Author: thekaintuckeean

No Destination: Capitol Mural “Nature”

I’ve been excited since First Lady Jane Beshear announced that the murals were coming to the Capitol. Part of the Capitol’s original design, plans were set aside after artist Frank Millet (a friend of then-Gov. August E. Willson) died on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. One hundred years later, the Capitol finally has its murals! This is the first of four posts about the murals.

Mural “Nature” in the Capitol, Frankfort

The first mural represents Nature and the bounty of the land. In the foreground is Ceres, the Roman goddess of agricultural prosperity. Kentucky’s signature industry – the horse – also appears in the foreground. In the background you can see the twin spires of Churchill Downs, as well as the limestone fences, barns and fields of harvest for which Kentucky’s bluegrass is so well known.

These murals are grand and a fine addition to the Capitol. So many emphasize the characters depicted in the foreground that they ignore the detail in the background.

The other murals are Industry, Culture, and Civitas.

No Destination: Historic Midway

Midway, Kentucky

Midway, Kentucky is a bustling town in Woodford County. The land that would become Midway was purchased in 1835 by the Lexington & Ohio Railroad Company. Located “midway” between Lexington and Frankfort (and also “midway” between Versailles and Georgetown), the town was Kentucky’s first railroad down. Of course, its location as a great crossroads was already known from the importance of the nearby Offut-Cole Tavern. And a train still travels through the middle of town on Railroad Street (unlike LaGrange, the train doesn’t impede parallel traffic)

Historic Midway has so many stories, and it has many historic markers on its Railroad Street that shares those stories:

“Sue Mundy” Here, Marker 537:

Jerome Clarke, called Sue Mundy, one of Morgan’s Raiders, formed his own guerrilla band on Morgan’s death Sept. 1864. Clarke and band raided here November 1, 1864, killing Adam Harper. Four Confederate prisoners executed in reprisal by Union forces. On Feb. 2, 1865, Clarke returned with William Quantrill, another guerrilla leader, burned depot here and stole 15 horses.

 Edward Dudley Brown (1850-1906), Marker 2027:

This well known African American horse owner, trainer, developer, and jockey was born into slavery, 1850. Raised as a stable boy near Midway, he was nicknamed “Brown Dick” after the record-setting racehorse of that name. Brown was associated with great horses such as Asteroid, Ducat, and Kingfisher. Presented by City of Midway and the Ky. African American Heritage Commission.

(Reverse) Noted Horseman – “Brown Dick” worked with Kentucky Derby winners Baden Baden (1877), Ben Brush (1896), and Plaudit (1898). He died at a friend’s house in Louisville, May 1906, of tuberculosis and was returned to Midway for burial. He was inducted into National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame on August 8, 1984. Presented by City of Midway and the Ky. African American Heritage Commission. 

 Midway, Marker 1580

First Kentucky town established by a railroad. In 1831, Lexington and Ohio Railroad Co. began railroad between Lexington and Frankfort and first train reached midway point, 1833. John Francisco farm bought by L&O in 1835; town of Midway laid out by R. C. Hewitt, civil engineer for railroad. Many streets named for L&O officials. Midway incorporated, 1846, by Ky. legislature.

Morgan at Midway, Marker 516:

Taking 300 abandoned USA horses and mules at Versailles, Morgan’s Raiders came here July 15, 1862. Advised of troop train approach from Frankfort he had tracks torn up and howitzers set. Train warned and returned to Frankfort. Morgan took telegraph line and coaxed train at Lexington to come on but it turned back. He and his men reached Georgetown that evening.

Besides its fascinating history, Midway is also the home to several great restaurants and antique shops.

No Destination: Yuko-En on the Elkhorn

The Arched Bridge at Yuko-En on the Elkhorn, Georgetown, Ky.

