Author: thekaintuckeean

George Kinkead House is Home to Living Arts & Science Center

Architect’s Rendering. LASC. 

At 362 North Walnut Street stands the old antebellum mansion historically known as the George B. Kinkead House. The house has been the home to the Living Arts and Science Center since 1971. In 2011, a modern 11,000 square foot addition was proposed to the facility to grow LASC’s programming capacity and physical footprint. The old mansion is approximately 7,000 square feet.

The Home

In 1847, George B. Kinkead had constructed a Greek Revival two-story townhouse and the home was adapted at least twice during the family’s ownership. Around the time of the Civil War, the building was “Italicized” “with the addition of a third-floor attic and probably a two-story section on the north side of the main block.”

362 N. Martin Luther King. UK Collections.

The application for inclusion to the National Register describes the House as follows: “Originally a large-scale Greek Revival townhouse (although then in a suburban setting on the outskirts of town), it was sympathetically enlarged during the Civil War period with Italianate features, for members o the Kinkead family who had originally built it and who owned the property until 1982. Notable features are the Doric entrance porch, plaster ceiling medallions, Grecian marble mantels, and plain but handsome woodwork from both building faces.”

It is believed that Thomas Lewinski was the architect for the original construction, and perhaps the “Italicization” as well.

George Blackburn Kinkead

George B. Kinkead was a lawyer to Abraham Lincoln and his family and was a forward-thinking attorney and denizen of Lexington in the mid-nineteenth century.

As of 1855, he was one of three faculty members at Transylvania’s Law Department where he taught “the practice of law, pleading and evidence, and the law of contract.” By 1857, however, Kinkead had ended his affiliation with the Law Department and the department closed the following year. Although the need for lawyers remained, the academic approach to a legal education was not yet in vogue, but rather the “archaic apprenticeship system” remained the method of choice.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, he was both pro-Union and anti-slavery. After the war, he provided 11 acres of land around his home to freed slaves. This area became known as Kinkeadtown. As was written on this site in 2012, “Kinkeadtown comprises the heart of the East End, though there is scant evidence other than the expansive mansion of the old community.” The Notable Kentucky African Americans Database * included this regarding Kinkeadtown:

Kinkeadtown was bottomland that included more recently Illinois, Kinkead, and Mosby Streets; it was around the area where Elm Tree Lane intersects with Fourth and Fifth Streets. The land had been subdivided by abolitionist George B. Kinkead in 1870 and sold exclusively to African Americans. Populated by about 20 families in 1880, it grew to include over 300 residents. The section of Elm Tree Lane and the remainder of Kinkeadtown, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, were purchased by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government in the 1990s. The shotgun and T-plan houses were demolished in preparation for the extension of Rose Street.

Kinkead died in November 1877. His 1874 will left all of his assets to his “dear wife, absolutely” and directed that no appraisal be conducted. As noted previously, the Kinkead family remained in possession until the property became home to the Living Arts and Science Center.

A Blue Grass Trust deTour is scheduled for next week to explore the adaptive reuse of this antebellum home as well as the merging of the property with the recent contemporary addition. The import of Kinkeadtown will also be discussed. More details are included below…






Bibliography
Eblen, Tom. Living Arts & Science Center plans $5 million expansion project. Lexington Herald-Leader, Nov. 16, 2011.
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. Kinkead House (PDF). May 1982. 
Sloan, Jason. Kinkead House, home of Living Arts and Science Center, ready for contemporary architecture addition. Kaintuckeean, Feb. 2012. 
Wright, John D., Jr. Transylvania: Tutor to the West. (Transylvania University: Lexington, 1975). 






Peabody-Fordson now a National Register Historic District

Club House at Peabody-Fordson District. USDA Forest Service.

On February 1, 2017, the Department of the Interior approved updates to the 1989 inclusion of the Peabody-Fordson Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places. Located in the Big Creek vicinity in Clay County, Kentucky, Peabody-Fordson is also known as the Redbird Ranger Office Complex and are used by the U.S. Forest Service.

Although Forest Service has razed various structures over the years, 3 contributing buildings and 3 contributing structures are included in the district. The district is interpreted as a “late 19th and early 20th century commercial operation centered upon extraction of timber and minerals from this portion of eastern Kentucky.” Brother at 3.

