The Brown Hotel is one of the most famous attractions in Louisville, Kentucky. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel has become a Louisville landmark thanks to the way it has been able to blend Georgian-Revival elegance with timeless Southern charm. The architecture and amenities of the hotel have made it famous, but the sculpture of owner J. Graham Brown that resides out front has personalized the legacy that it represents to enable especially powerful connections for both hotel guests and Louisville residents.
Graham Brown and Woozem
Opened in 1923, the Brown Hotel was funded and owned by J. Graham Brown, a local entrepreneur who had moved to Kentucky in 1903. The Brown Hotel along with the other hotels and office buildings that he constructed changed the city’s business life and skyline. Residing on the 15th floor in the Penthouse, Brown had a reputation for having a gruff demeanor but his inner humor and generosity were evident, as the bulk of the estate was given to a charitable foundation that bore his name when he died in 1969.
A statue of Brown and his dog Woozem was installed outside the hotel in 2007, not long after the Brown Hotel was restored to its former glory after years of misuse. Artist Raymond Graf used actual photos to create a life-sized bronze statue of Brown, complete with 1940s felt hat, business suit and the dog that he adopted and lavished it with actual silver spoons.
Visitors pose with the statue while residents are focused on the urban legends that mention the presence that Brown and Woozem still have at the location. This popularity has fueled interest and activity in the Brown Hotel gift shop, which has opened up a whole new revenue stream for stakeholders.
Helping to reposition the Brown Hotel for a new audience and era while also defining nearby Theater Square, the Statue of J. Graham Brown is a simple but powerful monument. It connects audiences to the people and history that have made the site a Louisville landmark, defining a notable economic and cultural impact that can be seen across the location and beyond.
Personalizing a Legacy
Countless buildings and institutions have the history and legacy to make them landmarks, but the Statue of J. Graham Brown highlights what it can look like to personalize these otherwise faceless attractions. Placed at street level, the piece allows audiences to identify with the Brown Hotel in a way that would otherwise be impossible, personalizing a legacy that will continue to evolve and make a positive impact on audiences and stakeholders.