The Official Kentucky-Japan Friendship Garden, Yuko-En on the Elkhorn, is located on the north fork of the Elkhorn Creek in Georgetown, Ky. It is a beautiful garden with a large koi pond, a rock zen garden, a Tokugawa entrance gate and stone gardens. Pictured above is the Arched Bridge, painted Japanese red, which crosses a dry rock stream and symbolizes streams flowing down Japan’s volcanic peaks. It is one of the largest Japanese gardens in the United States.

Fourteen hundred truckloads of dirt was unloaded onto the site during construction in 2000, converting the former pasture (and site of an 1898 monastery) into the garden. It was declared the Kentucky’s “Official” Japanese garden in 2000 by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly; funding was provided by many local businesses, including (not surprisingly) Toyota.  A second phase, not completed, will include a bonsai house, a maple grove and a tea garden.

No Destination: Farmington

Farmington, Louisville, Ky.

Inspired by the architectural designs of Thomas Jefferson, architect Paul Skidmore designed Farmington for John and Lucy Speed (John Speed was a seventh generation descendant of the English cartographer of the same name). The home was completed in 1816 and contains two 24-foot wide octagonal shaped rooms (unique to 19th century Kentucky and a common attribute of Jeffersonian architecture).

Farmington was the site of a 550-acre hemp plantation; there is a memorial on the site to the slaves who toiled here.

In 1841, Abraham Lincoln visited Farmington for a three-week period where he visited with his friend, Joshua Speed (the son of John and Lucy). Apparenly, Abe and Mary were having a little tiff in their courtship and the mental break of Farmington was just what Honest Abe needed in order to muster up the courage to ask Mary Todd for her hand.

Once elected President, Lincoln offered the position of Treasury Secretary to Joshua Speed. Speed declined as he had no political ambition, but brother James Speed (a Louisville attorney) accepted Lincoln’s 1864 offer to become Attorney General.

The home was purchased in 1958 by the Historic Homes Foundation, a Louisville-based organization which owns, preserves and protects historic Louisville residences.

NoDestination: Oldest House in Cynthiana

Oldest House in Cynthiana, Ky.

This isn’t just the oldest house in Cynthiana; it has served as so much more. So, Nate was right; I did really like the old log courthouse at Cynthiana’s courthouse square. The historic marker 1539 reads:

Oldest house in Cynthiana, built 1790. Young Henry Clay practiced law here, 1806. In 1817, city’s first newspaper, the Guardian of Liberty was printed by Adam Keenan, assisted by H. H. Kavanaugh, later a noted Bishop, and Dudley Mann, who became a diplomat to France. Guthrie’s Arithmetic, first to be published west of Alleghenies, was also printed here.

The marker, however, misses so much of the tale. Built by Dr. James McPeters in 1790, the building also served as the county’s first courthouse. [*] There, the county’s first murder trial was heard. The accused, Adam House, was defended by Henry Clay. Here is some more background from Mrs. L. Boyd’s Chronicles of Cynthiana (1894):

And, not surprisingly, the place is haunted.

NoDestination: Duncan Tavern

Anne Duncan House (l) and Duncan Tavern (r), Paris, Ky.

If you have been to historic Williamsburg, Va., you know the import of the local tavern in colonial America. I think of all the taverns near Virginia’s colonial government seat, where our nation’s founders would gather to discuss the issues of the day.

When Kentucky was divided by Virginia into three counties, one of these counties was Bourbon County. Its seat has always been Paris (originally chartered as Hopewell, Va. [*]). Thirty-three counties have been carved from Bourbon’s original borders. Needless to say, people traveled long distances to visit the county seat of Paris. And these individuals needed a place to stay and to eat.

The Goddess of Liberty, the original name of the Duncan Tavern, was the gathering place for Kentucky’s earliest leaders, including Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, Peter Houston and Michael Stoner. [*]

The three story tavern was constructed in 1788 by Maj. Joseph Duncan. According to the Kentucky Encyclopedia, the architecture is remarkable given that most structures of the day in Paris were log buildings. According to at least one account, the tavern towered over the 20′ x 30′ log courthouse below. [*] Duncan Tavern now houses the Kentucky Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution;the Anne Duncan House was erected in 1801 and now houses a genealogical library.

walkLEX: Carnegie Center

Carnegie Center in Lexington

With 400 books, Lexington began the first library in Kentucky in 1795. It was also the first library west of the Alleghenies. By 1898, the state legislature deemed Lexington large enough to warrant the creation of a free public library. So with a $60,000 gift from steel-magnate Andrew Carnegie, the City of Lexington constructed the Carnegie Library – the first Lexington Public Library.