The names Peabody and Fordson relate to the corporate owners of the land. Peabody Coal Company acquired 110,000 acres of Kentucky lands; it was one of the nation’s largest coal companies and its successor, Peabody Energy, is the world’s largest private sector coal company.* Peabody spent much of its efforts in the vicinity addressing inaccurate land records resulting from shoddy surveying in Kentucky. In 1923, Peabody sold the tracts to Fordson Coal Company which was a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford wanted to vertically integrate his supply chain and needed coal resources to do so. It was under the Fordson ownership that the contributing  buildings in the District were constructed.

Club House

The Clubhouse, pictured at top, was constructed in 1924, and is “a blending of the Colonial Revival and Dutch Revival architectural influences. The two-story frame building rests on a dry laid cut-sandstone foundation; the stone was cut from a quarry along Little Double Creek.” Brother at 5. Originally, the Club House was constructed as a residence for Fordson Company’s professional employees (survey crews, engineers, and draftsmen).

The Forest Service describe “the original hand-cut wood paneling [] on the interior walls [as] providing evidence of an intrinsic past. In the front entry hall, the golden hues of aged maple provide a warm welcome for visitors.”*

Horse Barn

The 1927 Horse Barn is another contributing building. Built by Oscar Bowling, the wood frame building has 7 horse stalls on either side of the central aisle (14 stalls total). Oral history suggests that a Sears and Roebuck pattern inspired the construction and the design “strongly resembles the ‘Honor Bilt’ barn style in the Sears and Roebuck catalogue.” Brother at 7. A pencil mark on the wall of the barn notes the high water mark from the 1947 flood.

1947 Flood. US Forest Service.

The Garage 

Garage and Office. Janie-Rice Brother/NRHP.

The ca. 1950 Fordson Garage is the final contributing building in the District. A “one-room frame, front gable building” is simple and comparable in design to the Horse Barn described above. Once used by Fordson as a garage, today the USFS uses the structure for storage.

The National Register application for the Peabody-Fordson Historic District was authored by Janie-Rice Brother whose blog, Gardens to Gables, should be a staple of your Kentucky-centric reading. You can also follow her on Twitter ‎@GerbBrother.

Resources
Brother, Janie-Rice. Peabody-Fordson Historic District. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form #89002099 (Listed 2/1/2017) (PDF).
Redbird History. US Forest Service. Link.

Loudoun House is Among Finest Gothic Revival Homes in the South

Owned by the City of Lexington, the historic Loudoun House will be the site of the next BGT deTour on Wednesday, February 1, 2017. Check out all the details below and say “I’m going!” on Facebook by clicking here!

Loudoun House was built in 1850 for Francis Key Hunt, one of John Wesley Hunt and Catherine Hunt’s twelve children. The Gothic revival is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been the home to the Lexington Art League since 1984.

The home was designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis and is believed to be one of only five surviving castellated Gothic Revival villas in the United States designed by Davis. The home was constructed by local builder John McMurtry who popularized Davis’ Gothic Revival designs in the Bluegrass. Ingleside, once along South Broadway, was a companion home to Loudoun House that was demolished in 1964.

The walls of Loudoun House feature a hollow brick construction, a method that utilizes air space as insulation. The house once featured a “gilded lambrequin that fitted over the [parlor] arch to the oriel pair of matching mirrors in perpendicular style, and the mantel originally in the drawing room … have since been removed.” If you attended last month’s deTour of the Gratz Park Trio, you will recall having seen these features in the Dudley House on North Mill Street.

Floorpans of Loudon House as contained in the National Register Application, which were duplicated
from Clay Lancaster’s Antebellum Homes of the Bluegrass

According to the National Register application, Loudoun House is “one of the largest and finest examples of Gothic Revival Architecture in Kentucky, if not in the South. … The primary significance is that the house displays the architectural facet of the entire Romantic Movement which bloomed in the 1850s and indirectly displays the social facet through imaginative journeys into a lifestyle as depicted by the house and grounds.”


















