Haunted Louisville

Louisville author, David Dominé, has announced the publication of his much-awaited book, GHOSTS OF OLD LOUISVILLE: True Tales of Hauntings from America’s Largest Victorian Neighborhood, (2005) by McClanahan Publishing House, Inc. Ghost story enthusiasts and history buffs alike will swoon over this collection of authentically scary tales that is set in one of the country’s best kept secrets: Old Louisville. In this book that will soon hit the shelves, Dominé guides us on a masterful journey through the haunted streets and scenic alleyways of the largest Victorian neighborhood in the nation, offering readers tantalizing glimpses of an elegant past while opening the doors to the imposing turn-of-the-century mansions that dot this acclaimed national preservation district, his own 1895 Chateauesque mansion included!

While taking his audience on a literary stroll through the graceful parlors and secret rooms of these architectural gems, Dominé sets the stage for true stories that will send pleasant chills down your spine – or at least give you goose bumps! He includes first-hand accounts of strange, otherworldly happenings behind these fortress-like walls, along with historical tidbits, attractive illustrations and tantalizing photographs of these Victorian gems. This is the first in a four-book series that will document the lost legends and true stories of what many are starting to call the most haunted neighborhood in the USA . In conjunction with the newly opened Visitor’s Center in Historic Old Louisville (http://www.oldlouisville.net/vc/), Dominé will also share his haunted neighborhood with both locals and out-of-town visitors on guided tours through this forgotten gem.

Dominé, food critic and restaurant reviewer for Kentucky Monthly magazine, has also completed a cookbook he hopes to publish soon entitled FROM SOUP TO NUTS: Eating Well in America’s Largest Victorian Neighborhood. This collection of tested and modified recipes from the 1870s to the early 1900s derives from the families and households that called Old Louisville home during the Victorian Era and will highlight the culinary celebrations of the Louisville calendar with well-planned menus that include everything from soup to nuts and more, including local anecdotes and Kentucky history as well as the best in state produce and artisan foods. Dominé says his recent book endeavors “reflect a growing desire to capitalize on Old Louisville’s claim to fame as the Largest Victorian Neighborhood in the USA ” and at the same time he hopes to “showcase the unique character and hidden charms of this largely undiscovered neighborhood with the rest of the country … and the state.” Many believe that Old Louisville will soon join the ranks with other neighborhoods such as those in New Orleans , Charleston and Savannah that have become travel destinations in their own rite due to the abundance of historical charm and fascinating architecture.

Did you know, for example, that the lost spirit of a young woman in white still waits for her betrothed on the steps of the majestic First Church of Christ, Scientist? Even though she died almost 90 years ago? Have you heard that a young boy supposedly wanders the quiet spaces of Fountain Court ? His ghost, that is, since legend has it the boy died in a 1912 fire at the elegant St. James Flats. Has anyone told you about the menacing tree that used to stand at the center of Floral Terrace? Rumor has it, it served as a lynching tree for many years and some unfortunate victims haven’t quite forgotten yet … In the late 1880s a young maid was attacked and killed by two thugs in her employer’s house on Brook Street . Did you know locals still claim to see her spirit walking to and from work – although the house was torn down years ago? These are just some of the fascinating tales that await readers who pick up Dominé’s absorbing collection of haunted tales from the largest Victorian neighborhood in the nation, so get it now. Happy Hauntings!

(ISBN 0-913383-91-0) Contact the author at 502/718-2764 or davidram13@iglou.com or ddomine@bellarmine.edu .

Mr. David Andrews (dandandrews40@yahoo.com) or
Contact: McClanahan Publishing House, Inc.
1.800.544.5969 or http://www.kybooks.com/