Satterwhite Monument
Classical
Dr. Preston Pope Satterwhite hired famed Philadelphia architect, Horace Trumbauer, to design a monument for his wife, Florence Brokaw Martin Satterwhite, who died in 1927 at the age of 61. Trumbauer based his design on the Classical Revival Temple of Love constructed by French architect Richard Mique (1728-1794) for Marie Antoinette in the gardens of the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Mique based his design on the Roman Temple of Vesta at Tivoli, built in the first century BC.
While Trumbauer worked with B.A. & G.N. Williams, stone contractors in New York City, on the fabrication of the Tennessee marble monument, Dr. Satterwhite busied himself with the selection and preparation of the site. He selected a 26,343 square foot site at Cave Hill which he purchased for $50,000. Then he hired Wadley and Smythe, landscape contractors, of New York City, to prepare the site. Wadley and Smythe promptly ordered four freight cars of plantings, which arrived in Louisville in the spring of 1928. On June 18th, 1928, the monument was officially declared finished.
Florence Brokaw Martin Satterwhite was born into a high society family. The Brokaw family had done well as clothiers and provided young Florence with a taste of the finer things in life. Her first marriage to Standard Oil Company executive James E. Martin ended when he died tragically in 1905 at age 59. He and his son were racing through New York City’s streets when his car overturned. Florence inherited a considerable estate.
In 1908 she married Dr. Satterwhite. They also lead a lavish lifestyle, dividing their time between New York and Palm Beach.
Although the Satterwhites did not live in Louisville, Dr. Satterwhite, like his father and grandfather, studied medicine in Kentucky. After his studies, he set up his surgery practice in New York. Dr. Satterwhite donated considerable money to the J.B. Speed Art Museum in Louisville and to Cave Hill Cemetery.
Photos and text © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page
[address cemetery=”Cave Hill Cemetery” street=”701 Baxter Avenue” city=”Louisville” state=”Kentucky” zip=”40204″]
