Settlement in the Jeffersonville
vicinity began about 1786 with construction of Fort Finney on
the riverfront near the present John F. Kennedy Bridge. In 1787
the stockade was renamed Fort Steuben in honor of Baron von
Steuben, the German officer who had helped General George
Washington train the Continental Army in military tactics. The
fort served as a militia post until nearly 1800. Precisely when
the settlement became known, as Jeffersonville is unclear, but
it was probably about 1801, the year in which President Thomas
Jefferson took office. That same year, Clark County was
organized and divided into three townships, one of which was
known as Jeffersonville.
In early June 1802, Jeffersonville became the county seat. The
town was formally organized later the same month when Lt. Isaac
Bowman, recipient of tract No. 1 of Clark's Grant, placed a
portion of his land in the hands of a board of trustees for
division into streets and lots. The town's name honored
President Jefferson, who had suggested a unique checkerboard
plan for the settlement at the invitation of his friend
Territorial Governor William Henry Harrison. According to
Jefferson's plan, the alternate squares were to be left open for
"trees and turf," thus providing a means to clear the air of
diseases such as yellow fever. Jefferson's plan was altered by
the addition of diagonal streets, which crossed in the open
squares. This modification, probably by attorney John Gwathmey,
chairman of the board of trustees, proved unworkable; the
streets were redesigned according to the present gridiron in
1816.
Jeffersonville remained the county seat until 1811, when county
government moved up river to Charlestown. But Jeffersonville
grew much more quickly during the mid-19th century, and in 1878
Jeffersonville again became the county seat.
A primary source of Jeffersonville's growth was the steamboat
industry. In 1819 several local investors built the United
States, a 700-ton vessel that could carry 3,000 bales of cotton.
In 1834 James Howard launched his first steamboat, the Hyperion,
at Jeffersonville. Fourteen years later, after similar ventures
in Louisville and Madison, he returned to Jeffersonville to open
the Howard Ship Yards. For nearly a century, the Howard family
turned out the finest craft on American rivers, including the
Glendy Burke, Robert E. Lee II, and Mark Twain.
Shipbuilding remains a major component in Jeffersonville's
economy. But the local economy is much broader than it was a
century ago, embracing such diverse products and services as
kitchen cabinets, statistical processing, trucking and
distribution, steel fabrication, electronic components, and a
host of other enterprises located in industrial centers such as
the Jeffersonville Industrial Park, America Place, and the Clark
Maritime Canter.
But even as the city changes with the times, it continues to
demonstrate a strong appreciation for its historic roots. The
downtown commercial and river front residential areas comprise a
local historic preservation district, which, along with an
extensive adjoining residential neighborhood, is also listed on
the National Register of Historic Places. A strong Main Street
program is helping breathe new life into the central business
district. And the city is engaged in a long-term river front
development program designed to capitalize on Jeffersonville's
historic commercial architecture and its close proximity to the
Ohio River's scenic beauty and recreational opportunities.
JEFFERSONVILLE HIGHLIGHTS
JEFFERSONVILLE HISTORIC DISTRICT:
A portion of downtown
Jeffersonville – including Spring Street south of Kentucky
Street and Riverside Drive between JeffBoat and the Kennedy
Bridge, as well as some surrounding areas – is designated as a
local historic district. Within this historic district, any
exterior alterations visible from the public right-of-way must
be reviewed and approved in advance by the Historic Preservation
Commission. The Commission is made up of seven volunteer members
who are residents of the city and have an interest or expertise
in preservation. Proposed work is evaluated based on its
consistency with City of Jeffersonville ordinance 97-OR-20 and
the design guidelines that have been adopted for the district.
Regular meetings of the Preservation Commission are held on the
second Monday of each month at 6:00pm in the Building
Commissioner’s Conference Room on the second floor and are open
to the public.
For more information about the Historic District or the
Preservation Commission, contact Commission Administrator Laura
Renwick at 812/284-4534 or south@historiclandmarks.org.
