stitching the past to the future: patching the fabric of historic downtown louisvillelillian abbot agel . senior capstone project . doug pardue . spring 2011

art

architecture

historyagriculture

the future

plan

the past

family

people

the place

table of contents

past: the history of the place ... background ........................... 4... location map ......................... 4

present: a hometown... adjacent land use map .......... 6... photo inventory .................... 7... vegetation analysis ............... 10... brownfi eld analysis ............... 11... vacant buildings analysis ...... 12... vacant spaces analysis .......... 13... composite void analysis ........ 14

future: designing a legacy... social concept ....................... 16... environmental concept ......... 17... economic concept ................ 18... masterplan ........................... 19... the broad street median ....... 20... the four way stop .................. 21... the courthouse lawn ............. 21... context connections ............. 22... the green .............................. 24... pine street ............................ 25... bibliography and thanks ....... 32

Time yields landscapes with depth. The eff ect of time makes old cities captivating. The lack of the eff ect of time renders uninspiring subdivisions.

Time transformed Louisville into a place. Today, Louisville is visibly rooted in the past and shows a promising future.

past : present : future

augusta

louisville

savannah

athens

atlanta

ogeechee river

interstate 20

macon

highway 1

highway 1to maine

highway 1to miami

History is uniquely attached to the location of Louisville. As early settlers moved inland from Savannah along the swampy Ogeechee River, they chose an ideal location on a high spot above the river and named it Louisville, after France’s King Louis XVI. Louisville became Georgia’s fi rst permanent capital.

The Ogeechee River still draws people to Louisville, albeit now its user groups are “explorers” with recreational pursuits. The Ogeechee is 245 miles long and completely undammed. Boaters regularly paddle the cypress-fi lled, alligator-infested blackwater from Louisville to Savannah.

US Highway 1 boosted Louisville’s hospitality industry well into the 20th century, bringing tired travelers into the downtown business district. Before the interstate era, US 1 was the premier north-south freeway, connecting Maine to Miami.

Louisville is conveniently located an hour south of Augusta, and about two hours from Atlanta, Athens, Macon, and Savannah. Today, It’s not uncommon for Louisville residents to have jobs in these surrounding cities.

past: the history of the place

4

Louisville isn’t just a site. Louisville isn’t just a town. Louisville is a home. In Louisville, a neighbor is likely family. Kids play in the streets, just like their grandparents did sixty years ago. In Louisville, a sidewalk will take you everywhere. Grand live oak trees shade out the violent August heat. Sitting is a revered activity. Supper can be bought with an iou. Churches anchor every corner. White houses tell decadent stories of other eras. Civic buildings remind of us of our inherited values. Landscapes last forever, and history lives on.

present: a hometown

5

1/4 mi1/2 mi3/4 mi1 mi

highway 1 northto jchs

to wrensto augusta

highway 1 southto wadleyto swainsboroto 1-16

highway 24 eastto waynesboro

highway 24 westto sandersville

to grangeto fall line freeway

to midville

to keysville

markethouse

ogeechee river

rocky comfort creek

historic downtown district

rec department elds

hospital

elementary school

private school

middle school

courthouse

revolutionary war cemetery

city owned parcel-possible future park

fairgroundslyons club

armory

tra c light

major development on hwy 1 bypass

city park & playground

airport

industrial park

louisville city limitsOne tra c light and 3000 people: Louisville is truly a tiny town. But Louisville is not without services or style, as this surrounding land use map aims to describe.

The Highway 1 Bypass around the western half of town attracts industries, fast food restaurants and big box development, conveniently protecting downtown’s historic scale and character.

Most residents live in neighborhoods between downtown and the bypass, within one mile of downtown Louisville.

Louisville surpasses other towns of similar size in the services o ered, speci cally the hospital and the public education system. Under generations of good leadership, Louisville has collected many types of public park spaces.

thermo king

historic downtown study area

market house

commercial/industrial zones

community buildings and churches

designed park space

potential park space

neighborhoods

library

present: city limits

6

present: photo inventory of the place

old white houses, cypress trees in the Ogeechee River, and rural agricultural scenery

7

present: photo inventory of the site

jeff erson county courthouse broad street pine street

8

present: photo inventory of the site

fi rehouse art gallery the broad street median telling details on pine street

the markethouse the old sunday school building the west end of broad street

9

broad streetbroad street

l o u i s v i l l e : v e g e t a t i o n a n a l y s i s

Downtown Louisville’s most unique identi er is its trees. Many historic downtowns have crape myrtles and japanese maple street trees. Louisville has those too, but even better, Louisville has a remarkable live oak enveloped median. Even as a small child, I knew these trees were special--nothing else can protect you from the crushing humidity and sunshine on a hot summer day.

