Padmore is taking over as host of “All Things Considered” on 89.3 WFPL, the station’s flagship news program. He comes from the public radio station in Lincoln, NE. (Louisville Public Media)
Finance
Travel
Job
  • We’re hiring a City Editor to plan, write, edit, and publish the most relevant and engaging daily content about Louisville. This person is passionate about storytelling, news, and the city we call home. See details + apply.
 
Learn

Turn around, bright eyes

Prepare for the 2024 solar eclipse with this UofL class
An annular eclipse.
The annular eclipse will be at least partially visible in most of the US. | Photo via NASA/Bill Dunford
On Monday, April 8, a total eclipse of the sun will be partially visible from Louisville. The rare celestial event occurs when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, blocking its light from reaching a small part of our planet.

Fun fact: A solar eclipse like this one won’t happen near Derby City again until October 2153.

The University of Louisville is offering a class that will prepare students for the occasion — and no, you don’t have to be currently enrolled in college to attend.

The online course will take place on Mondays from Jan. 8 to April 15. Here are just a few of the lecture topics from the syllabus:
  • Eclipses in folklore, music, film, and TV
  • Notable eclipses throughout history
  • How to observe + photograph an eclipse
The course is self-paced with pre-recorded lectures, so it’s possible to enroll after the semester begins.
The Buy

The Buy 1.05.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
The product you’re most curious to try from Six & Main’s mocktail guide — featuring mixers, sparkling teas, and botanical syrups.
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The Wrap
 
Jeff-Milby-headshot-LOU

Today’s edition by:
Jeff
From the editor
If you don’t have the time to sit through the entirety of Tom Owen’s Butchertown walking tour that we linked above, try this YouTube channel where Owen dives into bits of Louisville history in a shorter and more digestible format.
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