Inauguration Day in America

Old Post Office in Washington, D.C. in 2009. Today, it is the home of the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.

I have loved politics ever since I was five, probably because I’m a political news junkie. At different times I’ve been a conservative Republican, an independent thinker, and a rather liberal Democrat.

No, this is not a political blog (nor is it becoming one). And this is not intended to be a political post. It’s just my recounting of a few of my favorite political memories: attending presidential inaugurations in both 2001 and 2009. They were different experiences and, today, I’m in a unique position as I am not attending an inaugural of a new president for the first time since 1993.

Enjoy!

2001: President George W. Bush

Invitation and Photo from 2001 Inauguration of
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney

In 2001, my father and I travelled to Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of George W. Bush as the 43rd President of the United States. It was a cold January and we had booked a room in Virginia, taking subway in from the end of the line. When we got off the Metro, we made our way toward the Capitol. Although security seemed tight, the 9/11 attacks later that year would forever alter our collective perception of tight security. As a result, it may very well have been the last inauguration where you could maneuver from a position on the Mall to watch the inaugural then meander to Pennsylvania Avenue for a spot along the parade route.

We secured a position just behind the Capitol Reflecting Pool with an excellent view of the Capitol itself. Of course, we couldn’t see the individuals on the temporary stage – but we could feel the excitement in the air.

At the time, I was a junior at a private Christian high school. My family was conservative and I lived in a conservative, red state. I was among those who were quite happy that the Supreme Court had resolved Bush v. Gore in the way that it did. Americans were largely pleased the election was over and, despite the bitter election, Bush’s pre-inaugural approval ratings had jumped to around 65%.

I went to Washington that year with my father optimistic about America. It was thrilling to see a “peaceful transfer of authority” as President Bush called it in his inaugural that day. He said, “with a simple oath, we affirm old traditions and make new beginnings.”

During the course of the Bush presidency, my conservativism waned. In 2007, I switched my political affiliation in time to become a strong supporter of a lanky African-American from Illinois, Senator Barack Obama. His campaign challenged supporters to hope and to dream in America’s opportunity. He offered the “audacity of hope.”

2009: President Barack Obama

Almost immediately after his election was clear, my father-in-law and I plotted my return to Washington for the inaugural in 2009. We booked a room at a hostel near K and 11th streets and took the Amtrak train from Ashland, Kentucky to Washington, D.C. The train had originated in Chicago, Illinois and most aboard were “fired up, ready to go” for the inauguration of the 44th President. It was a festive mood!

My father-in-law joined for a photo with Rednecks for Obama in 2009. Washington, D.C.

We arrived in our Nation’s Capital on the 19th of January, one day before the inauguration. Due to a delay in the train’s arrival, we missed the concert at the Lincoln Memorial and instead my father-in-law and I meandered to many of Washington’s sites. It was an awesome evening, but we didn’t want to stay out too late.

We, and many others, were up by 6:00 a.m. to make it through the security lines. We’d hoped to make it to the Mall to watch the inauguration and I had strategized a plan to do so. The maps indicated there was a pedestrian cut-through across Pennsylvania Avenue (at least early) which would have enabled us to make it to the Mall. But so many people were in town for Obama’s 2009 inauguration that the Mall was filled to capacity (even despite our early morning start) and we ended up on Pennsylvania Avenue at 11th Street for about 12 hours.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police keeping the peace at the 2009 inauguration.

But, as you can see, we were joined by some of Lexington, Kentucky’s finest who were working the rope line along Pennsylvania Avenue.

Our spot was directly across from the splendid Old Post Office (see picture at top of post), and loudspeakers allowed us to hear the swearing-in and the inaugural address that concerned the economic crisis and the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As it turned out, that pedestrian cut-through was a blessing. Check out the pictures:

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walking along Pennsylvania Avenue during the
2009 Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C.
Vice President Joe Biden walking along Pennsylvania Avenue during the
2009 Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C.

Yes, we were that close! It was an incredible, unforgettable experience! As the door to the Presidential limo was opened just beyond us to allow President Obama back into the vehicle, I caught a glimpse of Sasha’s peach coat jumping from one seat to another. She was having fun during this amazing experience and we certainly did as well!

