Books by steve wiser: scroll down to view all books

---

Louisville Sites to See by DESIGN is an all-in-one reference to maximize your enjoyment of this community’s aesthetic and cultural assets. Whether you have only one-hour, one-day, one-week, or longer, this book will enhance the value and increase your experience of this unique and remarkable city. Art, parks, and landmarks are listed in this informative, easy-to-read guide. Architecture, history, and places to dine are among the many desired destinations profiled. 

Cost: $20 includes tax and shipping & handling

 'Do You Believe in Ghosts?' Almost half of the population thinks some unexplained 'spooky' things do happen. To explore this phenomena in Louisville, local architect and historian Steve Wiser has authored this book on some of the best known ghost-related occurrences in the metro region. And, he not only features the ghosts that haunt these places, but also the history behind these locations. So, even though you might not believe in ghosts, you will still enjoy learning about all the fascinating heritage of Louisville. This book is informative on both the known - and unknown - history of Louisville!

Cost: $15 includes tax and shipping & handling

Louisville has many artistic and aesthetically-innovative residences. But, they are scattered throughout the metro region.  Steve has researched and documented these fascinating homes, along with beautiful photographs by Dan Madryga.  If you like fascinating architecture and Louisville as a place to live, then you'll love this book! 

Cost: $20 includes tax and shipping & handling

Louisville has many distinctive houses that make the city a great place in which to live. However, behind some of these distinctive houses are other houses that also are fascinating places to live. These smaller structures though housed both humans and animals. Known as 'carriage houses', these utilitarian residences were where the servants lived who supported the 'main house', along with the carriages and horses. Now, in 2016, these functions are long since gone by the wayside, and new functions like offices, inns, and single family houses have take their place.  Steve Wiser and Dan Madryga have documented these interesting architectural gems in this book. It is a combination of history of a bygone era and new modern design. 

Cost: $20 includes tax and shipping & handling

Historic Houses of Louisville features forty-five of the region’s most noted residential dwellings such as Oxmoor House, Zachary Taylor House, Soldier’s Retreat, Culbertson Mansion, George Rogers Clark’s cabin, Farmington, Locust Grove, among many other distinguished homes. It not only details the fine design of these structures, but also the individuals and events connected to Louisville’s growth and development. From beginning to end, this book tells the history of Louisville through these 45 houses. Louisville always rates very high nationally as a great place to live, and these houses form the foundation for this quality of life. 

Cost: Book is currently out of print. It is scheduled to be reprinted during the Fall of 2019

 In 2008, Louisville, Kentucky, was recognized as the ‘Most Livable Big City in America’ by the U. S. Conference of Mayors. Louisville has always scored high on ‘livability’ rankings. There is not one specific reason for this remarkable quality of life recognition. Louisville has many desirable attributes that make it a great place to live. When viewed as an overall aesthetic composition, Louisville resembles a ‘tapestry’ where its people and places are the ‘colorful threads’ which are integrally woven into an attractive, vibrant fabric, or ‘quality of life’. But, how did all of these unique and distinctive components coalesce into this tapestry known as ‘Louisville, Kentucky’? There certainly is not one clear identifiable explanation that one can pinpoint of how this city has evolved into this ‘most livable’ result. “Louisville Tapestry” is a behind-the-scenes look at this city’s most well-known places and people that have contributed to this Best-Place-to-Live outcome. 

Cost: $15 includes tax and shipping & handling

‘Distinctive Houses of Louisville’ features notable residences in metro Louisville that range in style from historic to modern, and in age from 1837 to 2011. There are thirty-two (32) houses included, such as the Conrad Caldwell House on St. James Court, Greystone Gables in New Albany, and Colonial Hall near Cherokee Park. 

Cost: this book is out of print and will not be printed. It is now a 'rare' book.

“St. Frances of Rome Parish Community: An Illustrated History” features the St. Frances of Rome Parish, which was founded in 1887, as well as a history of the surrounding Clifton neighborhood. Included are chapters regarding the Catholic Church in Kentucky, parish school, and the church artwork. 

Cost: $24.95; does NOT include tax or shipping / handling

This is a 2008 reprint of the “Catalogue of the First Exhibition 1912” . The original book, printed in 1912, contains numerous photos of Louisville buildings, of which many are now iconic landmarks. This is a very valuable resource book. Only a few copies remain and once sold, this book will not be reprinted again. 

Cost: $25 includes tax and shipping & handling