Highland Park, Louisville
Encyclopedia
Highland Park was a city near and eventually neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky
that was razed as a part of the expansion of Louisville International Airport
. Its boundaries were roughly the CSX
railroad tracks to the west, and what would become the Kentucky State Fair & Exposition Center and the airport on all other sides (initially these were farm land).
Highland Park was originally built largely for workers at the nearby Louisville & Nashville Railroad yard, with professor and businessman T. C. H. Vance laying out streets in the 1880s. Its relatively common name was based on its elevated location in relation to surrounding areas, particularly Louisville. Vance's daughter gave the streets their Indian-themed names, such as Hiawatha and Wampum, which was a fashionable practice at the time.
Highland Park incorporated as a city in 1890, and grew quickly to 323 families by 1900. The city would grow to include Beechmont and Wilder Park
, before all were annexed by Louisville in 1922, after a 5-year court battle.
While initially centered on Louisville Avenue, the city and neighborhood's main commercial district eventually became Park Boulevard, especially after a streetcar line was installed there in 1920.
Much of the neighborhood was razed to make way for the Watterson Expressway
after World War II
and all of it was finally razed in the early 1990s as a part of airport expansion, a plan first announced in 1987. However, most of what was once Highland Park is now vacant, and has not been developed by the airport. The street pattern remains intact, but areas where houses once stood have been fenced off.
In 2009, the Regional Airport Authority, which owns the former Highland Park land, released plans to develop the land and re-route Crittenden Drive around it.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
that was razed as a part of the expansion of Louisville International Airport
Louisville International Airport
Louisville International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport centrally located in the city of Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA. The airport covers 1,200 acres and has three runways. Its IATA airport code SDF is based on the airport's former name, Standiford Field...
. Its boundaries were roughly the CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
railroad tracks to the west, and what would become the Kentucky State Fair & Exposition Center and the airport on all other sides (initially these were farm land).
Highland Park was originally built largely for workers at the nearby Louisville & Nashville Railroad yard, with professor and businessman T. C. H. Vance laying out streets in the 1880s. Its relatively common name was based on its elevated location in relation to surrounding areas, particularly Louisville. Vance's daughter gave the streets their Indian-themed names, such as Hiawatha and Wampum, which was a fashionable practice at the time.
Highland Park incorporated as a city in 1890, and grew quickly to 323 families by 1900. The city would grow to include Beechmont and Wilder Park
Wilder Park
Wilder Park is a neighborhood four miles south of downtown Louisville, Kentucky USA. The area was originally the site of Greenland race course, built in 1866, a sister track of Churchill Downs. Greenland track closed in 1888 and was subsequently used as a park....
, before all were annexed by Louisville in 1922, after a 5-year court battle.
While initially centered on Louisville Avenue, the city and neighborhood's main commercial district eventually became Park Boulevard, especially after a streetcar line was installed there in 1920.
Much of the neighborhood was razed to make way for the Watterson Expressway
Interstate 264 (Kentucky)
The Henry Watterson Expressway, also known as the Georgia Davis Powers/Shawnee Expressway west of US 31W, is one of two Interstate Highways in the United States designated as Interstate 264 . It is 22.93 miles in length, and runs an open circle around central Louisville, Kentucky...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and all of it was finally razed in the early 1990s as a part of airport expansion, a plan first announced in 1987. However, most of what was once Highland Park is now vacant, and has not been developed by the airport. The street pattern remains intact, but areas where houses once stood have been fenced off.
In 2009, the Regional Airport Authority, which owns the former Highland Park land, released plans to develop the land and re-route Crittenden Drive around it.
External links
- Street map of Highland Park (most streets are still open to traffic; however, the areas where houses were are fenced off)
- History of Highland Park (includes pre-demolition photos)
- Highland Park, Louisville, KY (includes pictures of Highland Park)
- Post-demolition photos of Highland Park
- http://digital.library.louisville.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISORESTMP=results.php&CISOVIEWTMP=item_viewer.php&CISOMODE=grid&CISOGRID=thumbnail,A,1;title,A,1;descri,200,0;none,200,0;none,A,0;20;title,none,none,none,none&CISOBIB=title,A,1,N;subjec,A,0,N;descri,200,0,N;none,A,0,N;none,A,0,N;20;title,none,none,none,none&CISOTHUMB=20%20(4x5);title,none,none,none,none&CISOTITLE=20;title,none,none,none,none&CISOHIERA=20;subjec,title,none,none,none&CISOSUPPRESS=0&CISOTYPE=link&CISOOP1=exact&CISOFIELD1=title&CISOBOX1=&CISOOP2=exact&CISOFIELD2=coveraa&CISOBOX2=Highland+Park+%28Louisville%2C+Ky.%29&CISOOP3=exact&CISOFIELD3=descri&CISOBOX3=&CISOOP4=exact&CISOFIELD4=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOBOX4=&c=exact&CISOROOT=all Images of Highland Park (Louisville, Ky.) in the University of Louisville Libraries Digital Collections]
- "Highland Park: Railroad Workers Formed a Community of Basic Pleasures, Playing It Rough but Straight" — Article by Bill Pike of The Courier-JournalThe Courier-JournalThe Courier-Journal, locally called "The C-J", is the main newspaper for the city of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the paper is the 48th largest daily paper in the United States and the single largest in Kentucky.- Origins :The...
