Uncategorized – Page 75 – The Kaintuckeean

No Destination: Floral Clock of Frankfort

Floral Clock, Frankfort, Ky.

Since 1961, the Floral Clock has sat behind the Kentucky State Capitol. When Gov. Bert T. Combs provided $50,000 from his contingency fund to erect the clock the project was labeled a folly by political opponents. Happy Chandler declared in a gubernatorial debate: “Well, they don’t say it’s half past 2 in Frankfort anymore. They say it’s two petunias past the jimson weed.” Today, however, the clock is one of Frankfort’s most popular destinations.

All of the flowers used are grown in nearby greenhouses. The “100” noted in the floral arrangement celebrates the Capitol’s 100th Birthday. The floral clock is one of the largest in the world and is similar to those in Edinburgh, Scotland and Niagara Falls, Canada. Weighing 200,000 pounds (the hour hand alone weighs 420 pounds), the usual floral design includes 13,000 plants.

Happy Weekend, Kaintucks!

Telling us what we already knew: ticket sales to the WEG are slow, but the Fifth Third Bank Pavilion at Cheapside Park is quickly becoming the place to be. [Tom Eblen]

Northern Kentucky’s Fort Mitchell has litterally grown over the years – read its history as NKY.com profiles pieces from the The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky. [NKY]

Uncovering Alltech, Nicholasville’s international biotech company which is hosting the WEG. [Jessamine Journal]

Tackling a big roundabout coming to the roads of Rineyville, Kentucky. [Columbia Magazine]

UK Hospital will open its new emergency room next month; some got a sneak peek. [Kentucky.com]

Might Southland Christian Church be expanding into Lexington and redeveloping the old Lexington Mall? [BizLex]

No Destination: Governor’s Mansion

Governor’s Mansion, Frankfort, Ky.

When the new Capitol was being constructed, Governor Augustus E. Wilson told the state legislature that a new governor’s house was needed closer to the capitol. Within months, $75,000 was appropriated (the final cost was $95,000). The result is this Beaux Arts home inspired by Marie Antoinette’s villa, Petit Trianon, in Versailles, France. The residence, completed in 1914, has been the home to twenty-three governors. It has undergone two notable renovations: the first was spearheaded by First Lady Phyllis George (John Y. Brown, Jr.) and the second, of the ballroom, was led by First Lady Glenna Fletcher (Ernie Fletcher).

Although the gardens have taken many forms, the current layout is based on the original 1912 design. The first floor contains two reception rooms (one for the First Lady and one for the Governor), two dining rooms (one for the family, the other for state occasions), the family sitting room, and the ballroom (chandaliers are original to the home). Below are some additional pictures of the magnificent interior which I toured during the Capitol’s Centennial. At the time the photo was taken, the State Dining Room was to host former governors and other dignitaries for a luncheon within the hour.

Governor’s Reception Room

Ballroom

State Dining Room

No Destination: The Citizen Advertiser

The Citizen Advertiser, Paris, Ky.

Although the Library of Congress only indicates publication to 1966, the Citizen Advertiser’s history is much older. Under a few different names, the paper traces its roots to the Western Gazette which was first published in 1807. As evidenced from the picture above, the paper thus claims title as the “oldest newspaper west of the Alleghenies.” The Kentucky Press Association published an article celebrating the Citizen Advertiser’s bicentennial which outlined the paper’s history.

Noticing those six words, of course, made me pull over to take this picture. As a Kentuckian, I want to hold them as true and allow our state to lay claim to this title. But, a little research revealed that the Chillicothe Gazette of Ohio (Ohio’s oldest commercial enterprise still in operation) was begun in 1800. [*] The Pittsburgh Gazette, now the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, traces its roots to 1786 giving it the rightful claim to being the oldest newspaper west of the Alleghenies. [*] [*]

OK, so the 6 words may not be true. BUT… the newspaper is still significant as it is the oldest operating newspaper in the Commonwealth. (Unless someone can debunk that claim…)

No Destination: Joe B Hall Court

Joe B. Hall Court, Cynthiana, Ky.

Born in Cynthiana in November of 1928, Joe B. Hall went on to both play for and coach his beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats. He played on the 1949 and coached the 1978 National Championship teams. While UK’s coach, he compiled a record of 297-100 and three trips to the Final Four.

