This Just Happened, a weekly roundup

My tailgate yesterday at Commonwealth. Banner Raised. 

News from around the site and the Commonwealth, brought together just for you! At Commonwealth Stadium last night, Kentucky was manhandled by an incredibly strong Alabama team. We knew this season would be tough, yet I’m hoping we rebound for a good second half of the season after the coming bye week. On another note, I convinced a couple of ‘Bama fans to enjoy their stay in Lexington a little longer (and not make the trip to Louisville). I hope they enjoy Keeneland today as well as all the historic sites in downtown Lexington. All part of #sharethelex, baby.

Now, for the roundup:

And now for elsewhere around the Commonwealth:
A portion of the Kentucky River may be more conducive to adventure tourism if Lock No. 8 is made operable. [Herald-Leader]
Louisville cemeteries subject of preservation symposium [Courier-Journal]
Post-game handshakes banned in Kentucky? We thought so for part of the week, until things were clarified. A PR mess for KHSAA. [Huffington Post]
New historic marker honors Cherokee role in Kentucky, Treaty of Sycamore Shoals. [KyForward]

LFUCG Council to spend $250,000 on old Fayette courthouse. [Herald Leader]

Magistrates Don’t Take Elixir in Jessamine County


The column below originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal. It should not be republished without permission.

A salesman comes to town offering a magical elixir with the promise to cure your many ailments. If you take the elixir, the salesman suggests that your congestion will be alleviated and your joints won’t hurt as much.

Jessamine Co. Couurthouse

And while the price might seem a little high, your improved overall health will lead to better days ahead.
At least that’s what the salesman would have you believe.

But the elixir is untested and the salesman can’t really explain yet how it works or precisely how it should be taken. Both precise dosing requirements and application directions seem to be a mystery. Is it a topical or something which should be taken orally?

As for the side effects? We don’t know about those either.

Oh, and as for that seemingly high price? The salesman will let you know the final cost after you’ve ordered.

The question begged, would you take the elixir on the promise of improved vitality?

Or would you wait until more information is known? How about waiting until experts can better explain the side effects? Do you want better dosing and application instructions?

The three governments in Jessamine County have each voted on the magic elixir and the two city commissions, those of Nicholasville and Wilmore, have each voted to go ahead and take the elixir.

The elixir in this analogy is, of course, the proposed 13 mile connector between Nicholasville and Interstate 75. I’ve previously penned my thoughts on the I-75 Connector, but this column isn’t being written to reprise those earlier writings.

Instead, I wanted to pause for a moment and look at the decision making of those in local government and how these elected leaders have examined this issue that will forever affect Jessamine County and her people.

The balance of the column can be read on the Jessamine Journal’s website. For those interested in reading more on my thoughts on the I-75 Connector, below are links to my previous columns on the subject:

Early John Wayne Western Part of Double Feature at the State Theatre #TBT

Double Feature at the State Theatre (1933)
Photo: Lafayette Studios Collection, U. of Kentucky (KDL)

With the announcement that the Kentucky Theatre will soon be closing for its first major renovation in a couple decades, it is important to remember her little neighbor that has become part of the two-screen gem at the heart of Lexington: the State Theatre.

The 80-year old photo above depicts a large number of children gathered on Main Street in Lexington under the marquee of the State Theatre. The “Two Feature Picture” includes The Phantom of Crestwood which was released on October 14, 1932 and Haunted Gold which was released on December 17, 1932.

The latter film depicted John Wayne as John Mason in what is considered an early Wayne western. Apparently, Mason returned to the Sally Ann mine to collect his share.

Do you have fond memories of the State Theatre? Share them in the comments!

And the answer to last week’s #ThrowbackThursday puzzler:

Last Week: 

A good number of you guessed the correct location of the old Coca-Cola bottling plant on Lexington’s West Short Street. A handy clue was the extant antique store and Catholic church which remained in the right edge of the frame. 
Now at this location are the Opera House Square town homes. So everyone there should pay homage to history and stock their fridges with a little Coca-Cola. 
Congrats to Brian who was the first to correctly guess the location of the old bottling plant, even if he (and everyone else) waited until Sunday to take a look!

Bell Court is one of Lexington’s loveliest neighborhoods

The BGT deTour of Bell Court – Lexington, Ky.

About one mile east of the courthouse is one of Lexington’s small, closely knit neighborhoods: Bell Court. Upon even a cursory exploration of the neighborhood, one can understand a portion of its history. The presence of the impressive mansion at the heart of this little community bears witness to the pattern common in Lexington of “subdividing the parks and pleasure grounds of its great antebellum houses.” Birchfield, 83.

A collection of photos of properties in Bell Court as well as our guide, Jim Birchfield. 

