Welcome Back to the Neighborhood!

The Trott-Downer Cabins (the “Cabins”) are two small historic cottages that the City of Louisville acquired in order to preserve them and to feature them as a cultural attraction for residents, tourists, and school classes.

They were constructed at 801 and 809 Lee Ave. between 1935 and 1940 as part of a complex of several rental cabins. Thanks to the funding from the Historic Preservation Fund, the City moved and temporarily stored the Cabins in 2018 and relocated the Cabins in March 2022 to the southwest corner of Miners Field, close to their original location.   

Brief History

Benjamin Emmit Trott (1894-1972) and Laura Trott (1898-1986) constructed the Cabins and as many as six other modest cottages between 1935 and 1940 as a way to bring in additional income from renting them. At that time, the most likely renters were coal miners, but the mining industry was winding down in the 1940s. Marjorie Downer (1898-1985) then purchased the cottage complex on Lee Ave. in 1947 and managed the rental cabins while living on site herself. It is believed that she rented out the cabins in the complex even into the 1960s. These two Cabins are representative of Louisville’s robust short-term housing market, which provided income to many residents and provided inexpensive, modest housing to others. 

Preserving Architecture

Like many houses and rented structures in Louisville at the time, the Cabins were small, at 203 square feet (Cabin 1) and 222 square feet (Cabin 2). The architecture is vernacular and, according to the contractor working on restoring them the construction involved the use of an unusually large number of nails. The exterior walls are made of unpainted vertical half-logs. Each Cabin consists of one front kitchen/living room and one back bedroom. They were not expanded and they retain their original appearance, apart from deterioration, and a high level of integrity. 

For more history on the cabins, read the 2017 Historical Report on the Cabins at 825 Lee, by Bridget Bacon, Museum Coordinator, written for the City of Louisville. 

Looking Forward

The Trott-Downer Cabins are unique cultural assets that, against the odds, have not only survived but have retained historical and architectural integrity. They give insights into a past way of life in Louisville. They represent modest living, the entrepreneurial spirit of the Trott family and Marjorie Downer, Louisville’s rental economy, and an experience of the mid-1900s that is a contrast to the prevailing images of what life was like for many Americans at that time.

Pictured (right): Cabins in storage before relocation to Miners Field.

Below: Watch one of the Cabins being lifted from its original site on its way to temporary storage in 2018.

Timeline and Impacts

• 2017 - Cabins are donated to City of Louisville 
• 2018 - Cabins are moved from Lee Avenue to offsite storage
• 2019 - Citizen input and work of Planning Department, Historic Preservation Commission and Museum determine relocation to Lee Avenue/Miners Field. Trott-Downer Cabins designated as Historic Landmarks in November 2019
• 2020 - City contracts with Wattle & Daub Contractors and Stewart Architecture for relocation and rehabilitation of Cabins
• 2021 - Site near Miners Field prepared
  • Letter to neighborhood residents - July 2021
• 2022 - Cabins being moved to site near Miners Field

Relocation Site Plan:

Once they are rehabilitated and ready for public access, the Cabins will be open for special tours and programs led by the Museum staff. Visitor impacts to the Miners Field neighborhood are expected to be minimal and activities will be planned in consideration of other events and games at Miners Field.

Who's Involved?

City departments, divisions, and citizen commissions are working together to make this project a success.