OLD JEFFERSONVILLE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
DISTRICT:
Jeffersonville's Central Business District, the
downtown river front, and several adjoining residential blocks
are notable for their eclectic assortment of middle and late
19th century architecture, which typifies a small Midwestern
river city. The central business district boasts several
distinctive Renaissance Revival commercial structures, including Schimpff's Confectionery, a century-old candy-making firm that
ships its products to a nationwide market. Several storefronts
have undergone restoration and adaptive reuse through the
efforts of the Main street program. The riverfront is marked by
well-preserved structures ranging from Federal to Victorian. The
district also includes several outstanding churches, such as the
High Victorian Gothic St. Paul's Episcopal Church and the
Spanish-style St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church.
GRISAMORE HOUSE:
Built in 1837 by brothers David and Wilson Grisamore, this outstanding two-story brick house blends
elements of both the Federal and Greek revival styles. It has
housed several notable Jeffersonville families, and William
Henry Harrison delivered a speech from the front porch during
his 1840 presidential campaign. Seriously damaged by fire in
1981, the house was rescued and restored by a group of private
citizens who founded Jeff-Clark Preservation, Inc. Listed on the
National register of Historic Places in 1983; the Historic
Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Jeffersonville Main Street
Inc., and several private businesses occupy the house today.
SCHIMPFF'S CONFECTIONERY:
Recently named one of Indiana's seven
"Hidden Treasures," Schimpff's Confectionery has been producing
fine handmade candies in Jeffersonville since 1891. Founded by
Gustav A. Schimpff, the firm has been in family ownership for
four generations. The business is located in a unique brick and
tile storefront with a tin ceiling. The building was erected
just after the Civil War; it has survived three major floods,
and markers on the front record the height of the floodwaters.
The company is famous for its fish candy, horehound drops, and
original cinnamon red hots. A traditional favorite are the
hand-dipped Modjeskas, a caramel-covered marshmallow treat named
for the famous Polish-born actress, Madame Helen Modjeska, who
performed in Louisville in 1883. More recent favorites are the
chocolate-covered caramels and pecans molded into the shape of
turtles. Lunch is served at Schimpff's old-fashioned soda
fountain.
WARDER PARK:
Part of the Old Jeffersonville National Register
District, Warder Park is located at the northeast corner of
Spring Street and Court Avenue. During the Civil War it was the
site of a bakery complex that produced hardtack for Union
soldiers. Laid out in 1887, the park honors Luther Fairfax
Warder, who served several terms as mayor during the late 19th
century and led the successful campaign to return the county
seat to Jeffersonville. The park's centerpiece is the former
Jeffersonville Public Library, a neoclassical structure
distinguished by its small but magnificent bronze dome. Built in
1903 with funds from Andrew Carnegie, it was designed by
Jeffersonville architect Arthur Loomis, who had been a partner
in the outstanding Louisville firm of Clarke & Loomis. The
building was acquired recently by Jeff-Clark Preservation, Inc.,
which plans to use it for a local history museum. Standing
immediately to the west is the former Post Office Building.
Erected shortly after the Carnegie library, this buff-brick
structure is also an excellent example of the neoclassical
style. It has been renovated recently for medical offices.
Located immediately across Spring Street from Warder Park is the
Masonic Temple, another important example of the neoclassical
style, also designed by Arthur Loomis and erected in 1926.
HOWARD STEAMBOAT MUSEUM:
This 22-room Romanesque Revival mansion
was erected during the 1890s by Edmonds J. Howard, son of James
Howard, founder of the Howard Ship Yards. Designed by Louisville
architects Max J. Drach and John Hardin Thomas and built at a
cost of $85,000, much of its excellent craftsmanship reflects
the work of company shipbuilders. The house features both
stained and leaded-glass windows, paneled rooms, and a music
room in the Moorish style complete with its original neo-Louis
XV furniture. The museum houses a fascinating collection of
navigational equipment, paddlewheels and replicas of steamboats,
among other exhibits. The Queen Anne-style carriage house and an
extensive yard enclosed by a heavy brick wall are features,
which accent the lifestyle of a wealthy Gilded Age family. The
entire structure recently underwent extensive restoration.