The memories made in 2001 with my father and in 2009 with my father-in-law are forever. Unfortunately, the lack of a digital camera makes it exponentially more difficult to find the photos from 2001.

On this inauguration day, I think back to all of those memories made. Today, our spot across from the Old Post Office in 2009 will now witness something entirely different: a Trump-branded hotel and a President Trump.

Fun With Flags: Kentucky Edition

I’m kind of a flag nerd. I’ve always had a thing for flags. When I was little, I’d always get the flag for the state or country I was visiting. Sometimes, I’d even correct an improper flag display. And I love Dr. Sheldon Cooper Presents Fun With Flags segments on CBS’ Big Bang Theory!

So when I saw the cover of today’s Herald-Leader, I was excited to see the prominent display of the flag for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government prominently placed above the fold. And below the fold was the headline: “Does Lexington need a memorable city flag?“

The short answer is a resounding YES! But the longer answer is, of course, more interesting. The article notes two groups (Lexington firefighters and 8th graders at Lexington Christian Academy) that  are pushing for a new flag and promoting a few of their own designs.

The H-L article prompted me to watch an 18-minute TED talk by Roman Mars which I’ve embedded below.  Mars discusses the elements of a good flag and gives examples of both good and bad flags. Countries are pretty good at making strong banners, but American cities are pretty horrible at the task. Mars even featured Lexington’s own flag as a “bad flag” example, which is what prompted the firefighters mentioned above to take on their effort.

What makes a good flag? According to the North American Vexillogical Association, or NMVA, (far bigger flag nerds than I), there are five key principles:

1. Keep it Simple
2. Use Meaningful Symbolism
3. Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors
4. No Lettering or Seals
5. Be Distinctive or Be Related.

All of this makes sense. In fact, these are pretty good design principles overall. So how do Kentucky flags stack up on this scale? The Kentucky flag itself is, like the Lexington flag, an SOB (seal on a bedsheet). It’s just a blue background with the state seal on it. Pretty boring, indistinctive, and not simple (in that the details of the seal itself are complex).

Other cities in Kentucky vary…

Louisville

In 2004, the NMVA conducted a survey ranking the flags of American cities. The two best were Washington DC and Chicago, but I was really surprised to see that Louisville was ranked #9! Go Louisville!! (In case you were wondering, Lexington ranked #112 in the same survey.)

Really, it is a great looking flag! But wait… Louisville merged with Jefferson County in 2003 to form a Metro Government.

Louisville’s old flag

Surely wisdom (and better design) prevailed and the old flag was retained? Nope. Instead, the ‘Ville now flies this lesser banner which is, predictably, another SOB:

Louisville-Jefferson County Flag

Ugh. Another example of Kentucky just not being able to have nice things.

Frankfort

Frankfort also makes the NMVA Survey at #140 (out of 150). I can see why.

Bowling Green

Bowling Green didn’t make the NMVA Survey. It’s current flag isn’t an SOB, but it is close. If it were just the fountain, it might work. But I’m not so sure you could read the text if it were flying in the breeze at 100 feet away.

Like Lexington, Bowling Green is contemplating a new flag. There’s a movement afoot to change the flag to this distinctive banner:

The green background is self-explanatory for a town called Bowling Green. The gold represents prosperity, the blue the Barren River, and the grey represents the roads that connect in Bowling Green. It’s a good, distinctive flag that follows the 5 Principles.

Hopefully, something good will come Lexington’s way. The Portland (OR) Flag Association maintains a list (including Bowling Green) of municipalities in America looking at improving their flags. I imagine Lexington will soon make the list!

(and here’s that TED talk from Roman Mars I promised…)

Uncertain Fate for 1914 Neo-Classical Home in Nicholasville, Kentucky

At an auction yesterday, a century-old home on the south side of Nicholasville was auctioned off. The property located at 1201 South Main Street was advertised as including over 32 acres ripe for development. So the question is will this circa 1914 home be standing in a year (or even a month)?

The answer to that question is unknown.

So what is at risk of being demolished?

