Smoketown, Louisville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Smoketown Historic District
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Logan Street in Smoketown
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Preston, Caldwell, and Jacob Sts., and the alley east of Shelby St., Louisville, Kentucky |
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| Area | 780 acres (3.2 km2) |
| Architectural style | Shotgun house |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000661 |
| Added to NRHP | 1997 |
Smoketown is a neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky. It is located about one mile (1.6 km) southeast of downtown Louisville. Since the American Civil War, Smoketown has been a neighborhood where many African-American people have lived. It is special because it has had this continuous presence for a long time. Smoketown is surrounded by Broadway, CSX railroad tracks, Kentucky Street, and I-65.
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History of Smoketown
The name "Smoketown" likely came from the many kilns in the area. Kilns are special ovens used to make bricks. In the early days, many brickyards were located here, creating a lot of smoke.
In 1823, a newspaper mentioned a brickyard in this area. By 1871, nine out of twenty brickyards in Louisville were in Smoketown. However, by 1880, all the brickyards were gone. This was probably because the supply of clay under the neighborhood ran out. The empty clay pits, which filled with water, might have led to another old name for the area: "Frogtown."
Early Residents and Growth
In the 1850s, some white families, many of them German immigrants, started to live in Smoketown. But after the Civil War, thousands of formerly enslaved people moved to Smoketown from different parts of rural Kentucky. By 1870, the neighborhood was mostly African American.
A streetcar line was added to Preston Street in 1865. This helped the neighborhood grow even more. Smoketown became a very busy place. It had many shotgun houses and narrow streets. By 1880, over 15,000 people lived there. Most African American families rented their homes from white owners, as owning property was not common for them at that time.
Changes Over Time
By the 1960s, Smoketown faced some challenges. Many people moved away, and the population dropped a lot. Some of the old shotgun houses were torn down. New housing projects were built in their place. By the year 2000, Smoketown's population was 2,116. This was a big decrease from 1990.
Revitalizing Smoketown
Efforts have been made to improve and rebuild the Smoketown neighborhood. These projects aim to bring new life and opportunities to the area.
Sheppard Square Project
In May 2011, Louisville received a large grant of $22 million. This money came from a federal program called Hope VI. The grant allowed for the demolition of the old Sheppard Square housing project. This project was replaced with new, mixed-income housing. This means homes for people with different income levels were built together.
Greg Fischer, who was the Mayor of Louisville at the time, spoke about this project. He said it would be worth $157 million over ten years. The city's budget included money to help connect the new development with the rest of the neighborhood. This plan aimed to make Smoketown a better place to live. It also hoped to attract new businesses to the area.
New Homes and Construction
In July 2012, construction began on nine new homes. These homes were built near where the old Sheppard Square housing development used to be. Eight of these homes are on East Breckinridge and one is on South Shelby Street.
In December 2012, a major construction project started. It was a $100 million redevelopment of the new Sheppard Square neighborhood. This project was planned to be finished by December 2015. It aimed to create a revitalized, mixed-income community.
Smoketown Population Facts
As of 2000, the population of Smoketown was 2,232 people.
- About 13.1% of the people were white.
- About 81.2% were black.
- About 1.8% were listed as other races.
- About 3.8% were Hispanic.
When it comes to education:
- 6.0% of the people had graduated from college.
- 42.7% did not have a high school degree.
Regarding gender, females made up 53.4% of the population, and males made up 46.6%.
Places to Visit in Smoketown
- Albert E. Meyzeek Middle School is a school located at 828 S Jackson St.
- Bates Memorial Missionary Baptist Church is a church found at 620 E Lampton St.
- The Presbyterian Community Center at 701 S Hancock St. served the Smoketown neighborhood for over 115 years. It closed in 2013. In 2015, Jefferson County Public Schools took over the building. They now offer programs for young children there. The center was renamed the Ernest 'Camp' Edwards Education Complex.