Pedestrian activity seems to be remarkably linked to vegetation. The blocks of Broad Street that face the live oak median have more bustle: more cars, more people, more economic activity, more shade. Georgia isn’t always hot, but it usually is. We gravitate towards the physical relief of ltered sunlight, but also, we relish the visual charac-ter. The area of Broad Street between the Pal Theatre and the 4-way stop is lacking both the real and perceived live oak atmo-sphere.

Broad Street and the impact of a tree canopy

area of concentrated energyless active block of Broad Street

live oak tree

present: vegetation and circulation analysis

10

pine street alley

broad street

seventh street

wal

nut s

tree

t

peac

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reet

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gree

n st

reet

4 way stoplivery stable

louisville: brown eldsHistory: you can try to forget, but it leaves physical artifacts for the next generation. Sometimes, we protect these tangible pieces of the past: Je erson County’s churches, the Markethouse, Willis Denny’s courthouse, etc.

Brown elds, typically toxic pieces of land used over time for various industrial processes, are classi ed as the artifacts a ecting the health and safety of citizens and the environment. The EPA has special requirements for managing these pieces of history.

Louisville is currently working with the EPA and UGA’s Fanning Institute to envision a Brown eld Redevelopment Plan to remove toxins threatening Louisville’s health, and to prescribe long term goals to rekindle each site’s contribution to the community. The Brown eld Redevelopment Plan addresses sites scattered across city limits; three of these sites fall within the scope of this project.

The 4-Way Stop marks a major threshold crossing into Louisville. In the 20th century it was used as a gas station. Gas tanks are still buried underground, but the structure was dismantled long ago. Now, the site sits empty and without a program, nor a future.

The Livery Stable has serviced many modes of transportation. At some point in history, the building stopped shoeing horses and began

lling gas tanks. More recently, the stable functioned as a hardware store. It will reopen as an auction house soon, but the EPA deems it a necessary rehabilitation site.

present: brownfi elds

11

pine street alley

broad street

seventh street

wal

nut s

tree

t

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reet

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n st

reet

louisville: vacant buildings

Louisville has quite a few vacant properties. Some of the buildings are funky, historic and in need of a new purpose. Others are sad leftovers from another Louisville era.

Either way, these buildings are not contributing to the life of downtown; they are not creating their own activity and vibrance. They do have promise, and can contribute to a recharged urban landscape.

present: vacant buildings

12

pine street alley

broad street

seventh street

wal

nut s

tree

t

peac

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reet

mul

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gree

n st

reet

city-owned parcel continues down to the river, currently without purpose or use

the revolutionary war cemetery

louisville: vacant spaces

Additionally, and arguably more importantly, one sees chunky voids in the landscape fabric of downtown Louisville. These are comparatively large sections of land in the downtown area. Currently these lots make little contribution to the overall character and kinetic energy of the downtown scene; because of their prominent location these sites hold tremendous potential energy.

This lump classi cation of vacant spaces includes super uous paved surface lots, a derelict service alley, an unappreciated historic cemetery and an undeveloped, city-owned parcel that connects downtown to Rocky Comfort Creek and the Ogeechee River.

The Pine Street Alley needs a plan. Pine Street is under used and over run with messy and reckless vines, creating a perception of an unsafe area. The community needs the alley to function as a service alley for downtown, but the space could be so much more. With increased circulation between downtown and Pine Street, public plazas and outdoor eating spaces can mix into a safe alley.