The good news is that in the case of Bell Court, the original mansions were not razed. Note that the plural is used because two of the old mansions remain. Each is surrounded by examples of early twentieth-century architecture of the Queen Anne, Romanesque, Arts and Craft and Colonial Revival architectural styles.

And like its variety of architectural styles, the neighborhood has drawn a variety of middle- and upper- class Lexingtonians from different walks of life to create a vibrant sense of community that has been enhanced by a strong neighbhood association (active since 1964).

And while each house in Bell Court has its own beautiful story, constraints now limit their telling. What follows are the stories of Bell Place, Clay Villa, and the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

Bell Place (ca. 1890)

The primary property in the neighborhood is Bell Place which was constructed on the foundation of Woodside. Woodside had been designed and built by local architect Thomas Lewinski for Henry Bell on thirty-five acres of land which Bell had acquired for $8,750 in 1845. The land had originally been part of the 1,000 acres owned by Col. John Todd.

The planning and building of Woodside required eighteen months work and was completed in 1846. In 1848, Mrs. Abraham Lincoln visited with her mother and wrote in a letter to the future President:

Ma & myself rode out to Mr. Bell’s splendid place this afternoon to return a call. The house and grounds are magnificent. Birchfield, 87.

Upon his death in 1883, Henry Bell conveyed the thirty five acres and Residence to his only son, David Davis Bell (D.D. Bell). Lewinski had passed the year before and was thus unavailable to help D.D. Bell in rebuilding the family home after it burned in 1884.

Photos of the Bell House – Lexington, Ky.

Bell retained Cincinnati architect Samuel Eugene Des Jardins whose 23-page specifications for construction contains frequent “superlative of adjective and adverb [but] nowhere any requirement for economies.” Birchfield, 90-91. In other words, cost was not an issue.

The wealthy Bell was an attorney and an astute observer of Lexington’s growth. To these ends, he formulated a plan in the early 1890s to have a portion of his lands (retaining several acres around the residence) subdivided. D.D. Bell died, however, before this could be accomplished though a directive in his will prompted his widow to accomplish these aims with profits being placed in trust for their only child. Clara’s life and wealth were well-documented in a post on Bricks + Mortar.

Clay Villa (ca. 1846)

The earliest home in Bell Court was the contemporary to Woodside. In fact, Thomas Lewinski’s journals indicate that he worked on designing both Woodside and Clay Villa contemporaneously.

Clay Villa illustration by Clay Lancaster, “Vestiges of the
Venerable City,” 1978.

The Lewinski design was commissioned by Henry Clay for his son, James. (Interestingly, Clay also took the opportunity to commission Mansfield for son Thomas at also at the same time. Lewinski must have been quite busy in the 1840s!).

From the National Register application, we observe that Clay Villa is

Italianate in style with Greek Revival details, [it is] a square symmetrical brick house with hipped roof and four long interior panel chimneys; its walls are divided into three sections by applied segmental arches between wide pilaster-like forms with narrow vertical panels. NRHP.

Collage of Clay Villa. With a Forest Avenue address (frontage at top), the original
configuration would have faced Main Street (lower left).

It was James who would, after his father’s death, raze and rebuild Ashland which had reputed to have fallen into disrepair.

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd –
Lexington, Ky.

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd (ca. 1925)

Formed as a mission of the Christ Church in 1888, the cornerstone for the Episcopal Church at Main Street and Forest Avenue was laid on August 30, 1925. The tale told of the funding of its construction is interesting, as told in the National Register application:

The fortunes of the church were given a great boost in 1924 when the Reverend Thomas L. Settles became the first and most effective clergyman to speak to the State Legislature against the anti-pari-mutual bill, thus gaining the support of followers of the turf. Wealth and prominent leaders of the horse industry, many not members of the church, began to support the ambitious building plans of Settle and the building committee, and the sanctuary was completed in 1926.

There are 39 major stained glass windows in this beautiful Gothic Revival house of God.

Additional photographs of the Bell Court neighborhood and its magnificent resources can be found on flickr.

Again, special thanks to our tour guide of Bell Court: local historian and curator of rare books in Special Collections at the UK Library, Jim Birchfield.


The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour for young professionals (and the young-at-heart). The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Learn more details about this exciting group on Facebook! You can also see Kaintuckeean write-ups on previous deTours by clicking here.

The Vogt Reel House is Home to Engine Co. 4 and the Phantom

The next time you walk the increasingly popular Jefferson Street corridor, be sure to pause about midway between Main Street and West Sixth. At 246 Jefferson Street, you’ll see in action the oldest continuously operated firehouse in Lexington.

