Melodye Park

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Historical Marker #2031 commemorates Melodye Park, a former Frankfort destination. Frankfort's first public park, it was located on the west bank of the Kentucky River in South Frankfort.

Louis Horwitz developed Melodye Park with his own resources and named it for his daughter. Although the park was privately owned and operated by Horwitz, it was always open to the public at no charge.

Horwitz owned and managed Frankfort Cooperage, which supplied barrels for distilleries around Frankfort. The beauty of the Kentucky River influenced him to move to the area and inspired him to share his love of the river with others. He began buying land along the Kentucky River and spent nine years developing what became a nine-acre park. The development of the park is estimated to have cost at least $60,000. The park was an ongoing project and Horwitz employed five, full-time park employees.

The park had a variety of features including fishponds, four thousand rosebushes, boat docks, diving boards, and two Chinese pagodas where movies, concerts, and dancing were held on summer evenings. Red, white, and blue trimmings adorned the park, approximately 350 light posts illuminated the nine acres, and stone paths covered the grounds. Fountains, bathhouses, and a manmade waterfall were other attributes of the park. It is said to have drawn large numbers of visitors from Louisville, Evansville, and Cincinnati on the weekends.

After the 1937 flood, Horwitz spent an estimated $15,000 to build a flood wall encompassing his property to prevent further damage. However, the park closed in the mid-1950s due to extensive flood damage.