Butchertown, Louisville facts for kids
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Butchertown Historic District
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Washington Street in Butchertown
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Main, Hancock, Geiger, Quincy Sts., US 42, South Fork of Beargrass Creek, and Baxter Ave., Louisville, Kentucky |
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| Area | 50 acres (20 ha) |
| Built | 1873 |
| Architect | Adolph Druiding; D.X. Murphy and Company |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Shingle Style, shot-gun |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000900 (original) 100004421 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 11, 1976 |
| Boundary increase | September 27, 2019 |
Butchertown is a cool neighborhood located just east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It's bordered by major roads like I-65 and I-71, and also by Beargrass Creek.
A special part of Butchertown, about 50 acres big, is called the Butchertown Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it's recognized as an important place with historical buildings. One famous building here is the Stockyard Exchange Building, built in 1914.
History of Butchertown
The first homes in Butchertown were built in the 1820s. They were along a new road that went from Louisville to Lexington. Some of the first landowners, George Buchanan and Isaac Stewart, named the streets after important members of the Whig Party. This was a major political group in the United States at that time. Famous Whig leaders like John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, and Henry Clay got streets named after them.
In the 1850s, Beargrass Creek was moved to flow through this area. This made Butchertown a great spot for butchers and stockyards. These businesses dealt with animals and meat. They were not allowed in downtown Louisville because of sanitation rules. So, Butchertown became the place for them. Animal remains could be easily put into the creek. The population grew quickly as many people from Germany moved into the area. The first stockyard, Bourbon Stockyards, opened in Butchertown in 1836.
Because so many German immigrants lived there, Butchertown became the starting point for a sad event. In August 1855, riots known as "Bloody Monday" began here. People from the Know Nothing party, who were against immigrants, tried to stop Germans and Irish people from voting. These riots were very violent and led to the deaths of 22 people.
For about 100 years, Butchertown was a busy place with homes and factories. But after the huge Ohio River flood of 1937, many homes were ruined. More houses were torn down to build a flood wall and new interstates, like the Kennedy Interchange. This is also known as "Spaghetti Junction." As people moved to the suburbs, the neighborhood started to decline. However, some residents worked hard to improve the area. They pushed for new rules to fix up empty houses.
Since the 1990s, Butchertown has become popular again. Many young professionals have moved in. The area near Market Street in downtown Louisville has also been improved. Places like Waterfront Park and Louisville Slugger Field have expanded. Empty shops have become new apartments. This has helped Butchertown, too. Many new antique shops and art galleries have opened.
In the 2000s, there were plans to change the Kennedy Interchange as part of the Ohio River Bridges Project. This would have meant tearing down more buildings in Butchertown. But these plans were changed. Instead, the interchange was updated in its current spot. A new bridge, the Abraham Lincoln Bridge, opened in 2015. To build the ramps for this new bridge, about one-third of Butchertown's David Armstrong Extreme Park had to be removed. New facilities were then built nearby.
Fun Places to Visit
Butchertown has several interesting places to visit. You can check out the David Armstrong Extreme Park, which is great for skateboarding and other extreme sports. There's also the Thomas Edison House, a special type of house called a shotgun house. Thomas Edison lived near here in 1866.
You can also see the front part of the old Heigold House. This building was from the early 1800s. It has detailed carvings of important early Whig Party leaders. It also says, "dedicated the greatest man in history, George Washington." The rest of the house was taken down.
Lynn Family Stadium is a soccer stadium that opened in 2020. It's home to two soccer teams, Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC.
Butchertown is also known for its newer shops, restaurants, and cool spots. On E. Washington Street, you'll find Copper & Kings. This is a distillery that makes brandy. They offer tours and host community events. You can also find many new restaurants in the area.
