| Schuster Building | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | 1500 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, Kentucky |
| Built/Founded: | 1927 |
| Architect: | Nevin, Wischmeyer & Morgan |
| Architectural style(s): | Colonial Revival |
| Added to NRHP: | October 18, 1980 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 80001618[1] |
| Governing body: | Private |
The Schuster Building is a mixed-use structure at the intersection of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway in the Highlands area of Louisville, Kentucky. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of The Colonial Revival was a Nationalistic Architectural style and Interior design movement in the United States. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The Highlands is an area of Louisville Kentucky which contains a high density of Nightclubs eclectic businesses and many upscale and fast food restaurants Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as a “significant example” of Colonial Revival architecture as applied to commercial buildings, the Schuster building is one of Louisville’s most prominent examples of that style. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of The Colonial Revival was a Nationalistic Architectural style and Interior design movement in the United States.
The Colonial Revival style was part of an emerging trend in American design at the time the building was completed in 1927, and was later popularized by the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg' is the historic district of the Independent city of Williamsburg Virginia.
In the years following the completion of the Schuster Building, several prominent structures in the same style were built in Louisville, such as the University of Louisville Administration Building in 1929, and Norton and Mullins halls of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1930. The University of Louisville (also known as U of L) is a public University in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. [2]
Contents |
History
The Schuster Building was designed by the Louisville firm of Nevin, Wischmeyer & Morgan, which also designed the Pendennis Club’s clubhouse. The Pendennis Club is a private club in Louisville Kentucky. It was established in 1881 and modeled in part on English gentleman's clubs [2]
Built in 1927, the 35,000 square foot Schuster Building was the largest of several mixed-use buildings that were built in the pre-World War 2 era along Bardstown Road, the commercial corridor of what was then Louisville’s wealthiest suburban area, the Highlands. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including [2]
The building originally housed shops, professional offices, apartments and the 14,000 square foot Uptown Theater. The 1,100 seat Uptown was equipped for both live theater and film, with a full stage, orchestra pit and organ. [2]
Decline and renovation
The building changed little into the 1980s. As shops came and went, there were essentially no alterations to the upper floors and only minor ones to the ground floor. The Uptown Theater remained as the anchor of the building, but attendance tapered off over the years, and by the 1980s closure was inevitable. When the Uptown closed in 1989, it had survived longer than any other neighborhood theater in Louisville except the Vogue. [3]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Highlands residents formed an organization to raise awareness and attempt to renovate and reopen the Uptown (at one point as a film museum named after Kentucky native D.W. Griffith), but were unable to raise the $1 million needed for the project. David Llewelyn Wark "D W" Griffith (January 22 1875 &ndash July 23 1948 was a premier pioneering Academy Award -winning American Film director. [3]
The planned renovation of the building, which involved demolishing the theater to create a parking lot, was stalled by a slow economy in the early 1990s. While the building was in limbo, several alternate uses were proposed, such as turning it into a public library branch, dance hall or a modern 8-screen cineplex. [4] This uncertainty alarmed neighbors, and led to the building being listed in 1992 as one of the 10 “most-endangered” buildings in Louisville. [5]
The cineplex plan gained the most support, both from developers and local politicians, and for a while seemed to be in the serious planning stages. However, many neighbors opposed it, citing concerns about security, traffic and parking, and developers eventually dropped the cinema plan. [6] Several years later, a modern multi-screen cinema opened a few blocks away, in the form of Baxter Avenue Theatres at Mid-City Mall. Mid City Mall is a Shopping mall in Louisville Kentucky 's Highlands area
In 1994, the Uptown Theater was demolished, clearing a large space behind the building where a parking lot was built, and the property was revived when a restaurant and other businesses moved in. Apartments were removed from the second and third floors and converted to office space. [7]
Although the Uptown Theater has been demolished, the exterior of the building remains largely unmodified. The theater’s lobby is now a restaurant dining room, but the old ticket window can still be recognized as part of the storefront.
Local influence
As the landmark building in the area, the Schuster Building has influenced nearby development. Across the street, a Valvoline outlet was built with brick chosen to match the colors used in the Schuster Building. Ashland Inc (or simply Ashland) is a Fortune 500 company which operates in more than 100 countries throughout the world [8] A large, mixed-use building on the opposite corner, called Highland Station, was designed to resemble the Schuster Building, with storefronts flush with the Bardstown Road sidewalk and an outdoor dining area and green space alongside Eastern Parkway.
References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor
- ^ a b c d (1980-01-29). Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. "Schuster BuildingNational Register of Historic Places Inventory report". The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of . National Park Service
- ^ a b Shafer, Sheldon. The National Park Service ( NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation "Uptown Plan Critisized", The Courier-Journal, 1989-05-19, p. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and 7B.
- ^ Shafer, Sheldon. "Plans in Works to Renovate Old Uptown Theater", The Courier-Journal, 1992-03-13, p. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. 5C.
- ^ Shafer, Sheldon. "Preservation Alliance lists 10 "most-endangered" structures", The Courier-Journal, 1992-05-15, p. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the 1B.
- ^ Elson, Martha. "Schuster Building Renovation Begins", The Courier-Journal, 1994-01-19, p. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. 1N.
- ^ Elson, Martha. "Schuster Building Restoration Complete", The Courier-Journal, 1994-10-26, p. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death 3B.
- ^ Elson, Martha. "Bardstown Valvoline Outlet Under Construction, Compromise Pleases Neighbors, officials", The Courier-Journal, 1991-08-07, p. The Courier-Journal, nicknamed the "C-J", is the main Newspaper for the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. 1N.
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