The Largest Bird House in Old Louisville
1429 S. Third Street  Louisville, Kentucky 40208

The story of a rebirth of history

In the year 1986 Woody and Wes moved to Louisville,  Ky.

After attending a Derby party at a grand mansion in Old Louisville. Woody and Wes decided to take on their first abandoned building on South Second Street.  Keep in mind neither had ever restored a building.   One evening after much frustration, Woody decided he had no Idea what he was doing, so he decided to put up his tools and head home.

As Woody was putting up his tools, he felt a very cold draft, engulf him.  As he turned to see where the draft was coming from, he saw something that would change his life for many years to come.   On that evening Woody saw leaning in the kitchen, the figure of a man, a man in a three cornered hat, and an outfit from the 1700's. He simply tipped his hat as to say welcome.  Woody, realizing that no one but himself was in the house,  turned his head in disbelief. Woody then turned his head back around only to find the male figure he had seen was no longer there.

This figure that Woody saw that night would change not only Woody's life, but the life of the entire community.  To this day Woody still believes he saw a ghost , a ghost that would  some how change the course of history in Louisville,Ky.

After many years, Woody and Wes would be driven to take on a second building in Old Louisville.   After sitting vacant for almost a decade, and in decay. Woody and Wes began a journey that because of the ghost that Woody saw in 1986, would change the course of history in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Birth

After being vacant for almost a decade. There today is life again at this once abandoned historic structure.  Built in 1915 and used as a house, a school, an office building, then vacated.This building is again a single family dwelling. Or is it?  

As you walk into the front entrance hall, you will again enter the year 1915 and embrace a bygone era.  If you look to the left, you will see the library still intact.  The library also contains the Grand Piano from the former ballroom of the closed Henry Clay Hotel.  Next, as you turn to the right, you will enter the sitting room. The sitting room contains a period chandelier.  Behind the sitting room is the dining room, which also contains a period chandelier .

As you re-enter the hall from the dining room, you will notice a bird print.  This bird print entitled Gannet's First Winter, was printed off of the original plate of one of John James Audubon's works of art.  It was recently purchased, and was hanging in the Audubon House in Key West Florida.

As you continue back through the house , you will enter the breakfast room which contains an oval chandelier as well as some bird art.  Next you will enter the kitchen, the kitchen is new but was designed to fit in with the rest of the house.  As you re-enter the hall , and begin to go up to the second floor. You will notice a massive display of the original stain glass windows at the landing.

As you enter the hall on the second floor , you will notice many paintings of birds.  The second floor contains four bedrooms as well as two marble baths.

The third floor contains two bedrooms , a sitting room, bath and wet bar.  As you leave the third floor , and go down the back stairs, you will go down into what some call the basement. The basement has been converted into a winter garden, with a fish pond , plants, and two aviaries which contain a collection of hundreds of  finches from all over the world.

As you leave the winter garden, you will then enter the main garden which contains three fish ponds , many fountains , and another aviary.   There is also a front yard garden with statuary.   This property was featured in 1995 courier journal Home and Garden articles On Gold Fish Pond and Private Aviary Takes Wing In Old Louisville.

It was also on the Fred Wiche Show , and at one time or another on many of the news broadcast in Louisville.    This property has been visited during tours by some 6000 tourist, and has been on either a garden or house tour every year since 1995.

Today this property is still in process, and thanks to that ghost that Woody saw in 1986. the story of the Largest Bird House in Old Louisville continues.

More to come!
lots of pictures!

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