JEFFBOAT:
By 1940, battered by the Great Depression and the 1937
flood, the Howard Ship Yards had fallen on hard times. In 1942
the US Navy purchased the facility and several adjoining
properties and turned them over to the Jeffersonville Boat &
Machine Company, or Jeffboat, for the production of landing
craft and other warships. By the end of World War II, Jeffboat
had launched 123 LST' (Landing Ship-Tank), 26 submarine chaser,
and hundreds of other craft. After the war, Jeffboat turned to
building barges and towboats, but it also has turned out such
custom-built vessels as the luxury paddle wheeler Mississippi
Queen, Opryland's General Jackson, and the coastal cruise ship
Monterey Clipper. Today, Jeffboat, Inc. is America's largest
inland shipbuilder and one of Southern Indiana's largest
industrial employers.
QUARTERMASTER DEPOT:
Designed by Quartermaster General
Montgomery C. Meigs and first occupied in 1874, this magnificent
collection of 19th century industrial and warehouse buildings
covers foursquare blocks. The original brick structures had a
total capacity of 2.7 million cubic feet. One architectural
historian has described the complex as "functional architecture
of the highest quality." The famous landscape architect
Frederick Law Olmstead designed the original interior grounds.
The Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot, which by the end of
World War II extended for more than 10 city blocks, supplied
equipment for the armed forces until 1957. The original section
is now a commercial complex known as the Quadrangle.
Unfortunately, the structure suffered a devastating fire in
January 1993. The blaze destroyed a large portion of the
southeast corner, the remains of which have been razed.
TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL:
The most important historical landmark for
Jeffersonville's African-American community, Taylor High School
was the primary center of learning for the city's black youth
from 1891 until schools were desegregated in 1952. Located on
Wall Street and originally named City School, the institution
was renamed in 1924 for Robert Frank Taylor, who served as
principal from the school's opening until his death in 1926.
Although known as a high school, the two-story, red brick
classical structure actually served all grades. At the time of
desegregation, Taylor's longtime principal, Corden Porter, was
transferred to Jeffersonville High School as an attendance
officer and later as an English and biology teacher. The Corden
Porter Education Center is named in his honor. Meanwhile, Taylor
High School served as Wall Street Elementary School until the
1970s. For several years thereafter it housed the W. E. Wilson
Education Center, an instructional resource facility that serves
several Southern Indiana school systems.
BIG FOUR BRIDGE:
Built in the 1890s for the Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company, this span
has suffered a checkered career. Two major construction
accidents took the lives of 61 workers before the bridge was
completed in 1895. In January 1918 two interurban cars crashed,
killing three passengers and injuring twenty. Several years ago,
after a series of railroad mergers made the bridge expendable,
its approaches were removed, and today the Big Four is the
"Bridge that goes nowhere."
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK MEMORIAL BRIDGE:
Opened in 1929 as the
Municipal Bridge, this span was the first to carry highway
traffic alone between Louisville and southern Indian. Architect
Paul R. Cret and the engineering firm of Modjeski and Masters
designed the concrete and steel structure. The firm's senior
partner was Ralph Modjeska, son of Madame Helen Modjeska, for
whom Schimpff's Confectionery's Modjeska caramels are named.
Awarded the construction contract was the American Bridge
Company of Pittsburgh, which submitted the low bid of $1.2
million. The Municipal Bridge operated on a toll basis until
1946, with proceeds used to retire construction revenue bonds.
Three years later, the span was renamed the George Rogers Clark
Memorial Bridge in honor of the founder of Louisville and
Clarksville.
JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL BRIDGE: Designed by the Louisville
engineering firm of Hazelet & Erdal, this six-lane, single-deck
cantilever span links Jeffersonville and Louisville via
Interstate 65. Construction began in the spring of 1961 and was
completed in late 1963 at a cost of $10 million. The span still
unnamed when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on
November 22, 1963. Four days later, Kentucky Governor Bert T.
Combs announced bipartisan agreement among officials of both
Kentucky and Indiana that the bridge should be named in memory
of the fallen president. The bridge was dedicated and opened for
northbound traffic on December 6th. Southbound traffic started
flowing a few weeks later.