This yellow brick two-and-one-half story Neo-Colonial was built in 1914 by Everett B. Hoover. When added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, the house was described as “one of very few examples in Jessamine County of early 20th century styles; it is also one of the best designed and well preserved examples of the Neo-Colonial style in the county.”

Mr. Hoover was the son of William H. Hoover who was the subject of a brief biography in Perrin and Kniffin’s 1887 Kentucky: A History of the State. Of Everett, the authors wrote:

Everett B. Hoover, the third and youngest child, was born October 21, 1860, and like his brother received his early education in the free
schools and at Bethel Academy; in 1877 he entered the Wesleyan College at Millersburg, Ky., where he remained until 1879; then entered Vanderbilt University, where he took a special course of study, preparatory to studying law. In 1880 he entered the Columbia College Law School, New York City, where he remained two years, taking the full law course, graduating in June, 1882. He at once returned to his home and received his license to practice law in August, 1882, and has been a continued practitioner ever since. He married Miss Ella Burnett, of Boyle County, Ky., November 21, 1882. To this union was born Elizabeth Hoover, the first grandchild of William H. Hoover, January 31, 1884. In April, 1886, Everett B. Hoover was elected judge of the city court of Nicholasville, Ky., and was re-elected the following year, of which office his is the present incumbent.

The house was last on the market in 1967 when it was purchased by Charles and Anna Moore. Prior to the Moore’s acquisition, the property served as a sanatorium operated by Charles Fentress.

Charles Moore was a developer in Lexington during the mid- to late- twentieth century. In reporting Moore’s death in 1985, the Lexington Herald-Leader wrote that “Moore built houses in many of Lexington’s major subdivisions and helped develop several shopping centers (ed. including Southland) over the years.” And in 1967, Moore purchased this house as part of a 222-acre farm and then did what he did best: developed the majority of land that sits approximately one mile from Nicholasville’s courthouse.

According to a history of the house written by Elexene Cox, the site was also the home to “an equally lovely home on land that was the subject of one of Jessamine’s earliest controversies.” She continued:

After John Metcalfe laid out the town on Sept. 16, 1798, he wrote later to High Sheriff Charles West: We have succeeded amid foolish opposition from County Clerk Samuel Woodson and County Surveyor Frederick Zimmerman in locating our county seat. Woodson wanted it near his residence one mile to the south and Zimmerman wanted it one mile to the north of my survey. We have defeated their opposition. … Woodson’s ‘gem of a house’ had 14-foot ceilings and a hall 12-feet wide.

It was this “gem of a house” that Hoover demolished (at a cost of $150 for “separating all the woodwork, cleaning and separating all the stone and brick in less than a month.”) in favor of the still-present construction.

According to Cox, Hoover hired David Wolfe of Georgetown to build the house which, with “extras,” cost $9,474.

At yesterdays auction, the house and land were purchased for $1,177,000. Hopefully, this historic structure can be incorporated into any new development that might occur on the property.

All images were obtained from marketing materials related to the auction of the property by Halfhill Auction Group. As of this posting, additional images of the property are accessible on that website.
UPDATE (11/3/16 at 4:00 p.m.): Communication with one of the purchasers suggest that there are “no immediate plans” for demolition. 

Then & Now: Impeachment in Kentucky

If you’ve followed local news in Kentucky the past few days, the word “impeachment” has come up more than once. It was front page news in Wednesday’s news. (August 31, 2016). That’s because of a news story out of Jessamine County. I’m not going to go into the issues on this site because there are plenty of news sites covering the story du jour. Let’s just say that Kentucky is living up to its hype as the place where “politics [are] the damnedest.”

Let’s instead look at the historical side of impeachment in Kentucky. In 1991, the Legislative Research Commission published an Informational Bulletin entitled Impeachment in Kentucky “designed to assist future legislatures in conducting impeachments, and to provide the public with a look into the process itself.”

Section 68 of Kentucky’s 1891 Constitution provides that the “Governor and all civil officers” are subject to impeachment. Throughout the history of the Commonwealth, however, there have been only four impeachments. These are there stories.

