The Kaintuckeean

Looking West from Lexington’s Oliver Lewis Way Bridge

Oliver Lewis Way Bridge – Lexington, Ky.

At the western edge of the Rupp Arena is the Manchester Street parking lot. This parking lot travels under the Jefferson Street viaduct before coming to an end near the new bridge at Oliver Lewis Way. Although the bridge is rather nondescript, the view from it can be described as anything but.

In Lexington’s never-ending labyrinth of street names, the parking lot was once known by Cox Street because that was the road that extended Newtown Pike from Main Street to High. A rebuilt Newtown Pike Extension was renamed Oliver Lewis Way (slightly west of Cox Street) in time for the 2010 World Equestrian Games. The extension is a fantastic bypass of downtown which I’ve utilized many times, though recently on foot for the first time.

I knew, but hadn’t ever taken the time to notice, all of the activity that occurs on the western side of the bridge:

Panoramic View, facing west, from Oliver Lewis Way Bridge – Lexington, Ky.

All visible are the Distillery District, the Town Branch Creek and the RJ Corman Railyard. About 100 years ago, much of this was open land to receive seasonal flooding of the town branch. The bridge today sits largely over the building and the “s-curve_” in the Town Branch as seen in the 1907-1920 Sanborn Insurance Map below. The building was industrial in nature – the home of the Waller Manufacturing Company, Planing Mill and Hogshead Mfy. A hogshead was a large (225 litre) wooden barrel used typically to hold tobacco or, more importantly given the proximity to several Lexington-based distilleries, to age bourbon.

Sanborn Insurance Map (1907-1920); Source: KDL-KYVL.

The Town Branch Creek which forms the axis on which Lexington is designed flows underneath Lexington (since we buried it). Efforts are underway as part of the Arena, Arts, and Entertainment Taskforce to raise the Town Branch Creek back to the surface. But, looking west from the Oliver Lewis Way Bridge one can already see the Town Branch Creek working its way toward the Kentucky River and beyond:

Town Branch Creek – Lexington, Ky.

Finally, I could spend the afternoon watching the happenings at the RJ Corman Railyard. The coupling and uncoupling of trains and the unloading of freight (often, river sand harvested from near Louisville) is an incredible sight. Corman’s holdings (a lot of land and facilities at its headquarters in Nicholasville, a major derailment division, and the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train among them) all are well-kept and contribute to the beauty of the region. That is something you cannot say about many short lines around the country. Consider the display at the southwest corner of Main and Newtown Streets featuring fence, a stone wall, cab, car and caboose:

RJ Corman Railyard – Lexington, Ky.

There is a lot to see from the Oliver Lewis Way Bridge, but you must take the time to observe it. And I’m sure in my few minutes that I missed a lot. What else do you see?

Paducah, Ky. Neighborhood, Wallace Park, Added to National Register

Tree-lined streets of Wallace Park Neighborhood Historic District
Photo: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application

The National Park Service listed Paducah’s Wallace Park Neighborhood Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 2012. The district was recommended by the Kentucky Heritage Council in December.

Development of Wallace Park began in 1923 as an affluent residential neighborhood and it thrived as a middle- and upper-class subdivision after incorporation into Paducah’s city limits in 1926. The district consists if approximately 75 acres, including 154 of 159 structures being contributing.

Wallace House – 203 Cedar Lane – Paducah, Ky.
Photo: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application

The oldest structure, the Wallace House, was built ca. 1860 by Captain Phillip Wallace and his wife and is “the iconic symbol of Wallace Park.” “The Greek Revival structure is a five- bay, central passage structure laid in seven-course, common-bond masonry and covered by a hip roof. The side and rear of the structure are enclosed with several additions.” In 1890, Capt. Wallace sold his home and the surrounding acreage to the City Transit Company who developed the property into a recreational, family getaway (accessible, of course, by trolley).

Originally known as LaBelle Park, the site included a nine hole golf course, dance pavilion, lake, and a zoo. The park – then about a mile west of Paducah’s city limits – also had a casino!!

Around 1904, baseball diamonds and bleachers were added and the park was renamed Wallace Park. A minor league baseball team (Kitty League) called it home from 1904-1908. Interest in the park, however, fell by the early 1920s.

Survey of Wallace Park – west of Paducah, Ky. (June 1923)
Source: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application

Before the neighborhood was developed, the land was offered by the city to the state to be the site for a new college in the Purchase area. Instead, in 1922, the state legislature selected the town of Murray as the home of the new western normal school. At the same time, an eastern normal school at Morehead was also established.