Coach Hall is a beloved figure in Kentucky athletics but the love for Joe B. is no greater than in his hometown of Cynthiana. In fact, the courthouse square (pictured above) was dedicated as “Joe B. Hall Court” in his honor in November 1994.

No Destination: Louisville Zoo

The Wife and our Lil Kaintuckeean viewing the Addax, Louisville Zoo.

Yep, we had a destination. I’d never before been to the State Zoo of Kentucky, the Louisville Zoo. Founded in 1969 (on land purchased by the City of Louisville and with funding by James Graham Brown of the Brown Hotel fame), it is a really nice zoo with 135 acres containing over 1,300 species. While there, however, I didn’t see two of the new featured exhibits. The first is the much anticipated “Glacier Bay” that is under construction; the second is (more interesting to me) the historic Louisville Clock. (Also missed the baby gorilla.)

Despite the timing-related shortcomings, it was a lot of fun and is, unsurprisingly, a great family atmosphere.

No Destination: William H. McGuffey

Site of McGuffey’s School, Paris, Ky.

Fewer names are better linked to American education than that of William McGuffey. His McGuffey Readers were sold from 1836 to 1960 selling at least 120 million copies. Born in Pennsylvania, McGuffey also attended Washington College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in western Pennsylvania. For a while, however, he suspended his studies (needing funds for college) and opened a private school in Paris, Ky where he taught from 1823-1826. [*, *] The school, located across the street from Duncan Tavern, was located on the site of the structure pictured above; historic marker #178 designates the site.

Happy Weekend. What’s up in Kentucky?

Retailer, deli are coming to downtown Lexington. Decision to locate in Lexington made because of streetscape improvements. [BizLex]

Keeneland and The Greenbrier enter into an agreement that might bring (luxury) passenger rail service to Lexington? Technically, it would connect us to an Amtrak line. [NKY.com]

The Alltech Fortnight Schedule entertainment schedule has been released – great musicians of national/international renown entertaining statewide. [LexGo]

Frankfort’s Jim Beam distillery will soon undergo a $28 million expansion. [State-Journal]

Georgia Davis, the first African American in the Kentucky Senate, honored through a section of I-264 bearing her name. [Governor Beshear]

Winchester’s WWI Doughboy Statue restored to Courthouse lawn. One of eight in Kentucky. [Winchester Sun]

Summary of Mayor Newberry’s comments on historic, farm preservation. [WEKU]

Another critical eye on the CentrePointe project and TIF monies. [Lowell’s]

No Destination: Georgetown College

Giddings Hall at Georgetown College, Georgetown, Ky.

Georgetown College, the first Baptist college west of the Alleghenies, was charted in 1829. The Baptists originally considered adding their college to the Transylvania University in Lexington, but locals persuaded the Baptists to locate the college in Georgetown through the use of $20,000 and a transfer of the assets and absorption of the Rittenhouse Academy. Rittenhouse was a land-grant institution founded by Baptist minister Rev. Elijah Craig (also renowned as a bourbon distiller). Everything almost failed when a Campbellite (Rev. Barton Stone) moved to Georgetown to run the Academy (the Baptists weren’t fond of the Campbellites).

Obviously, the squabbles were put to rest and GC remains. Today, it has nearly 2,000 students (combination of graduate, undergraduate bodies).

Update: @KyHistSoc reminds me of the legend of Bourbon at the above-pictured Giddings Hall: Bluegrass Note: Rev. Elijah Craig also founded Georgetown College. Legend has it that a quart of bourbon reposes under each of the six Ionic columns of the portico of the oldest building on campus, Giddings Hall, built in 1839.

walkLEX: Newtown Pike Extension

There is a lot of progress going on in the Newtown Pike Extension/Manchester Street area. After a conference at the Convention Center today, I attended a happy hour at Buster’s (the heart of what is becoming the Distillery District).

Unlike my peers, I walked. And I’m glad I did. The perspective from this angle (toward the northwest) revealed the under-construction Newtown Pike bridge and (behind me) the road path to Versailles Road. The Extension has been a proposal for Lexigton redevelopment and traffic-flow improvement for over forty years and the best news is that the construction is coming at a time when such emphasis is placed on roadways being visually and pedestrian/cyclist friendly.