Thomas Jones, Surveyor of Bourbon County

In 1803, the surveyor of Bourbon County was impeached by the Kentucky House of Representatives. This incident was long lost to history until it was discovered in 1991 by then-professor John Rogers of the University of Kentucky College of Law who was acting as Special Advisor to the House Impeachment Committee in the Burnette case (described below). Professor Rogers is now Judge Rogers of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In his capacity as surveyor, Jones helped to establish land boundaries for private citizens and government entities alike. He served an important role and his errors would result in litigation for decades. His charge of impeachment was “for overcharging the state for work done, for failure to perform his duties, and for surveying the wrong tracts of land.” 
After approved by the House, the articles of impeachment were transferred to the Senate for trial. During the trial, Jones resigned his position though the Senate proceeded with the charges and ordered him “perpetually excluded from office.” 
The case is particularly unique because it remains the only incident where a jury was empaneled to determine evidence for a legislature during a U.S. impeachment trial.

“Honest Dick” Tate, State Treasurer

“Honest Dick” Tate
An important lesson: if you are the treasurer of an organization, don’t take the money. “Honest Dick” apparently struggled with this lesson.
And although he had earned a reputation of honesty amongst his colleagues while serving in the general assembly. In 1867, he left the General Assembly to run for the office of State Treasurer.
In those days, there were no term limits for the position and “Honest Dick” “faithfully” served the Commonwealth as treasurer for over two decades.
That is, until he absconded most of the state’s treasury in March, 1888. He was impeached and tried in abstentia later that year being found guilty of four counts. 
Neither the funds nor Tate were ever seen again. When he abandoned both his post and his family, he did so aboard a train bound for Cincinnati. Later, his daughter received post cards from her father over the years with postmarks bearing the locales of San Francisco, Japan, Brazil, China, and British Columbia (Canada). It was reported that Tate died in China in 1890. 

Judge J.E. Williams – McCreary County

All in 1916: the citizens of McCreary County charged that their local judge executive “had committed numerous acts of misfeasance and malfeasance as county judge.” The House voted to impeach, 48 to 45. In trial before the Senate, however, Judge Williams was acquitted. 
Conviction requires a vote of two-thirds of the Assembly and apparently the evidence was not sufficient. The Informational Bulletin speaks to why such a high burden exists: “[impeachment] is a several of the inherent power of the people in a democratic society to choose those who govern.” It’s worth noting that 19 states also afford the people in a democratic society to recall their elected officials and that Kentucky is not among that body of states.

Ward “Butch” Burnette – Commissioner of Agriculture

In 1991, state Agriculture Commissioner Butch Burnette was convicted in Franklin Circuit Court of theft by deception.

According to his obituary in 2000, Burnette “served 49 days of a one-year sentence for a 1990 theft conviction for payment to a secretary before she actually began working. He was fined $1,500 in that case and $5,000 for an unrelated theft conviction involving charter flights taken at state expense after Mr. Burnette was elected in 1987 but before he took office in January 1988.”

The House adopted a single article of impeachment citing the conviction for a “theft of funds belonging to the Commonwealth.” Hours before the Senate commenced its trial, the Agriculture Commissioner resigned and the proceedings were terminated.

Will there ever be a fifth impeachment proceeding in Kentucky? Perhaps. But the stories of the first four are a fascinating part of the Commonwealth’s history.

City of Frankfort Seeks Demolition of Old YMCA

At the Old YMCA in Frankfort. Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation.

Young man, there’s no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young man, ’cause you’re in a new town
There’s no need to be unhappy.

If the Village People’s young man is a historic preservationist, then he might be unhappy. Especially if his new town is Frankfort, Kentucky.

That’s because nearly a week ago, on August 24, the city issued a letter to the owner of the Old YMCA on Bridge Street that the property owner had one week to either demolish the structure or to appeal the city’s decision. If neither occurs by the deadline, the city may take action to demolish the structure on its own.

The city is acting under its nuisance ordinance which provides for immediate demolition if the structure is viewed as being an “imminent danger.” Especially convenient is that such a designation eliminates the role and review conducted by the local Architectural Review Board.

If you don’t like the idea of a demolition of a historic structure occurring under the cover of darkness, this story is of importance to you.

The Old YMCA in the 1970s.  Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation.


