Louisville and Nashville Railroad Office Building

Infobox_nrhp | name =Louisville and Nashville Railroad Office Building
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= 908 W. Broadway
Louisville, Kentucky
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 14
lat_seconds = 40
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 85
long_minutes = 46
long_seconds = 4
long_direction = W
locmapin = Kentucky
area =
built =1907
architect= Haley,J. C.
architecture= Beaux Arts
added = September 08, 1983
governing_body = Private
mpsub=West Louisville MRA
refnum=83002696cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad Office Building is an historic building located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It once served as the headquarters for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, a prominent railroad company from the mid-19th century to the 1970s.

Architecture

The structure is eleven stories tall. The first three stories are made of stonework of rusticated ashlar, with capital-topped pilasters in a series. Floors four to ten have ashlar pilasters framing a finish of red brick. Windows of the building are done in series of three. The attic is 1.5 stories tall, and features the distinctive initials of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. [Luhan pg.74, 75]

It was designed by W. H. Courtenay, the chief architect of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, in a Beaux Arts style; one of the largest commercial buildings in that architectural style still standing. [Luhan, Gregory. Louisville Guide. (Princeton Architectural Press, 2004) pg. 74] [Klein, Maury. "History of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad". (University Press ofKentucky, 2002). pg.340]

In 1930 an eight-bay western addition which duplicated the look of the original 10-story building was added, built by then-current chief architect of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad J. C. Haley. [Luhan pg.74]

History

The original Louisville and Nashville Railroad offices in Louisville were at Second and Main in Louisville, by the entrance of present-day George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge. By 1890 it became obvious that the building was too overcrowded. It was decided that the office building should be located next to Louisville's Union Station. Construction began in 1902, but its completion was delayed until January 1907, due to difficulties with organized labor in a 1905 steel workers strike. Its total cost was $650,000. It was large enough so that after decades of separation, all of the main administrative staff could be in the same building. [Klein, Maury. "History of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad". (University Press ofKentucky, 2002). pg.340]

In the 1970s, about 2,000 L&N employees worked in the building. After L&N wsa purchased by CSX nearly all of the jobs were moved from Louisville to Jacksonville, Florida in 1980. However, a 6-person CSX claims department stayed in the building until 1988.cite news|title=LAST OF L&N WORKERS ARE LEAVING LANDMARK|publisher=Courier-Journal|date=1988-11-05|author=Hershberg, Ben|pages=B12]

In 1984, the state of Kentucky spent $15 million to purchase and renovate the property, retaining the L&N name and neon lights on its upper stories.

The building is currently the Louisville offices for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. [cite web|url=http://www.louisvillerelationships.org/Resource%20Directory.htm|title= Resource Directory|publisher=Resource Education Across Louisville|accessdate=2008-07-01]

References