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Albert Entwistle, Sr.
was the owner and proprietor of this location from its inception
in 1959--he actually chose the site because it was to have "high
visibility from the (then) future Watterson Expressway overpass."
The Motor Lodge was demolished
December, 2001 and replaced with a Babies R Us. While it lost
its HJ status in 1991 to become a Days Inn, the restaurant building
was converted into an Outback Steakhouse and it still stands
in remodeled form.
The wonderful sign seen
above, was acquired by antiques dealer Joe Ley when the property
was converted in 1991--I wonder what has become of it?
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Even at the end of its
existence, those who gazed upon the Motor Lodge grounds remarked
on how beautiful the property was and bemoaned that what people
call progress entails "tearing everything down and starting
over again."
The location was originally
constructed in 1959 at a cost of $750,000 by Dahlem Construction
Company. The entire site encompassed 4 1/2 landscaped acres with
a pool and playground. It's last owner Mr. Entwistle, Jr. remarked
that people didn't know how pleasant and quiet it was. His father,
Entwistle, Sr., who died in 1992 at 89 was a founder of the Louisville
Convention and Visitors Bureau, and opened his first HoJo's Restaurant
in 1952 at Eastern Parkway and Preston Street. He and his family
also ran several other Howard Johnson's in Louisville as well
as Lexington--the one here at St. Matthews was the last to be
a HoJo's in the Louisville area.
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