The 48 city blocks Louisvillians call Old Louisville is known for being the largest preservation district of Victorian mansions in the U.S., but during the early 1900s, 1 mansion ruled them all.
The Ferguson Mansion, a 30,000-sqft, 5-story building located at 1310 S. 3rd St., was once the most expensive mansion in Louisville costing $100,000, which is equivalent to $2 million today.
It’s also recognized as an outstanding example of Beaux-Arts architecture, a style that leaned away from its Victorian-style predecessor and instead featured flat roofs, pediment windows with balustrade sills + used modern materials like iron and glass.
The brick mansion dates back to 1884 but its significant history begins in 1899 when Louisville industrialist Edwin Hite Ferguson purchased the home. In a successful attempt to overshadow the surrounding Victorian houses in the neighborhood, he commissioned the Louisville architectural firm Cobb and Dodd — the same firm that designed the Seelbach Hotel + Kentucky Capitol Building — to design the mansion.
The 4-year renovation began in 1902 and included wood and damask paneling, sculpted marble, bronze mantelpieces, an oak staircase framed by 4 carved wooden columns + a turquoise chimney with gold iridescent glass.
The Ferguson family lived in the mansion until 1924. After the Ferguson fortune dwindled, Edwin sold the house to the Pearson family which operated the mansion as Pearson Funeral Home until the mid-70s.
After passing through 2 more owners, the Filson Historical Society purchased the mansion in 1984. Today it serves as the headquarters for the organization + houses the extensive collections of Kentucky and Ohio Valley region history.
On Thursday, the Filson Historical Society is opening the doors to the Ferguson Mansion during the 27th Annual House Tour. Tickets are $150 and include a comprehensive tour, a historical lecture from John David Myles, a rare whiskey toast + food and drinks. A virtual version of the event is also available.
DYK: Old Louisville was dubbed Old Louisville in 1961 when preservation efforts started. Before then it was a nameless suburb of Louisville.