The three streets that comprise most of the Anvirdale Historic District — Mooreland Drive, Latham Avenue and Alumni Avenue — are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Prior to the start of the neighborhood’s development, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area was farmland and woods and sat just outside the city limits of Hopkinsville.
Development of the neighborhood occurred over a few decades. It was one of the first areas of Hopkinsville where the automobile became a factor in the development.
Here’s a description of the development written in the nomination that placed the district on the National Register of Historic Places:
“The Crenshaw Addition in 1900 resulted in the platting of property along Alumni Avenue. Alumni Avenue was laid out in an east-west direction between S. Main Street and S. Virginia Street.
“The 1913 Sanborn map of the city shows twelve dwellings located along both sides of the street and construction of additional dwellings continued into the 1920s. The building boom of the period resulted in the platting of the John B. Trice Subdivision and the creation of Latham Avenue in 1916. Latham Avenue was designed to curve northwest from Main Street east and northeast to connect with Alumni Avenue. A number of homes were constructed along Latham Avenue by the early 1920s.
“The layout of both subdivisions reflected the growing popularity of the automobile. Rear alleys to accommodate horses and stables were omitted from the subdivisions and lots were laid out with at least 50′ widths to provide driveways directly from the street.
”One of the first developers, John Trice, created the name Anvirdale after a daughter, Annie Virginia.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
