Clifton Preservation District
About the District
The Clifton Preservation District was designated in 2003. It is a compact and cohesive neighborhood that effectively displays the evolution of the area from a sparsely populated rural community to a densely settled urban Louisville neighborhood. Residential structures are by far the more prevalent of the District’s building types. However, there are many commercial and industrial buildings, primarily located along major transportation routes, including Frankfort Avenue, Brownsboro Road, Payne Street, and the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad (now CSX). The old Louisville and Shelbyville Turnpike road (now Frankfort Avenue) was laid out between 1818 and 1830. It runs along a ridge top, forms the spine of the District, and has served until the present as a conduit for a commercial and residential mix of buildings. Payne Street is south of Frankfort Avenue and runs parallel to it. Historically it was the least travelled road of the District’s east/west arteries, and it has always been primarily residential in character.
District Boundaries
The District is located in eastern Louisville, and is composed of approximately 423 acres of land bounded by Brownsboro Road to the north, Interstate 64 to the south, Ewing Avenue to the east and Mellwood Avenue to the west.
To determine if a specific property is within the District, please use the LOJIC online mapping tool.
Certificate of Appropriateness
All development proposals within the District are required to comply with approved Guidelines. If a required, a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) may be approved by staff or the Cherokee Triangle Architectural Review Committee (ARC). Within the Office of Planning, the Urban Design Team administers and manages this design and architectural review process.
District Design Guidelines
Applications are reviewed in accordance with approved Guidelines. Based on the United States Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, the Guidelines are the distinctive characteristics and the statement of specific principles and standards governing exterior alterations to structures or sites.
The Guidelines address construction and other exterior changes to buildings and properties. All development proposals shall be reviewed for compliance with applicable Guidelines. The Guidelines may be updated or amended from time to time upon a recommendation of the Historic Landmarks & Preservation Districts Commission and with the approval of the Metro Council.
Questions about the District?
Please contact staff at (502)574-6230.
