Historical Marker

Gilded Age Mansions / Chateauesque Architecture

Historical marker location:

Louisville, Kentucky

( 1228 S. Third St., Louisville)

In the late 1800s, Louisville had gained a reputation as the “City of Beautiful Homes”—many of the city’s prominent citizens making their homes on fashionable Third Avenue. The collection of grand mansions and comfortable homes constitutes one of the richest examples of Victorian domestic architecture in the U.S.

Reverse

Alongside the impressive examples of Romanesque, Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Queen Anne, Beaux Arts and Eclectic styles found in Old Louisville is Chateauesque, a rare, French-inspired design exemplified by steep-pitched gables, heavy ornamentation & intricate detail. Architects often added Moorish elements & terra-cotta arabesques.