Knights of Pythias Temple (Louisville, KY)

Two African American Knights of Pythias lodges are listed in the 1893 Louisville City Directory.

The Temple at 928-932 West Chestnut Street, built in 1914-1915 at a cost of $130,000, served as the Knights' headquarters and housed a drugstore, movie theater, restaurant, offices, and hotel rooms for men. The ballroom on the sixth floor and the garden on the roof were used for parties and dances.

In 1925, 25,000  attendees came to Louisville for the National Pythian Convention. In 1953, the building was sold to the Chestnut Street YMCA. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Still in use today, it is located across the street from the Western Branch Library. The building also has a Kentucky Historical Marker (#1662).

For more see marker #1662 in the searchable  Kentucky Historical Marker Database;Talbot, Tim, "Knights of Pythias Temple" at the ExploreKYHistory website;  and Black Heritage Sites: an African American Odyssey and Finder's Guide, by N. C. Curtis.