Louisville's Oldest Building being restored into musuem (Frankfort, Albany: crime rate, houses)

[censusdata]

The city's oldest known structure, the Earick House in Portland, is being restored and turned into a museum. Here area some pictures I took of it recently.

It was completed in 1815

http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/8341239.jpg (broken link)

http://static4.bareka.com/photos/medium/8341179.jpg (broken link)

[missymomof3]

Wonderful! I wish I could read the signs though

[censusdata]

I zoomed it up 4X to read it on paint brush. Here's a summary of what it says:

Top Left:
"I was the first house built in Portland when William Lytle & Joshua Barclay first surveyed Portland back in 1814. All around me workers built houses, stores, and taverns to serve travelers stopping at the Portland Wharf."

Bottom Left: "Welcome. I'm the Squire Earick House. I was here before the Louisville and Portland Canal bypassed the Falls, before any bridges or floodwalls were built on the Ohio"

Top Right:
Couldn't read

Bottom Right:
"My garden used to extend all the way to Rudd Avenue. I grew lilies, roses..." etc etc

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I zoomed it up 4X to read it on paint brush. Here's a summary of what it says:

Top Left:
"I was the first house built in Portland when William Lytle & Joshua Barclay first surveyed Portland back in 1814. All around me workers built houses, stores, and taverns to serve travelers stopping at the Portland Wharf."

Bottom Left: "Welcome. I'm the Squire Earick House. I was here before the Louisville and Portland Canal bypassed the Falls, before any bridges or floodwalls were built on the Ohio"

Top Right:
Couldn't read

Bottom Right:
"My garden used to extend all the way to Rudd Avenue. I grew lilies, roses..." etc etc

Thank you! I'd rep ya but it won't let me.

[Miss Blue]

I am all for restoring our old homes and other landmarks..I hope they even find a place in the museum to save the signs

[censusdata]

I glad their finally doing some restoration in Portland. I have never been to anywhere else with so many abandoned buildings and houses. There are entire blocks there that have been abandoned.

Maybe Portland could be the next Old Louisville, with people moving in there and saving the area's history.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I glad their finally doing some restoration in Portland. I have never been to anywhere else with so many abandoned buildings and houses. There are entire blocks there that have been abandoned.

Maybe Portland could be the next Old Louisville, with people moving in there and saving the area's history.

That would be good. I hate to see areas just go to pot.

[Windwalker]

Thanks, Census. I repped ya.

What's the story with the Portland area? (And exactly where is it?)

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by Windwalker

Thanks, Census. I repped ya.

What's the story with the Portland area? (And exactly where is it?)

At the original Falls of Ohio, Portland was the largest of the 5 settlements now known as Louisville, Clarksville, New Albany, and a now extinct area known as Shippingport. The all formed to serve patrons who had to unload their boat's cargo onto land to another boat on the other side of the Falls.

Portland was larger than Louisville until 1830, but remained an independent city until 1852. By comparison, Frankfort Ave & The Highlands wouldn't be developed for another 50 years. Today it contains over 90% of Jefferson County's pre Civil War buildings because Downtown Louisville has been repeatedly razed and rebuilt. Most of Portland's oldest buildings closest to the river were razed when a massive floodwall was built there in 1940.

It is located in the extreme NorthWest corner of the city and has a fairly high crime rate by Louisville standards (usually 5 murders a year). The worst parts for abandoned buildings seems to be right next to downtown, while the areas along Portland Ave & Bank Street seem a lot better. There are plans to create an artists district in the Warehouse District, but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe $4 gasoline will help turn it around

Other notable pre-Civil war buildings in Portland:
US Marine Hospital (1840), designed by same person as the Washington Monument

Rumors are that U of L is going to open a family care clinic in it
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1a/Picture_1654.jpg/800px-Picture_1654.jpg (broken link)

House built by owner of the first Falls of the Ohio Lock (they charged toll to pass through it)

[censusdata]

Here is a map of it:
http://www.ecentral.com/louisvillemaps/portland.gif