Pine Street could also weave Louisville’s loose ends into the fabric of town. Originally, “town” was intended to stretch down to the river, but neighborhoods grew in the opposite direction, following atter, higher ground. The City of Louisville already owns the parcel between downtown and the river, as well as the overlooked Revolutionary War Cemetery. This park space would lace our ancestors to future generations, reactivating historic sites (our foundation) and nally attaching our historic landscapes to our downtown.

present: vacant spaces

13

pine street alley

broad street

seventh street

wal

nut s

tree

t

peac

htre

e st

reet

mul

berr

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gree

n st

reet

4 way stoplivery stable

city-owned parcel continues down to the river, currently without purpose or use

the revolutionary war cemetery

louisville: composite void analysis

Vacant landscapes do not surround active thresholds and busy buildings. Logic suggests a reciprocal connection. This is the reason to design a fresh, modern landscape.

present: composite void analysis

14

future: designing a legacy connect the people to the place and the place to the context

15

futu

re: c

once

pt o

nesc

ale:

1”=

100’

Many ideas from the social concept carried forward to the masterplan in downtown Louisville. Downtown will never be an industrial/manufacturing area. The social scene downtown determines economic success.

16

futu

re: c

once

pt tw

osc

ale:

1”=

100’

The environmental concept encourages casual and naturalized forms. These forms do not respect the formality of historic downtown Louisville and were not included in the subsequent masterplan. However, the masterplan reaps broad ideas from the environmental concept. This concept encourages the synthesis of built and natural, bringing the themes of agriculture and natural, verdant ecosystems into downtown.

17

futu

re: c

once

pt th

ree

scal

e: 1

”=10

0’

scale: 1”=100’

The economic concept shows the most infi ll development of the three concepts. It could be a good 100 year plan, but this masterplan focuses attention on growth and development in the next 50 years.

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0’

5’ 80’

180’40’

20’

10’

future: the masterplan

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seventh street

broad street

pine street the courthouse

the markethouse

proposed passive park

preserve: identify and protect the crucial pieces of the historic landscape fabricmend: restore the void spaces in the landscape fabric to the original or intended elegance

weave: interlace a new thread or theme into the landscape fabric and plan a direction for growth

The most vibrant landscape fabrics show the element of time: past present future.

This masterplan seeks to preserve the beauty of the inherited landscape wisdom and preserve the beauty. The masterplan aims to mend the worn out or unfi nished swatches to match the historic fabric. The masterplan intends to weave a new pattern into the old fabric, the thread that will carry on to the next generation.

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mul

berr

y st

reet

broad street

the markethouse

mature oaks form the shady spine of broad street

preserve: the broad street medianPreserve the Broad Street streetscape that makes downtown Louisville unique. Keep the live oak trees and the brick plazas. The median grants Louisville charm and makes Louisville comfortable to pedestrians.

peac

htre

e st

reet

broad street

the fl owering orchard

columns frame the streetscapemend: the four way stopMend the downtown threshold. Restore the brownfi eld. Use the orchard motif to bring the idea of agriculture into town. Install columns in front of the auto shop to frame the sidewalk and mend the downtown street wall.

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preserve mend weave: the courthouse lawn

broad street

gree

n st

reet

remembrance forecourt

the courthouse

Preserve the views of Willis Denny’s architectural masterpiece. Provide space for civic gatherings and honor the memory of those who died defending freedom and democracy. Mend the lawn. Restore the historic circulation and the main axis. Gather the county’s collection of patriotic paraphernalia in a forecourt. Weave a new thread. Plan open spaces in the memorial forecourt to recognize future patriots so that our grandchildren might be honored along with our grandparents.

a sketch of the remembrance forecourt walking towards the front of the

courthouse

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mend weave: connect the town to the contextMend both the fi gurative and literal connections between the town and the rural landscape. Remove unattractive infi ll buildings to encourage circulation between Broad Street and Pine Street. The natural environment meets the town in axial plazas. Weave a sculptural lighting system along the trail to the river. This sculpture evokes the irrigation systems that delineate rural Georgia landscape. The irrigation system takes water to the crops, but this system guides people to the water. This lighting system metaphorically connects the agriculture systems that support Louisville to the town itself, while serving as a constant physical connection to our precious water resources.

a plaza connects the center of historic downtown louisville to the woods

mul

berr

y st

reet

pine street

dining terrace

alley parking

the markethouse

mulberry plaza

proposed passive park

broad street

the plaza in plan view showing the section line

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sketches of a proposed lighting system

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protect mend weave: the green

