Thursday, February 21, 2019

Bon Air History: Who Was Farnsley Park Named After?


The Farnsley name is central in the Bon Air Neighborhood because it is the name of the park between Commander Drive and Wedgewood Road.  Not originally being from Louisville, I did not know who Farnsley was until Pat Cissell (who was one of the original home owners on Commander Drive) educated me that the park was named after a guy who had been mayor.

Well, I found out that he was indeed quite the reputable mayor who has left a legacy.  Charles Rowland Peaslee Farnsley was mayor of Louisville from 1948 to 1953.  He was chosen by his fellow members of the Board of Alderman to serve out the unexpired term of E. Leland Taylor who had died of a heart attack in February, 1948.  He finished that term and was then elected to his own four-year term in 1949.  
 
Farnsley was described by the Encyclopedia of Louisville to be a “’true eccentric” and “iconoclast.”  In addition to the black bow tie he always wore, he was known for his emphasis on quality of life issues. He promoted the expansion of the library system and the park system.

The primary legacy we have from Mayor Farnsley is the Fund for the Arts (initially named “The Louisville Fund”) to expand the Louisville art community through financial assistance to organizations such as the Louisville Orchestra.   Kirby Adams, in her column in the Courier-Journal 
on January 27, 2019 on the 70th anniversary of the Fund of the Arts said,

                Farnsley had a big idea.  He recognized that a city with a rich arts program 
                would do more than entertain.  It could bring neighborhoods together, inspire
                creativity and vibrancy in the city and in turn elevate Louisville among mid-
                sized cities in the nation.

Adams noted that Farnsley was not starting from scratch in creating the Louisville Fund because the Orchestra, the Speed Museum, and several other arts groups were already present, but it was a way that many could contribute a little and that the arts community could branch out further.

After he finished being Mayor, Farnsley ran for Congress and served one term from 1965-1967.  He otherwise stayed involved in civic matters behind the scenes after his political endeavors.  He died in 1990 and is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.

There is one statue that you may almost miss on Main Street in downtown Louisville of Farnsley.  It is a life-sized statue of him sitting on a bench with a friendly smile on his face. 



In a grand sense we are continuing the spirit of Charles Farnsley by the art development strategy in the Bon Air Neighborhood.   The development and expansion of the arts will lead to other wonderful changes that will make the Bon Air Neighborhood more vibrant and improve the quality of life.

We are climbing the ladder of development step-by-step towards the proposed stage in Farnsley Park.  We are in the process of getting estimates of what a stage would cost from a number of vendors. Then we will have an idea of how to proceed with finding the funds to build it.

We would love your membership and participation in the Bon Air Neighborhood Association.  Our current membership dues are $10.00 per year.  Our next meeting will be Monday, March 11, 2019 in the Bon Air Library Community Room at 6:30 pm.  You are welcome to join us. 

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