The Vogt Reel House was built in 1904 at a cost of $9,763. The appears of this 2-1/2 story brick structure is dominated by the two central brick tourelles each topped with “small domed ‘pepperpot’ tops” beneath the styled parapet. Together, it is described as being in the neo-Jacobean style.

Henry Vogt, for whom the firehouse is named, lived nearby at 534 Maryland Avenue when he donated the land for the firehouse which now hosts Engine Company No. 4. Vogt was a high end grocer who sold his goods from his shop at West Short and Broadway. At the time of his donation, he had also served on the city council for 16 years and was the Chairman of the Fire Committee.

When it opened to much fanfare, it housed “horses in stalls, five firemen and occasional neighborhood visitors, and it had a hay loft and a pot bellied stove. And later, Dalmations.”

In 2005, the center bay entry was widened so that a modern fire truck could continue to serve Downtown,Transylvania, Manchester, and Rupp Arena. The ubiquitous fire pole brings firefighters from the upper level’s living quarters to the engine level quickly. There is also an antique red spiral staircase which was originally located in the old Fayette County courthouse which burned in the late 1800s. 

The emblem on the engine for Company No. 4 depicts a skull wearing a fireman’s hat: it is the Phantom. The Phantom honors the Vogt Reel House’s ghost.

Oh, yeah. This firehouse is haunted!

Sources: Don Edwards; Firehistory; Lexington; Northside NA;

New Term for the Supreme Court, but No Kentucky Justices Anymore

Memorial Plaque Honoring Justice
Stanley Forman Reed in Maysville, Ky.

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States opens its Term and will hear four cases. On the bench sit the nine justices, none of whom are from Kentucky.

Five Kentuckians have served on the Supreme Court with Justice Stanley Forman Reed holding the position most recently. He was on the bench for nineteen years before he retired in 1957. 
Other Supreme Court Justices from Kentucky with their dates of service are Thomas Todd (1807-1826), Robert Trimble (1826-1828), John Marshall Harlan (1877-1911), and Fred M. Vinson (1946-1953).

Shortly before his retirement from the bench, Reed’s “friends and life-long associates” had a plaque installed on the façade of the courthouse in Reed’s native Mason County.

Reed was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1938 after having served as Roosevelt’s Solicitor General. When he stepped down from the bench in 1957, he was the last Justice who had not obtained a law degree. Reed had previously obtained two bachelors degrees (Kentucky Wesleyan in 1902; Yale University in 1906) and had studied law, but not graduating, at both University of Virginia and Columbia University.

On the bench, Reed was the fifth “swing justice.” He was considered a progressive on economic and some social issues, but was decidedly more conservative on matters of free speech and national security. He is interred at the Maysville Cemetery and his papers are at the University of Kentucky.

This Just Happened, a weekly roundup (Wini Yunker edition)

Wini Yunker Rappelling the Big Blue Building in
Lexington, Ky.

Sometimes people deserve credit and Wini Yunker fits the bill. Earlier this month, she rappelled down the Lexington Financial Center in downtown Lexington to the cheering crowds. At 79, she was the oldest accomplish the feat. And all with her trademark smile.

From this week on the Kaintuckeean, there was an internet outage at home so there were no posts Monday-Wednesday. Sorry!

  • A #TBT of a Coca-Cola bottling facility in Lexington, Ky. No one has yet guessed the location of it, so keep trying (and I’ll open the field to everyone – even the Sweepr!)
  • Inspired by her life, I profiled the very active Wini Yunker.
And from elsewhere around the Commonwealth:

There’s another set of renderings for Centerpointe in Lexington. We’ll see. [BizLex]

But a more likely project to actually be completed this century is across the street in the building that houses Taste of Thai. [BizLex]

With opening of healthcare marketplace Kynect and the government shutdown and role of Sens. McConnell and Paul, Kentucky became the political epicenter of the nation. [Gov. Beshear PR]

In 2018, the World Equestrian Games may return to Lexington? We’ll find out next year. [Courier-Journal]

Louisville’s football coach, Charlie Strong, wants another expansion of Cardinal Stadium. Not gonna happen, Charlie. [Courier-Journal]

A 300-year old Bur Oak in Lexington, Kentucky is under threat from development. [Herald-Leader]

Grave marker dedicated  for veteran of Revolutionary War in Marshall County. [Murray Ledger]

An Inspirational Woman: Nicholasville Native Wini Yunker Never Misses an Opportunity

Wini Yunker descending the Lexington Financial Center in
downtown Lexington, Kentucky

Last Wednesday, I slipped out of the office for about 30 minutes to stand at the base of the Lexington Financial Center with the rest of “Team Wini.”

