- Galt House
The Galt House is a 25-story, 1300-room
hotel inLouisville, Kentucky . The original hotel was erected in 1837. The current Galt House is presently the city's only hotel on theOhio River . Many noted people have stayed at the Galt House, includingJefferson Davis ,Charles Dickens ,Abraham Lincoln andUlysses S. Grant .Fact|date=September 2007A $60 million renovation of the complex has been completed, which consists of extensively renovated east and west towers connected across Fourth Street with a new $4 million conservatory. The 10,000-square-foot conservatory is three stories in height and enclosed by steel and glass. It features a cafe, a cocktail lounge and gathering area, an
aviary andgreenhouse space on one level with large trees andfoliage . It offers views ofdowntown Louisville and theOhio River . Furthermore a newly constructed pedestrian bridge crossing Main Street connects the Galt House and Riverfront Plaza Towers with the rest of the Downtown Louisville skybridge system.The Galt House is home to the command center for
Thunder Over Louisville , the nation's largestfireworks show, held annually as the kickoff event for theKentucky Derby Festival . It also hosts the Kentucky State Governor's Cup competition every year.History
The Galt House was, in the early 1800s, the residence of Dr. W.C. Galt. The house was located at the corner of Second and Main Street.
In 1834, the first instance of the Galt House as a
hotel was established and in 1835 was opened as a 60-room hotel on the northeast corner of Second and Main streets in Louisville. During the nineteenth century, The Galt House was acclaimed as Louisville's best hotel.During the Civil War, the Galt House was utilized for meetings of Union generals. In September 1862, it was the scene of an unusual murder, when General
Jefferson C. Davis (not to be confused with Confederate PresidentJefferson Davis ) shot Union GeneralWilliam "Bull" Nelson after a dispute. In March 1864, GeneralsUlysses S. Grant andWilliam Tecumseh Sherman met at the Galt House to plan the invasion that led to the successful capture of Atlanta, Georgia andSherman's March to the Sea . What was to be the first Galt House burned down in 1865.Four years later, in 1869, a larger Galt House was established on the corner of First and Main streets. Known as being the center of Louisville's social community during this time, the hotel subsequently fell on hard times in the next 50 years and was closed in 1919 due to financial difficulties. Soon after, in 1921, the building was demolished.
Almost half a century later, in 1973, the Galt House was reestablished by developer Al Schneider as part of Louisville's Riverfront Urban Renewal Project. An east tower was added in 1984, and the hotel has become the largest hotel in
Kentucky .References
* [http://www.nfb.org/bm/bm02/bm0204/Bm020408.htm Making History in Louisville]
* [http://www.lanereport.com/lanereport/issues/january00/f-hotels.html The Lane Report - Tourism, January 2000]ee also
*
Brown Hotel
*History of Louisville, Kentucky
*List of attractions and events in Louisville, Kentucky
*Louisville in the American Civil War
*Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere
*Seelbach Hotel External links
* [http://www.galthouse.com/ Galt House web site]
* [http://louisville.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/louisville/content/story.html?story_id=954344/ Article about the renovation of the hotel that the Schneider Family undertook]
* [http://www.courier-journal.com/html/derby2005/derbymag/hotel_reborn.htm/ More about the renovation]
* [http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-993549-the_galt_house_hotel_suites-i/ What yahoo has to say about the hotel. A little outdated since reviews were before the $80 million renovations]
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