On May 16, the Frazier International History Museum opens Fontaine Ferry, a 3,800 square foot exhibition that explores this integral part of Louisville’s history, just in time for the 40th anniversary of the park’s closing. The exhibition will explore the park’s beginnings as a boat landing in 1814, through the Great Depression and the Great Flood of 1937 to the 64-acre attraction’s demise amid the effects of urban flight and racial tensions of the civil rights movement.

Frazier Museum

• I appreciate the fact that you keep me posted on properties that I might be interested in. i have enjoyed working with you on the two properties that I recently purchased through you. keep it up. I like it.
  Bill
• I love the service that you provided . Your in depth knowledge allowed me to feel secure about my home purchase and I will recommend your service to others that are in the real estate market , Thank You
  Phil
• We feel you are extremly well above any other realtor that we have tried to deal with. We really were satisfied with your work. You provided beyond our expectations.- Harry & Marie
• Thank you Sheila, for making our transaction smooth and efficient. We highly recommend you as a Real Estate professional.- Claude & Theresa
• I would like to take this time and opportunity to share my most recent real estate purchase experience with the professional assistance from Sheila Barrett. As an investor, the benefits are very rewarding not only monetary but most importantly being able to help a family that needs a home. Aside the twenty four hour dedication to my tenants my main priority is respect to my tenants- I strive to provide them with a comfortable, clean, updated residence that they can call home. With Sheila Barrett’s real estate knowledge, to include Sheila’s attention to detail, personal involvement and professional attitude, Sheila has made it possible for me to achieve my goal of serving the housing community. As we all know our economy is struggling right now with various financial issues however Sheila has demonstrated her compassion and concerns for investors like me. Sheila prioritized herself with my budget and economic specifications to include discussing and planning future generated income potential for my company portfolio. Sheila’s dedication and extensive research of hundreds of homes and continuous direct contact with me demonstrates her strong work ethics. Sheila Barrett is not about high commissions on her sales however most importantly saving money for her clients.

• Bub- what you screw into a light fixture
• Error- you shoot this from a bow
• Flow- carpet is layed on this
• Goggles- she goggles her throat wash every morning
• Grind- plants grow out of this
• Hair- where you are
• Lion- what you are doing if you aren’t telling the truth
• Lord- used for frying and baking
• Pears- she pears to be sickly
• Poach- a place to sit and relax
• Skull- what some kids drop out from
• Spell- come sit a spell
• Ward- umpires have the last one
• Badder- worse
• Dogging- to tell a lie
• Eating Table- dinner table
• Everwhich- take everywhich you want
• Everwhat- everwhat you say is fair
• Hurt- I ain’t hurting for food
• Pay No Mind- to pay no attention
• Sop- gravy
• Take down with- become sick
• Unalike- unlike
• Wash-off- bath

Doctor C.V. Heistand was a real country doctor. At age 78, he was still traveling 30,000 miles a year to treat patients in six Kentucky counties and delivered 5,400 babies since 1898. Below are excerpts from a newspaper article by the Courier Journal Frankfort Bureau about his experiences- I believe to be from 1949.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Sheila Barrett- Cell (502)876-7518
Voice Mail (502)420-5043
Fax (502)471-5802

Waverly Hills was built in the early 1900s and was a tuberculosis hospital. During this time the hospital was one of the most modern in the United States. Many people were cured but more than 63,000 people died there.

There was a body chute that was a tunnel that ran from the hospital down the hill. During the time of when so many people were dying each day from tuberculosis- the bodies were taken out through the tunnel as not to upset the remaining patients.

After closing in the 1960s rumors of ghost and strange sightings began to surface.

Plans for Waverly Hills Sanitarium

(from the Courier Journal)

The rooms may be standard, and the location is a bit out-of-the-way, but Charlie Mattingly thinks his planned hotel in southwest Jefferson County will have a unique draw:

It’s a creepy, old, five-story building with a morgue, a “body chute” and guest rooms where people once lay dying of tuberculosis.

Mattingly and his architect, Kevin Milburn of Urban Designz, are dead serious about turning the old Waverly Hills Sanatorium into a 78-room boutique hotel with a spa, fitness center and meeting space for business groups.

The former hospital off Dixie Highway already is a mecca for ghost hunters, who come by the thousands each year to search for paranormal activity. A film crew from the Travel Channel was there last month, and talk-show host Maury Povich sent a crew this week.

Its haunted history was the focus of a six-hour special on the Sci Fi Channel last fall, and the property regularly turns up on lists of the nation’s most haunted places. Web sites dedicated to the property feature photos of people who mysteriously appear in windows, and audio files of unexplained noises.

Mattingly, who bought the 30-acre property for $225,000 in 2001 with his wife, Tina, said preserving the site’s haunted character will be a key part of what he estimates will be an $18 million renovation. Project details were to be announced to local officials and the media at 4:30 p.m. today.

“My intent is for this to be first class all the way,” Mattingly said of the hotel, which he said could open in early 2010 — assuming financing is arranged.

