Commodore Apartment Building (Louisville, Kentucky) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Commodore Apartment Building
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Front entrance
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bonnycastle Louisville, Kentucky |
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| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Joseph & Joseph |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002709 |
| Added to NRHP | April 29, 1982 |
The Commodore Apartment Building, also known as Commodore Apartments, is a fancy home complex in Louisville, Kentucky. It's located in the Bonnycastle neighborhood. This special building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
History of the Commodore
Building a Landmark
The Commodore Apartment Building is a tall building, 11 stories high! It opened in 1929. The building was designed by a company called Joseph & Joseph in 1928. These architects also designed other buildings in the Louisville area. For example, they created the Republic Building in 1916. They also designed the Elsby building in New Albany, Indiana, in 1918. The Commodore building is located very close to Cherokee Park.
From Estate to Apartments
The land where the Commodore now stands has a cool history. It was once owned by Isaac Everett. He was one of the people who started the famous Galt House hotel. Isaac bought a huge piece of land, about 150 acres, for $25,000. He built a big mansion for himself on this land.
Later, the land went to his daughter, Harriet. She married and became Harriet Bonnycastle. After her husband passed away, she gave some of her land to Louisville. This land was used to create Cherokee Park in 1891. Harriet hoped this park would encourage new buildings to be built nearby. Over the next 20 years, Harriet sold off parts of her land. Finally, in the late 1920s, the Commodore Apartments were built on one of these pieces of land.
Surviving and Changing
The Commodore Apartment Building was built just before the Great Depression. This was a very tough time for the economy. But the building survived and continued to be a fancy place to live.
In 1978, a Louisville native named Roger Davis bought the building. He was an actor and a business person. He paid $650,000 for it. Then, he spent another $125,000 to fix it up. Roger changed the Commodore from a regular apartment building into a condominium complex. This means that people could buy their own apartments, like buying a house. There are 59 units in the building.
A Historic Elevator
The building has special passenger elevators. These are some of the few left that still need an Elevator Operator. An operator is a person who rides in the elevator and controls it for you. The Commodore Apartment Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1982. This shows how important and special the building is.
Gallery
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Opening Day, 1928. The Commodore Apartments.
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Architectural detail of entryway.
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Main Lobby with fireplace.
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Left receiving area with historic tapestry "cartoon" and antiques.
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Looking toward the inner lobby.
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Looking toward the elevator.
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Antique hutch.
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Looking toward office archway.
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Rookwood Architectural Faience Garden Jar.
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Rookwood markings.
