Secrets of Old Louisville
Book Summary
What scandal rocked Louisville, Kentucky, during Christmas 1900?
Where was one of the city's most popular speakeasies?
What was the worst thing ever done to Louisville's St. James Court fountain?
Why is St. James Court's famous "Pink Palace" painted pink?
Paperback
7 x 10 inches
208 pages
ISBN 978-1-941953-54-9
Pub date: September 2018
More books have been written about Old Louisville than any other neighborhood in Kentucky. Its stunning architecture annually draws thousands of visitors. But few have explored its human stories, its more colorful residents, its notorious scandals and murders, hidden treasures, forgotten lore. The lives of the people who have made it their home have often been obscured by its imposing facades and massive doors.
In Secrets of Old Louisville, David Williams has uncovered a wealth of stories no other book has explored. Along the way, he punctures a few urban legends that until now have been taken for granted.
Secrets of Old Louisville answers questions no other book has posed. Filled with historic and contemporary photographs, it is a colorful look at what makes Old Louisville one of the most fascinating neighborhoods in the country.
About the Author
David Williams has had an abiding interest in history and the written word almost since birth. He was born and raised in Louisville and graduated from St. Xavier High School, locally known as St. X, where he was an editor of the school newspaper. After graduating in 1968 from Xavier University in Cincinnati with a major in history and a minor in English, he spent three years in the US military in Germany, where he was able to indulge his love of history.
Since 1980, he's researched histories of numerous old homes in the Louisville area, including many in Old Louisville. His publications about these homes are now housed at the Filson Historical Society and the University of Louisville Archives. Williams has written for several publications, including MainStreet, a 1980s' alternative publication; The Advocate; and The Letter. He served as editor of The Letter from 1994 to 2003 and became its publisher in 1997.
Since 2014, he's been employed by the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council, where he developed a newsletter that features a weekly quiz on the history of Old Louisville. He also serves as a volunteer for various neighborhood events.
In 1982, he founded the Williams-Nichols Collection, now housed at the University of Louisville. It's one of the largest LGBT archives and libraries in the country.
He lives with his husband, Aaron Bingham, and their three cats, Patrick, Tabitha, and Thomas Purrkins, in an Old Louisville house built in 1895.
