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Profile of Germantown in Louisville

By Jessica Elliott, About.com

(c) 2008 Jessica Elliott

Germantown in Louisville has traditionally been known as a blue-collar neighborhood inhabited by generations of families that don’t move away. However, Germantown is currently growing due to the high local interest in living closer to the Highlands and Old Louisville. Germantown is often a less expensive option as far as cost of living is concerned, and many individuals have used that as an excuse to adopt Germantown as their home.

Germantown History

Germantown was originally settled by German immigrants in the mid 1800s. The German settlers built large Catholic churches and then settled around them in Louisville areas such as Germantown, Butchertown, and the Phoenix Hill neighborhood. By the Civil War, so many immigrants had moved to the area that they covered the neighborhood with shotgun houses. Today, Germantown is still covered in shotgun and camelback houses, and many descendants of its early settlers still call the neighborhood home.

Germantown Boundaries

Germantown’s boundaries are Barrett Avenue in the north, Eastern Parkway in the east, and the South Fork of Beargrass Creek in the south and west.

Germantown Demographics

(c) 2008 Michael Maupin

Germantown has a population of nearly 4,000. This is a Caucasian-dominant population, with 93% of the residents listed as Caucasian, 4% as African American, less than 1% as Hispanic, and less than 2% as other. However, the demographics of Germantown are rapidly changing due to interest in the neighborhood that has resulted from its close proximity to the Highlands. Most of Germantown’s current residents are college students, young couples and singles, and long-time neighborhood residents.

Apartments and Real Estate

Germantown Attractions

(c) 2008 Jessica Elliott
  • St. Therese Catholic Church – Located at 1010 Schiller Avenue, St. Therese is one of the original Catholic churches built by Germantown’s settlers. It’s gorgeous architecture and placement on the National Register of Historic Places makes it one of Germantown’s most prized attractions.

  • Schnitzelburg World Dainty Championship – Dainty is an old German game that is played with a stick. A player uses a handheld stick to force another stick jump off of the ground, and then hits the airborne stick like a baseball with the stick in their hand. The person who hits their stick the farthest wins. Each July, the Schnitzelburg World Dainty Championship is held in front of Hauck’s Market in Germantown.

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