Mattingly, who grew up in Shively and until recently worked at Ford Motor Co., said that banks “more or less laughed at me” when he first began applying for loans to renovate the property.

But after seven years of upgrades, historical research and architectural studies, he said conversations about financing now are under way with Porter Bancorp, StockYards Bank & Trust, Republic Bancorp and JP Morgan Chase, and he’s confident he’ll be able to start construction late this year.

Milburn said the project should qualify for federal tax credits because of its historical significance. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, though it remains heavily damaged by years of vandalism and decay. Already, Mattingly has had dozens of windows replaced, rooftops and mortar repaired and ceilings insulated. And Milburn said they soon will select contractors to oversee further construction.

Chris Poynter, a spokesman for Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson, called the project “exciting for south Louisville and for the entire city.”

He’s a believer

Mattingly, 49, said he wasn’t a believer in Waverly Hills’ haunted reputation until he bought the place and began recording video inside. He said his films show streaks of light and glowing orbs at times when footage of the surrounding neighborhood was perfectly normal.

For the last year, the Mattinglys have lived on the property, where Tina Mattingly runs the nonprofit Waverly Hills Historical Society. The couple has relatives on both sides of the family who were treated for tuberculosis at the sanatorium.

The main hospital building, with 160,000 square feet, was built in 1926. It sits on a ridge just a few hundred yards from the bustling auto dealers, apartments and restaurants of Dixie Highway, but is shrouded in trees and dense undergrowth.

Signs posted at the entrances warn trespassers, and cameras mounted on the hospital’s exterior are there to catch would-be vandals.

The hotel plans call for a solar-powered electric system, floors made of sustainable materials such as cork or recycled rubber, and a geothermal heating and cooling system.

A parking structure would be built in front of the hospital, with a rooftop garden visible from the long concrete sun porches where patients once spent their days lying in bed. The infamous body chute is an underground steam tunnel that hospital officials used to remove bodies on gurneys, out of sight of the surviving patients.

About 3,000 people tour Waverly Hills annually, with most of them paying a $20 donation. Ghost hunters also can pay $100 each to roam the hallways all night in search of spooky noises and paranormal activity.

Jim Wood, president of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, said ghost tours are a growing tourism draw, and he called Waverly Hills “an architectural wonder.”

But since haunted hotels cater to a niche market, Wood said Waverly Hills may need to attract a wider audience to be a viable business.

That’s the approach at The Lemp Mansion, a bed and breakfast in St. Louis in a home where three members of the Lemp family committed suicide between 1902 and 1949. About two-thirds of the mansion’s guests today come for the haunted history, but spokeswoman Mary Wolff said the property also holds wedding receptions, private parties and other events.

Read more about the ghost investigations at Waverly Hills

READ ABOUT MORE SCARRY PLACES
Baxter Avenue Morgue AKA Vanderdark Morgue

• Louisville Ghost Hunters
• TAPS-Ghost Hunters
• Waverly Hills Official Site

I thought I would share these photos with you. I found them in a photo album while going through some of my father’s belongings. I think some of the pictures were taken on River Road but not sure of the year or which flood this might have been. The boat in the second picture does look very old.

I have a degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences where I mainly worked in the United Kingdom. During my internship at Gloucester Royal Hospital I participated in the Stonehouse Meningitis Survey which collected research and later was used in the development of a vaccine. I moved away from the medical field and worked at Whitbread Brewery where I was involved in quality control. After having my daughter I started Barrett’s Office Cleaning where in the first year we had branched out to two towns where we had over twelve contracts including Pizza Hut, William Hills, and various businesses.

After returning to the United States to take care of elderly parents I have been involved mostly in community work with the Portland Museum, The Neighborhood House, The Portland Branch Library with helping organize events and outreach to the community. I had the pleasure to organize and represent the community of Portland at the Lewis and Clark Bicententral celebration in 2003 where many local nonprofit organizations joined under one tent for the 13 day celebration.

I achieved my real estate license from the first online classes offered in Kentucky from Thornton’s Real Estate Academy in Bowling Green, KY after which time I joined Semonin Realtors. I have since developed a network of local professionals that I am confident can respond to concerns that might arise and that I will be able to help you with all your needs.

Besides being a Realtor I love local history. I have put together a collection that I hope you like. If you have any photographs or stories you would like to add contact me. I am sure others will love to read them.
Cell: (502)876-7518 or
Email Me

Click on the link to view information about each home.

3100-3102 Northwestern Parkway

SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEX. Each side has a living room, 2 bedrooms (one without a closet), eat-in kitchen and a full bath. Both units have long term tenants with a year lease. Income from both units- $860. GREAT INVESTMENT PROPERTY.

3104-3106 Northwestern Parkway

NICE SIZE-SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEX. Each side has a living room, 2 bedrooms with closet space, eat-in kitchen and a full bath. Both units have long term tenants with a year lease. Income from both units- $900. GREAT INVESTMENT PROPERTY.

