Old Louisville

On August 1, 1883, the eyes of the nation turned to Kentucky as thousands crowded the lanes of Louisville’s Southern Extension. Tugging a silken cord, Pres. Chester Arthur set the machinery in motion for an event that changed the town forever. Touted at home and abroad as the 100 Days that Louisville Opened Its Doors to the World, the occasion was the inauguration of the Southern Exposition, an early world’s fair with a wide variety of mechanical, scientific, and cultural displays showcasing the latest advances in the cotton industry. In the first 88 days, an astounding 770,048 visitors came; as a result, tremendous growth occurred, and the city’s first suburb eventually sprang up on the site, populating the new neighborhood with fine residences. Known as Old Louisville today, it counts as one of the country’s largest historic preservation districts, with hundreds of magnificent structures providing a glimpse into a fascinating Victorian past.