The total cost to build was about $75,000 and it was completed in 1906. The neoclassical rests at the south end of Gratz Park and served as the city’s main library branch until the late 1980s when a new, larger structure was built on Main Street. Today, the building serves as the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

walkLEX: Commonwealth Stadium

Commonwealth Stadium

I love football and have witnessed many amazing moments at Commonwealth Stadium, home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats. The stadium was first constructed in 1973 to seat about 57,800, but the endzones were enclosed and luxury boxes were added during a massive renovation in 1999 that increased overall oficial seating capacity to 67,606. Of course, crowds of over 71,000 have seen the Wildcats play here.

The picture above is from above the west endzone during the annual Blue-White (scrimmage) game which concludes spring training.

Some of those great (and the most disappointing) moments I’ve seen: (1) Most points scored at the Stadium (77) by UK against UTEP in 2002; (2) most overtimes (7, tied) in NCAA history in a 2003 loss to Arkansas; (3) the Bluegrass Miracle by LSU. There are other great memories and many disappointments. Still, it is a great place to watch a football game and Kentuckians know how to tailgate!

walkLEX: The Lexington Land Swap

UK giveth to Eastern State. Eastern State giveth to BCTC. BCTC giveth to UK. Albeit not entirely arms length nor transparent, this land swap will change the face of Lexington.

Bluegrass Community & Technical College 20 Year Plan

On May 14, Bluegrass Community and Technical College (“BCTC”) unveiled its 20-year master plan highlighting its plans for the old Eastern State Hospital on Newtown Pike. Pictured above is a map of the several phases of construction to occur at BCTC with buildings in brown being historic hospital buildings that will be preserved and adaptively reused. The hospital is being relocated to a more modern, to-be-constructed facility on UK’s Coldstream Campus (further out Newtown Pike). Construction is expected to begin on the new hospital later this month with an opening slated for 2012.

Meanwhile, the renaissance that will be brought to near-northeast Lexington will be underway. Beginning in March 2011, BCTC is expected to break ground at the 48-acre Newtown Pike campus with a $28.2 million dollar facility. The facility should be complete by the end of 2012 with students arriving for the spring semester of 2013.

A Now-n-Later of Fourth Street and Newtown Pike, Lexington

Ultimately, a revitalization can be expected along the Newtown Pike corridor near Fourth Street, Loudon Avenue and Georgetown Street. Pictured immediately above is a picture of the current and a rendering of the proposed intersection at Newtown and Fourth. This area is immediately adjacent to several historic areas of Lexington; hopefully, the renaissance will incorporate architecturally significant buildings with character to create a beautiful gateway into Lexington.

No Destination: Covington’s First United Methodist Church

I wish I had more time to spend in Covington. I arrived a little early for a court hearing and I parked a few blocks away from the courthouse in a residential area (free parking, two hour limit). I drove around a little too and saw several things I would love to post about, but I unfortunately could not spend the day in Covington!

First United Methodist Church; Covington, Ky.

Around the corner from my parking spot was the First United Methodist Church. While not the most stunning church in town (there are many absolutely stunning churches), its beautiful red brick was an amazing contrast to its white trim and blue sky. Originally constructed in 1867, the church burned in 1947 before being rebuilt.

The congregation dates to 1805. Like so many historic churches in the region, however, it split over slavery in 1846. It was not until 1939 that the divided congregations were reunited. One of FUMC’s most famous parishioners was Jesse Grant, the father of President Ulysses S. Grant. Jesse Grant passed away in 1873 and the President here attended his father’s funeral. *