‘Main Street Belongs to All of Us – Saving Facades -Part 2

“This is the place of places and it is here.”
 Gertrude Stein

Once upon a time in Louisville, Ky. seven historic buildings referred to as the Whiskey Row Stabilization, located at 105-119 West Main Street were stabilized as part of a fascinating project. These buildings were built in the mid to late nineteenth century and are part of Louisville’s rich history in early bourbon and whiskey making. They were purchased by a local group of concerned citizens in order to preserve Louisville’s most important architectural heritage. The City of Louisville also played an important role to preserve these buildings thru funding and project facilitation.

After surveying the existing conditions, it was determined that 4 of the 7 building’s interiors had deteriorated and were in partial collapse. They would need to be selectively demolished. This occurred after the contractor saved historic building elements of the interior and preserved the Main Street façades. At buildings 105 and 107/109, the façade was saved after installing a 6 story steel bracing system, which was attached to the sub-basement level with augur cast piers.

The entire three buildings at 111, 113, and 115 East Main were able to be saved by rebuilding selective portions of the exterior, adding a new temporary roof, and installing temporary interior columns at key locations. Historic tin ceilings, heavy timber trim, and turn of the century molding have been saved to be incorporated in the new building use. These photos demonstrate how historic facades can be stabilized and saved, allowing construction with new purpose while maintaining the integrity of what, here in Rocky Mount, we call the downtown center core.