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sculpture

proposed buildings open to

a dining patio

proposed building

the historic stable

the green

mul

berr

y st

reet

broad street

+338

+341.5

+339

+340

+338.5

protect mend weave: the green

Protect and respect the livery stable and henderson auto shop. Carefully add infi ll buildings to augment the historic buildings. Mend the broken landscape. Reframe Broad Street with infi ll buildings and a strong civic space. Continue the live oak canopy to the four way stop. Encourage pedestrian traffi c and a lively downtown atmosphere. Weave public art into the landscape. a view of the proposed infi ll from the intersection of

Broad & Mulberry

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public art sparkles on pine street

+334

+324

+333

rain gardenextra parking is provided on pervious parking lots on pine street a sidewalk along the park

transports pedestrians to the courthouse

+330

a new alley takes

cars and pedestrians

to pine street the river park

+338.5protect mend weave: pine street

Protect the city’s architectural heritage and its natural environment. Use the woods as a complement to town life. Mend Pine Street. Clean up the service road. Use it for parking and deliveries. Weave reclaimed or symbolic materials into the landscape. Express the theme of rural agriculture in the downtown scene.

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protect mend weave: the courtyard on pine streetProtect the historic buildings. Remove only the storefront that is not part of the historic district. Mend the Pine Street landscape. Design programmed spaces like this courtyard to encourage people to use Pine Street. Weave purposeful ornamentation into the landscape. A gutter brings water to the rain garden in a sculpture reminiscent of fi eld irrigation systems. Reclaimed steel drums and reclaimed wainscoting live another life as planters. A cable trellis supports gelsemium and wisteria vines and accentuates the old brick walls.

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(9) MISCANTHUS SINENSIS 'ADAGIO'

(17) MUHLENBERGIA CAPILLARIS

(5) MISCANTHUS SINENSIS 'GRACILMILLUS'

(3) CEPHALANTHUS OCCIDENTALIS

(7) CHASMONANTHUS LATIFOLIUM

(12) MISCANTHUS SINENSIS 'ADAGIO'

(5) MISCANTHUS SINENSIS 'ADAGIO'

(13) WISTERIA FRUTESCENS &(12) GELSEMIUM SEMPERVIRENS,ALTERNATING

(5) CARPINUS CAROLINIANA

(1) ACER RUBRUM

(8) TRACHELOSPERMUM ASIATICUM

(5) FORSYTHIA X INTERMEDIA

(3) MYRICA CERIFERA

PINE BARK MULCH

CONTAINER ACONTAINER B

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mend weave: the courtyard planting plan scale: 1”=10’

Mend the Pine Street landscape. Shrubs and trees give defi nition and border to the previously aimless Pine Street. Alles of plants to lead people from Broad Street across Pine street into the park. Weave functional plants seamlessly into a southern plant palette. These plants are hardy survivors of Georgia summers without excessive watering. Additionally, a collection of fl owery ornamental grasses fi lter and infi ltrate stormwater falling on the roof of the Pal Theatre.

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RECLAIMED CLEAN STEEL DRUM, 2' O,APPROVED BY LAR

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weave: the courtyard details Weave thoughtful details into a functional landscape. The following details carefully consider the past and the honor future of Louisville. Details aim to warp one’s sense of time in the landscape, seamlessly blending the proposed new landscape with the historic, aged landscape. Plant containers are built with reclaimed materials. A wide gap in a cable trellis frames 100 year old bricks. The new concrete courtyard v and acid-stained so that it might develop an aged patina.

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RUNS PERP TO ARBOR POST; TOFINISH, PASS CABLE THROUGHPOST AND WRAP TO FRONT;SECURE THE ENDS WITH 3CLAMPS EVENLY SPACED OVER 8"

3" DIA. BLACK METAL TUBING

VINES SPACED E. 6' O.C. BETWEENARBOR POSTS; TRAIN VINES TOGROW HORIZONTALLY ACROSSARBOR BEFORE GROWINGVERTICALLY

POURED IN PLACE CONCRETEANCHOR BURIED MIN. 2"UNDER TOP SOIL

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BibliographyRural by Design by

Randall Arendt

Detail in Contemporary Landscape Architecture

by Virginia McLeod

Wikipedia

Friends of Historic Downtown Louisville

website

Jeff erson County Historical Society

With many thanks to the Jeff erson

County Chamber of Commerce,

and to the town that raised me.