Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Type
Senior Living
Client
Douglass Boulevard Christian Church
Size
15,600 sq ft

This historic home was given a new mission.


Built in 1836 by Starks Fielding, the house was among the first 1,000 brick homes in the region and its 200-acre property originally included Big Rock in Cherokee Park. The property was acquired by George Douglass after the Civil War, whose daughter later donated acreage and Big Rock to Cherokee Park. For 10 years beginning in 1939, Rugby University School operated at the site.

Broadway Christian Church, later Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, acquired a large part of the original tract in 1936 and built their current place of worship at 2005 Douglass Boulevard in 1940. In 1949, the church rededicated the historic home as Briney Hall. It was in continuous use until 2005.

To convert the home and provide 11 low income senior apartments, the $3.1M adaptive reuse project carefully renovated the interior as well as created new elevator and stair exterior elements. The project met the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Preservation which allowed it to qualify for historic investment tax credits. Additionally, the grounds serve as the Douglass Loop Farmers Market.