Thanks to a tipster for checking in with progress at the Ice House Lofts on East Main Street. More coverage of the Ice House Lofts from Broken Sidewalk.
Founder and Editor at Broken Sidewalk
Branden founded Broken Sidewalk in 2008 while practicing architecture in Louisville. He continued the site for seven years while living in New York City, returning to Louisville in 2016. Branden is a graduate of the College of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, and has covered architecture, design, and urbanism for The Architect's Newspaper, Designers & Books, Inhabitat, and the American Institute of Architects.
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My wife and I walked around the Ice House this weekend and noticed on the east side those old wooden drop-down doors (with leather hinges? I may be wrong about that). Carolyn said, Wouldn’t it be great to save that peeling patina, but use them as a place to serve street food out of during events, or just, well, all the time. I love the way they look. Anyone have pics of them?
Ken, is this the building you’re talking about?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brokensidewalk/1375933830/in/set-72157600339355923/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brokensidewalk/1375029013/in/set-72157600339355923/
That has been one of my favorite buildings in this part of Downtown for quite a while and I have also thought a restaurant would work well there (especially with the doors that could open in fair weather), especially one following the trend of bourbon-themes restaurant popping up around the arena.
I love the rustic, old-industrial nature of the building and would change very little about it. Unfortunately, most people in town probably look at this structure and consider it an eyesore appropriate for the wrecking ball.
Yep! My assumption was that those doors were where big blocks of ice would come out for delivery. I wonder what is behind those doors now. With a little imagination, a dead space (but one ripe with potential across from Slugger Field), could become a lively spot. I would love to have someone drop those doors open to see what is now behind them. Whatever happens, the patina of those doors and hinges needs to be retained… with some reference to the old use.
I checked on a 1922 edition Sanborn map and the structure wasn’t there, so it must have been built sometime shortly after that. It, in fact, didn’t have anything to do with the ice operation and it appears that the site was occupied by a duplex housing unit at the time, even though the area was quite industrial – especially the rail yards directly north.
My suspicion is that the building was associated with the rail somehow as it has loading docks on the east and north sides. I would guess wagons would pull up to the east facade and load/unload goods that would then be loaded/unloaded into trains waiting on the Washington Street side where there were once tracks.
Interestingly, there was once a junk yard on that block next to the ice warehouse (or I believe more accurately on the site of the modern tower). Also on the block at that time were residences, a couple lumber companies, a paper company and roofing paper factory, a meat wholesaler, and wagon sheds.