Building of Fincastle Heights Mutual Ownership Corporation

​

The US Government retained a portion of the land of Camp Zachary Taylor, originally a drill ground, and used it to develop defense housing during World War II.

Fincastle Heights was a $1,000,000 government-owned housing project in the Camp Taylor area, built in 1941. The developer, the Federal Works Agency, awarded Samuel Plato, an African American Louisville architect, a $300,000 contract to build eighty-eight of the 250 units. The housing was open to any worker in a defense industry or Army and Navy civilian workers, along with families of soldiers at Bowman Field. In January 1946, the Government began proceedings to sell the housing project, as it divested itself of defense housing project ownership.

​

Filson Club - 2016

 

Newspaper Stories about

Fincastle Heights Mutual Ownership Corporation

​

The Fincastle Clinic and Health Center

​

This Health Center is the outgrowth of negotiations begun at the very inception of the Fincastle Housing Project.  When it first became known that the Federal authorities concerned were about to erect this Defense Housing Village, request was made for accommodations for a clinic where public health facilities could be made available to both defense workers to be housed, as well as tp persons in the adjoining community.

The response from the Federal agencies was prompt and cordial.

A building was set aside and fitted up for a complete clinic.

The response of the community has been interesting.

Since the opening of the clinic in June, 1942, nearly 5,000 persons have come through the various departments, and have given some form of Public Health Service.

Because of the limited personnel available, a physician cannot be resident continuously in the center, but Public Health Nurses are present every day in the week except Saturdays and Sundays.  The nurses' hours are from one to three o'clock on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

In addition, clinics are held for prenatal cases on Tuesdays and Child Health Conferences on Friday from 9 to 11:30, and a special clinic on Wednesday evenings, at all of which clinics both doctors and nurses are present.

Arrangements are made to give immunization services for prevention of diphtheria, whooping cough, and typhoid fever, and to vaccinate against small pox, in cooperation with the doctors in the community, but the clinic cannot furnish medical services to private cases of illness in the homes.

With the opening of the Recreational Center, space has been given for the clinic and Health Center adjourning the Administration Building.  With this new location opening, the unit heretofore occupied will be turned back to the Federal Agencies.

In these new quarters more room is available and space added to give growing room to this clinic that has clearly demonstrated its usefulness and the need of such an agency.

​

Dr. John D. Trawick

Clinic Physician

June 4,1942

​

The Story of Fincastle Heights Mutual Ownership Corporation

​

Good housing in pleasant surroundings, with facilities for well rounded living – such is the dream of the future, fulfilled in present for 250 families of war workers who live in Fincastle Heights.

Here, just outside southwest Louisville, in a pastoral setting of wooded hills, is a modern suburban community covering an area of 47.21 acres.

 

The project, sponsored by the Federal Public Housing Authority, was built in 1941, on an old drill ground in Camp Taylor. Plans for the dwellings were prepared in Washington and details handled by Louisville architect, E.T. Hutchings (later to be found out that Samuel Plato was the first architect, as stated above). The buildings are located on the west side of Poplar Level between Indiana Avenue and extension of Trevilian Way. Plans designated units of two, four

and six apartments, of frame construction with deep siding and concrete block foundations.

The housing project was given the name applied to Kentucky when it was as Fincastle County, Virginia.

Fincastle Heights has an atmosphere of refreshing newness, apparent in the broad expanses of well-kept lawn and freshly painted dwellings. Interiors are decorated attractively by tenants, who appreciate the smoke-free air and efficiency of automatic gas heat. They appreciate, too, in a day of crowding, that here is room for everyone. One, two and three bedroom apartments accommodate small or large families. Most of the units are two story, with living-room, kitchen and utility room downstairs, bedrooms and bath upstairs. Rooms are well-lighted and ventilated. Apartments side by side in a building, each separated from the other, have advantages of privacy as well as ample yard space for each family. Kitchens are equipped with electric refrigerators and modern gas stoves.

Automatic gas water heaters assure abundant supply of hot water at all times.

Fincastle has avoided rat problems through the use of sunken garbage cans with heavy, self- closing lids.

Fincastle Children are literally given their rightful place in the sun. There are six large play areas throughout the project, in addition to a separate equipped playground and a large soft-ball diamond, volley ball court, basketball court, badminton court and other athletic equipment. The Fincastle Health Center offers, among other services, weekly well child conference and prenatal clinic.

The Fincastle Day Nursery provides excellent care for children of working mothers. Educational facilities are present in three schools located in the surrounding Camp Taylor area. Two school busses provide transportation. Five churches of different denominations sound a call to worship as one chooses.

Fincastle Park, adjoining the administration area, is an ideal picnic ground shaded by many trees and furnished with tables, benches and brick oven.

Around the new community building, now opening, will revolve a host of recreational, educational and war service activities in which all residents will be invited to participate. Abundant garden space has already prompted a community-wide program for planting.

The bus lines serving Fincastle Heights furnish transportation to the downtown area and all parts of Louisville. However, the project might be considered self-sufficient, since several grocery stores, drug stores, beauty shops, ten-cent stores and other place of business are located nearby.

Fincastle Heights pays to Jefferson County each year $5300.00 payment in lieu of taxes. Approximately fifty percent of this amount goes to the support of County Public Schools.

 

The Community Building

 

The community building is more than a play center for residents, it is the nucleus of community organization, the birthplace of community spirit. Within it’s walls, all may know the satisfaction of good companionship and the healthful relaxation of well-chosen activities. Long before the foundation was laid, many residents began planning for future use of the building. They talked of social clubs, interest groups, educational classes and war service activities. Today, with the

building completed, these dreams may soon materialize into such groups as the following: women’s club, men’s club, teen-age club, camera club, garden club, woodworking class, sketch club, Spanish class, town-meeting, girl scout troop, Red Cross classes and Russian War Relief.

Plans for the community building were drawn by Edward G. Conrad, Cleveland architect. The Pearson Construction Company of Louisville began work on November 28, 1943, under the supervision of John W. Graham, Government project engineer for the National Housing Agency. John G. McGonnell was the Government inspector.

The structure, located in the administration area, will permanently house a day nursery and library. In addition, there is a reading room, a lounge, an equipped kitchen and an auditorium with portable stage. To make the pleasure potentialities even greater, tenants are offered new equipment, including a piano, a radio phonograph combination, a screen and a 35 mm projector.

A tenant council, soon to be elected, will manage the building.

 

Fincastle Day Nursery

 

In these days of working mothers, care of pre-school children has assumed a place of first importance. At the project, mothers depend with confidence on the Fincastle Day Nursery, which has been called “one of the most advanced in the south”. Here is not merely a place to “park” the children, but homelike school where sympathetic instructors promote their development by means of purposeful play. The teachers are specialist in the care of the child during the first years, when the whole pattern of his life is formed. Assisting her on the staff is Mrs. Mary Reeder. Attendants are Mrs. H.M. Ball and Mrs. A.H. Bryant. Mrs. Lula Simms, cook, prepares tempting healthful meals.

The Fincastle Day Nursery was established under the Lanham Act in June, 1943. Formerly occupying two apartments in the project, it has now moved into larger quarters in the community building. An attendance of approximately forty is expected to rise to almost sixty and at least one

additional teacher will be hired. Children will play in a large fenced area near the building. They are certain to find nursery school more delightful than ever with exciting new equipment.

The Fincastle Day Nursery is under the direct supervision of the Jefferson County Board of Education and the Louisville and Jefferson County Board of Health. The charge for the service is three dollars for six days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

Ruth Kelly – 1943