Historical Survey Report 1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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and attract the customers which the automobile had helped to bring to the town, several buildings added modern wood siding to capture an appearance of rustic "handbuilt" qualities which had gained popularity during the sixties and seventies. Sunbelt Realty, the Black Diamond Saloon, and the Huntsmith Sporting Goods are examples of this recent addition. Ironically, the desire to make the struc- tures rustic, contradicted the original design intent to create a more refined commercial architecture; (especially the elaborate cornice of the Stoiber Store, now Sunbelt Realty). Louisville projects an image of diversity today because of the multiplicity of factors which have shaped it. From subsidence to strikes, from frame to stucco, what is distinctly "Louisville" is tied to its historical evolution. Even the unevenness of build- ing scale, set -back and rhythm on any given block, has its histor- ical parallel in the earliest days of construction, as an examina- tion of the photographic record and insurance maps will demonstrate. Louisville's "fingerprint" is uniquely its own, and any serious consideration for future development should explore the facets of the legacy that have been passed down. Hopefully then, a harm$ious blend of old and new can be achieved.