A City’s Repeated Attempt at Demolition

Now, this isn’t the first time the historic circa 1911 structure has faced the prospect of the wrecking ball. In 1971, the new YMCA opened in downtown Frankfort leaving the old location vacant for the first time in sixty years. The building served as office space for a number of years, but then it sat empty for many years as well.

In 2007, the structure faced demolition. The city went so far as to obtain bids for demolition. The low bid came in at $186,000, but city commissioners halted demolition and instead sold the property to preservationist John Gray. Gray’s company, Old Y, LLC, for $1. Old Y had 2 years to revitalize the project. Of course, the economic of collapse of 2008 intervened and development could not timely occur.

The State Journal reported that the fate of the building was “in question again” in 2011, while the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation included the Old YMCA in 2015 on its endangered list. In 2015, the BGT wrote of the property

The 1911 Old YMCA at 104 Bridge Street in Frankfort, designed in the Beaux Arts style by a a Frankfort architect, was a state-of-the-art facility featuring a gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, bowling alley, meeting rooms and guest quarters. While a local developer is hoping to transform it into a boutique hotel, there is also a push by the city of Frankfort to demolish this structure. If saved, this could be a transformative project in our capital city.

Old Frankfort YMCA. Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation. 


A Historic Structure

At over 100 years old, the Old YMCA is more than just ‘old’. It is historic. The building’s importance and its unique position was best described by Eric Whisman, the President of the Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation in an opinion piece published in the State Journal. So well stated, much of Eric’s text is included below:

The Old YMCA was designed by someone significant to the history of Frankfort. This is part of the additional criteria used to determine whether a building has historic significance. The work of Frankfort’s architect, Leo Oberwarth, as well as that of his son, Julian, is important to our community and is much of what makes our City special and unique. … Leo Oberwarth was a personal friend of Paul Sawyier, another person of historic significance to our community. One could argue that they both provided us with the “sense of place” that we call home.

The Old YMCA has architectural integrity. Despite decades of neglect, much of its original architectural character remains. Its Beaux Arts design is evident and someone with training would be able to look at this building and tell you the approximate construction date which was 1910. That means it provides an opportunity to teach us something about our past, and it should be considered a cultural resource. This is yet another reason it meets the definition of a “historic” structure. The front portion of the structure is solidly intact with interior features of arches, moulding, trim, and re-lights that were visible to the public as recently as the ‘Designer Showcase,’ in 2011. For the temporary use application permitting that event, structural assessments were done and validated by licensed engineers. The gymnasium space and third floor guest rooms to the rear are not stable for access as they have experienced the most deterioration due to a failure of the roof deck. But the masonry walls remain intact, which is a testament to the quality of the original construction.

The Old Y, with two other public facilities, including the Governor’s Mansion and the downtown train depot, were part of a capital construction campaign spurred by the building of the new Capital’s. These public facilities have defined and served our community for generations. Many still recall utilizing the Old YMCA before its replacement by a modern ‘new Y’ which was developed as a part of the Edward Durell Stone Capital Plaza development.

While unfortunate that the flood wall was placed where it was, it allows the building, which has already withstood seven significant floods (over 40’ major flood stage), to continue to offer the rare amenity of a water side terrace and a riverside landing area with a designed stairway to communicate up the steep bank. And it is a privilege of the historic structure to be able to place these amenities back in service, as new construction would not be allowed within the flood plain. This offers another important opportunity for the downtown Commercial district to connect to the potential of the riverfront.


A Call to Action

The Old YMCA remains, for now. As noted, the existing structure is the highest and best use for the site given its location in a flood plain — new construction is simply not an option. The city would be better served by spending $200,000 in improving the structure rather than demolishing it which can provide no return on investment and no increased future tax revenues. Economics favors preservation, especially with regard to this project.

So what can you do? A few things, really.

  1. Stay tuned for updates. On Facebook, follow the Kaintuckeean, Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, the Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Kentucky Heritage Council. (There are others to follow as well, but this is a good start!)
  2. Share the updates with those you know who share a passion for history and historic preservation. Rinse and repeat.
  3. Especially if you’re a Frankforter, contact your city commissioners. Encourage them to save the  Old YMCA. 
  4. If you’re not a Frankforter, contact any Frankforter you know about #3. Then repeat #s 1 and 2.