621 North 28th Street

1bedroom house with traditional living room and eat-in kitchen. This would make a nice starter home or investment property.

621 North 25th Street

Traditional shotgun home with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath in Portland. Traditional living room with decorative fireplace and eat-in kitchen. Bathroom has a shower but not tub. The outside has a small deck and fenced backyard. New furnace/AC, new insulated windows, new drywall and fresh paint throughout. This would make a nice starter home or investment property. Owner financing might be available to qualified buyers.

2221 Bank Street

Affordable Accommodations. Check out this low-priced vinyl-siding home in Portland. Great features include 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, welcoming living room with carpeting, kitchen with built in cabinets. Front and back porches, shingle roof, and fenced back yard. Includes gas range, refrigerator, two window air condition units. Within walking distance of local stores and resraurants. Close to parks and schools.

208 North 26th Street

Resources Low? Then you’ll definitely appreciate the affordability of this 2 bedroom/1 bath home in Portland. Has a classic living room with decorative fireplace, carpeting, small laundry room, kitchen with gas range, built-in cabinets, refrigerator, fenced back yard, front porch, and shingle roof. Perfect for first time buyer or investor.

1923 Bank Street

Large In Size, Not Price. Discover all the space and the reasonable price of this 2-story traditional home only a short walk to local stores and restaurants. 1st floor has a large living room, 2 Bedrooms with very large closets, a full bathroom and a sunny kitchen with built in cabinets- also a 6 shelf pantry for storage.

The 2nd floor has separate utilities and can be rented out to a guest. It has 2 bedrooms with closet space, full bathroom plus another kitchen complete with built in cabinets and pantry. There is a large walk in laundry room with plenty of shelves for storage located under the stairs which could be used by both the second and first floor without giving up privacy. Alarm system is located in this room as well as the electrical boxes.

Freshly painted throughout and Lead FREE (seller will provide paperwork)
Many Updates! A Must See!

2411 Portland Ave

Check out this cute 2 bedroom (1 bedroom no close), 1 bath home on Portland Ave. Great features include a welcoming living room, kitchen, built in cabinets, large fenced back yard that runs to alley. Seller may leave appliances.

2405 Portland Ave

6 Room house on Portland Ave. 3 rooms drywalled and painted. The rest of the first floor is ready to hang drywall. Upstairs has two rooms. This needs attention and is ready for your special touch. This would make a beautiful home with a large yard.

2401 Portland Ave

Check This Out! 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath home on Portland Ave. Offers an extra room in front that is ready to open a full service beauty salon that can be used by owner or tenent live- in. (however it can be used for other purposes)This is a great opportunity for anyone starting their own business. Lots of updates. On the corner of 24th and Portland Ave.

322 North 30th Street

Your search ends today at this 1-bedroom/1-bath home in Portland. Offers a welcoming living room, kitchen with built cabinets, laundry, fenced back yard and front yard for the pets.

Click on the link below for any Open Houses

Open Houses

The building at Third and Main Street- standing at nine stories will come down with explosives on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m., July 19^th.

Pictures of the implosion

Click To See Video

The original/first Big Four Bridge had a pedestrian walk-way on the west (downriver side). It was opened in 1895 and in use till 1929 when a newly constructed replacement bridge using the same bridge piers replaced it. Everything old is new again- the pedestrian usage is an idea that was put into effect over 100 years ago.

The viaducts or high trestle elevated structures of the Big Four Bridge stretched out for a little over three miles and in three different directions. On the Kentucky side one arm split off crossing over the current skate park and toward Louisville’s Baseball Park-this formerly housed the big four rail freight terminal. The rail touched down just east of the expressway at Hancock Street.

The other split, the lengthier of the two, crossed over dozens of streets with another access ramp at Franklin and Wenzel Streets. It continued airborne for many more blocks until finally touching down at East Main Street and Mellwood Avenue (east of the Old Bourbon Stockyards).

On the Indiana side the elevated structure continued northward withthe exception of the access ramp immediately after crossing the bridge which touched earth about four blocks later.The elevated structure carried on for another 3/4 of a mile northward finally coming to rest just west of The Quartermaster Depot.

Louisville’s elevated trains ran day and night over many homes and businesses They carried all manner of goods, merchandise, passengers, and daily commuters, all of which created a scenario more likened to Chicago or New York.

A high speed lightweight electric train of the Indiana RR crosses the Big Four Bridge some time in the 1930’s. The last electric trains crossed this bridge in October 1939, while electric trains continued on the K&I Bridge until the eve of 1946.

One organized outing by the 4-H clubs in and around Columbus, Indiana chartered three trains, each consisting of 3 cars cars each for a trip into Louisville in September of 1939. The 800 or so farm kids and their escorts then took a river cruise and returned the same day.

Electric trains survived in Louisville until the eve of 1946. The above newspaper advertisement is cira of 1941. Electric rapid transit was smart, swift and a thrifty buy for either group or individual travel.

All information contributed by Ron Schooling- Thanks!

Fire On The Big Four Bridge