Highlands Neighborhood
Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Highlands Neighborhood. This area was settled by Major William Preston and his wife, Caroline Hancock, who established a plantation known as the “Briar Patch” in 1815. Bardstown Pike, just to the east, was approved for construction in 1819 as major state transportation link to points south, driving commerce and population growth in this area. (Reverse) This land was subdivided by the Preston heirs and streets nearby bear their names. By 1865, the area was known as New Hamburg, due to influx of German immigrants. The area gained popularity due to the extension of the streetcar line & estab. of Cherokee Park. By 1901, St. Anthony’s Hospital was established here to serve poor, needy, & infirmed.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
The Highlands began in 1815 as the "Briar Patch," a plantation established by Major William Preston and his wife Caroline Hancock. The approval of Bardstown Pike in 1819 opened a major route south, spurring commerce and settlement, and by 1865 an influx of German immigrants had given the area the name New Hamburg. Streetcar lines and the creation of Cherokee Park later drew residents, and by 1901 St. Anthony's Hospital served the neighborhood's poor and sick.
Why it matters
The Highlands traces the familiar American arc from plantation to immigrant enclave to streetcar suburb, mapped street by street in names the Preston heirs left behind.
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Related people
- · William Preston
- · Caroline Hancock
Themes & tags
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