Old YMCA Building in the 1970s. Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation.

Floral Hall a Fascinating Treasure in Lexington

Floral Hall in 1966.  Photograph by John Noye. National Register Application. 

If you pause to look down Red Mile Road as you cross the path’s intersection with South Broadway, you have no doubt seen the iconic Floral Hall. It is a treasured landmark of Lexington, though its very likely you’ve never been inside.

Designed by John McMurtry and completed in 1882 as a two-story octagonal building, the structure was added to a year after its completion with the addition of a third level. The building was commissioned by the Kentucky Agricultural and Mechanical Fair Association using funds appropriated to it by Congress for damages caused by Union troops during the Civil War.

The structure was named “floral hall” because it originally was a floral exhibition hall. Its use adapted over the years. The site’s brochure states that “when the city of Lexington expanded its boundaries, the city line cut through the grounds of the adjacent Red Mile trotting tack. Floral Hall remained outside the city limits, so the betting pools, the form of wagering on the races during that time, were conducted there.”

Inside Floral Hall. Peter Brackney.

Beginning in 1896, the structure became known as the Round Barn as it was then used for the stabling of horses. Stalls were built on both the first and stories, while the horses’ caretakers had quarters on the third level.Following a 1963 renovation, the building was converted into a museum housing American Standardbred horse memorabilia and equine archives.

Today, the building is known as the Standardbred Stable of Memories and is owned by a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of this historic landmark. Earlier this year, Kathryn Glenn McKinley and Kitty Sautter received The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation’s Barbara Hulette Award for their preservation and continued use of the building, as well as the restoration of its cupola and its three-story chandelier. At right, you can see the grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling high above the ground floor.

The structure is beautiful and its history grand. Standardbred racing, sometimes overshadowed by thoroughbred racing, is extremely popular and its history, too, is strong in our region. Stabled here were the horses of Hall of Fame trainer tom Berry, including Hamiltonian and Hanover’s Bertha. Other greats stabled at the Round Barn include world champion Merrie Annabelle and Greyhound.

From the #BGTdeTours Facebook page, Blue Grass Trust Vice President John Hackworth invites you to experience the “fascinating treasure within our city,” Floral Hall:

Comment on the Kentucky State Road Plan to put a Stake in the Vampire Road

Over the years, I’ve written several posts in opposition to the proposed I-75 Connector that would slice through Jessamine and Madison counties to connect Nicholasville with the interstate. The proposed road is expensive, wouldn’t add much time savings for travelers, would destroy natural landscapes and historic places, and is an all-around bad idea. 
In one post, I wrote about how the Economics of I-75 Connector Don’t Add Up. The proposed cost of this 13-mile road is about $400-500 million. All to build a new road while existing infrastructure needs critical repairs. In another post, Marble Creek is a Jessamine County Treasure, I observed that “once lost, natural and historic resources cannot be created.” There is too much to lose with the connector. 
Since I published these posts, I’ve gotten several inquiries on what people can do to stop the connector. How do we put a stake in the Vampire Road?

Projected paths of the I-75 Connector

A Call to Action

Well, now through August 15 you have the opportunity to do something. Next Monday, August 15, 2016, is the deadline for public comment on the State Transportation Improvement Plan, or STIP. STIP is a 3-year statewide list of transportation projects in the state. This period of public comment is intended to solicit the opinions of the people ofKentucky – so let your voice be heard!

Stand up against the I-75 Connector!
According to the STIP, $2 million is proposed to be expended in 2017 for design, $10 million in 2019 for right-of-way acquisition, and $3 million in 2020 for moving utilities. That’s real tax dollars going toward an unnecessary and expensive project that will negatively alter the future of Jessamine County.
Comments should be directed to Sherry Curry. Her email is [email protected]. Additional information about the Statewide Improvement Plan can be found by clicking here. In your email, be sure to reference your opposition specifically to “Item No. 7-8404 in Jessamine County.”

Take action and contact Ms. Curry with your opposition to Item No. 7-804, the I-75 Connector in Jessamine County.”