A good number from Nicholasville had come to downtown Lexington to watch Wini Yunker participate in Brave the Blue II in which those fundraising $1,000 or more for the Blue Grass Council of the Boy Scouts of America could rappel down the western façade of Lexington’s tallest structure.

Let’s make sure we all understand what was going on at the moment.

Wini, 79, was strapped into a harness and prepared to rappel down the side of the 410-foot tall Big Blue Building.

I, 30, was standing with my two feet safely on Lexington’s Mill Street with a coffee in my hand.

Her experienced hands maneuvered the ropes for a quick descent and she loosened a snag herself when she became caught about two-thirds of the way down.

Yes, my friend Wini Yunker hardly acts the age of a near-octogenarian. But I’d suggest that for Wini, age has always been just a number. It has no bearing on what can be accomplished.

She is, and always has been, an inspiration for us all.

Wini was the subject of an article in the New York Times that described her proximity to the White House in 1961. It was there that she received, with sadness, a denial letter from the Peace Corps.

The Nicholasville native was told that she had insufficient educational experience to join the Corps.

An article from the Louisville Courier-Journal describes how Wini later earned her college degree from Spalding University in Louisville. A master’s degree from the University of Kentucky followed.

Those two articles were written in 2000 — 39 years after Wini was denied admittance to the Peace Corps. Both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees were received in the late 1990s.

The reason for the publication of the two articles? Wini was on her way to Ukraine as a member of the Peace Corps.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell addressed the Senate on Jan. 31, 2000, in tribute to Wini Yunker as she was getting ready to depart for Kiev:

At a time in her life when most people are beginning to think of retirement and slowing the pace of their lives, Ms. Yunker is instead boldly venturing out on a new journey. She is reaching high for a new goal that will not only make a lasting impact on her own life, but also on the lives of those she leaves the country to help.

Yunker receives the key to the city of Nicholasville from
Mayor Russ Meyer. 

While in Ukraine, she met President Bill Clinton. Although she froze when he took her hand, Wini didn’t want to miss the opportunity to speak to the president. So she slipped to the end of the receiving line where they again shook hands.

“God bless you, Mr. President,” Wini said the second time around.

And Clinton responded, “Nice to see you again.”

It is just another example of this incredible woman’s refusal to miss an opportunity regardless of what obstacles might lie in her path.

Thirteen years after her departure for Kiev, Wini shows no sign of “slowing the pace” of her life. And, quite literally, she is taking her “can do” attitude to new heights.

Wini Yunker continues to be an inspiration for us all.

This column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal. 
It should not be republished without permission.

Old Southeast Greyhound Line Building Nominated for National Register Inclusion

Southeast Greyhound Line Building on Loudon Ave. – Lexington, Ky.
Photo: National Register Application.

The Kentucky Historic Preservation Review Board has recommended a number of sites for inclusion onto the National Register of Historic Places. Among them is the old Greyhound Bus Terminal on Lexington’s Loudon Avenue. The immense structure – nearly 104,000 square feet – features a “muted Art Deco style” façade divided into three distinct units. The mammoth structure at 101 West Loudon Avenue was constructed in 1928 for the Consolidated Coach Corporation.

“The taller central portion contains 2 garage doors and is framed by slightly-projecting brick pilasters that terminate with narrow limestone caps. Two units flank that central portion. Historically these were symmetrical: a three-bay unit with each bay indicated by a flush pilaster with narrow limestone cap, above which sits the parapet.”

In 1914, the Greyhound bus lines began in Minnesota as a method of transporting large numbers of workers. In 1931, the Consolidated Coach Corporation which owned 101 West Loudon renamed itself  Southeast Greyhound Lines. By 1950, Southeast Greyhound Lines merged into the larger Greyhound entity and the Loudon Ave. structure was closed as an office in 1960. It was acquired by the Transit Authority of Lexington (LexTran) in 1972.

The application describes the structure’s improving neighborhood as follows:

Much of the recent development along the North Limestone corridor fills in where historic structures once stood, creating a lively new district which still retains much of its historic character. This includes turning the old Spalding’s Donuts building at 5th and Limestone into an arcade bar, and Urban Wildlife, a public art installation created at Luigart Studios, which was a former brewery. Across the street facing the opposite direction is a new company, Bullhorn Creative, and other retail shops, including an antique furniture store, a thrift store, an art gallery and a restaurant. The building is also near a railway, constructed in the late 19th century, which transports industrial and manufacturing goods throughout the state and country.

The transformation of the NoLi neighborhood is nothing short of amazing. Hopefully, the old Southeast Greyhound Lines building will find a next chapter in its life and continue to contribute to the vitality of the city and the region.


Source: H-L (B. Fortune); National Register Application.