Louisville's Chickasaw neighborhood working on approval as local preservation district

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Neighbors in Louisville's Chickasaw neighborhood are working to get approved as a local preservation district.

Back in June, the Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission approved the plan. But, it's currently on hold in the Metro Council Planning and Zoning Committee.

Councilwoman Donna Purvis, D-5, represents the area and said this would be a big step for the neighborhood to make sure its rich history doesn't get forgotten.

A neighborhood meeting was held on the topic Thursday evening.

"I want to make sure residents are fully informed about what this means for our community, whether or not its approved," Purvis said in a news release.

The preservation district request started with a petition signed by 200 neighbors living within the boundaries of the neighborhood.

Purvis said the preservation district would extend from West Broadway to the north; the Ohio River to the west; Winnrose Way, Fordson Way and Colmar Drive to the south; and Louis Coleman Jr. Drive to the east.

In 2019, Louisville Metro Government received a $50,000 grant from the National Historic Preservation Fund to survey properties in the Chickasaw neighborhood with the goal of listing it as a historic district.

The neighborhood being listed on the National Register would allow property owners to take advantage of federal and state historic tax credits.

According to the West End Opportunity Partnership, Chickasaw's history "runs deep." One of Louisville's furthest-west neighborhoods, Chickasaw was "historically a segregated neighborhood" before integration saw many families cross neighborhood lines to neighborhoods such as Shawnee.

Chickasaw is also home to Chickasaw Park, which is part of the Olmsted Park System. Encompassing more than 61 acres of land, the park was once the estate of Democratic Party political boss John Henry Whallen in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1921, the land was obtained for park purposes, and now offers a variety of amenities including a ballfield, baseball field, basketball courts, fishing areas, a playground, a sprayground, tennis courts, walking paths and more.

In 1908, the neighborhood housed the first permanent state fair grounds on Cecil and Gibson Avenues. It was also home to the short-lived White City Amusement Park from 1907 to 1910, according to city officials.

Louisville has more than 40 neighborhoods listed on the National Register, including the Highlands, Cherokee Triangle, Old Louisville, Smoketown, Limerik, Parkland and Russell neighborhoods.

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