Once a neighborhood was planned, Tudor Revival and Craftsman Bungalow style homes were constructed in the mid-1920s. These were followed by the construction of Cape Codders and Colonial Revivals. In the 1950s, a housing boom prompted the construction of several duplexes. The last homes in the neighborhood were built in the 1980s.

The neighborhood is a microcosm of Paducah’s own development during the twentieth century. Further, the integrity of the neighborhood is strong due to design requirements, setbacks, and minimum housing prices since the earliest days of Wallace Park. It is a beautiful neighborhood with a variety of architectural styles, established trees, and significant character.

Source: McCracken Co. History; NRHP Application, #12000047; NRHP Listing; Paducah Parks History

Tornado Hits West Liberty, Kentucky: Before & After

Aerial from WKYT-TV

In 62 years, Morgan County experienced three tornados. But in the past three days, the same county has experienced two. * The tornadoes have been absolutely devastating with incredible property damage and, more importantly, loss of life. My heart aches as I lift up my prayers for all of those who were affected in West Liberty and beyond.

I was fortunate enough to visit West Liberty during the summer of 2011 and see part of this beautiful eastern Kentucky town. Following my visit, I profiled the Judge John E. Cooper House which was built in 1872/73 as well as the Millstone Monument on the Courthouse Lawn. Nate has also profiled the Morgan County Courthouse (1907).

For Jake of PageOneKentucky, it is particularly personal as he is a native of West Liberty. His immediate impression this morning, on the ground:

Is that it’s not just a few roofs ripped off. Telecommunications infrastructure is dead at the moment. There are maybe two buildings in town that are structurally sound. The rest are gone or just a few walls remain. Funeral homes are gone. Most pharmacies and stores are gone. Gas stations demolished. Flooding is separating part of the town. The hospital was severely damaged. Schools damaged.

We echo Jake’s plea: If you have a dollar, DONATE IT HERE (RED CROSS).

For perspective, I’ve pulled some photographs that I took last summer with those now available.

West Liberty United Methodist Church

West Liberty United Methodist Church (July 2011)

West Liberty United Methodist Church (March 2, 2012)
Photo: Kristen Kennedy, WKYT-TV. Used with permission.

Kentucky Leadership assesses West Liberty, KY

West Liberty United Methodist Church (March 3, 2012)
Photo: Ky. Nat’l Guard Public Affairs Office

Main Street – West Liberty
For perspective, look the awnings of the building at the far-left of each photo.

Main Street – West Liberty, Ky. (July 2011)

Main Street – West Liberty, Ky. (March 3, 2011)
Photo: Jason Coffee, from pageonekentucky

World War I Memorial
On the lawn of the old courthouse stood a WWI soldier as a memorial to those brave men who served their country during the Great War. As you can see, only the base remains.

Morgan Co. World War I Memorial (July 2011)

Gov. Beshear Viewing Damage; WWI Memorial at right
Photo: Ky. Nat’l Guard Public Affairs Office

Old Courthouse

The old courthouse was built in 1907 and its listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A new judicial center (condition below) has been under construction immediately behind this building. Early reports were that this building was flattened – clearly not accurate – but it is uncertain whether the damage sustained will warrant demolition or whether it can be saved. It is clear, by comparing Nate’s picture (#2) with the after-storm photo that the beautiful cupola is gone. In discussing the damage with Nate, we agreed that Morgan County’s was one of the most beautiful courthouses in eastern Kentucky.

Morgan County Courthouse - West Liberty - Ky.

Old Courthouse – West Liberty, Ky. (July 2011)

Old Morgan County Courthouse with Cupola
Photo: Nate Kissel

Old Courthouse (March 3, 2012)
Photo: Ky Nat’l Guard Public Affairs Office

New Judicial Center
Not yet complete, the new judicial center appears to have sustained a lot of damage.

New Judicial Center (July 2011)

Aerial Photo of Tornado Damage – West Liberty, Ky.
TV Screenshot of WKYT-TV Skyfirst (March 3, 2012)

All of my Morgan County photos are available on flickr.

Lexington’s Centrepointe Design Almost a Reality? Feels like it.

Proposed Design of Centrepointe Block – Lexington, Ky.

After last night’s public meeting, I am convinced that 2012 will be the year that ground is broken on the Centrepointe project. With the likes of Marriott, Urban Active, Jeff Ruby’s, Saul Good and others being (repeatedly and publicly) linked to the project, it is hard to comprehend that the developers would not be nearing shovel readiness. Yes, ink must be dried, permits and governmental authorizations attained … but by and large, I think we are ready to move forward.

And that will be a good thing. I’ve commented on the Centrepointe saga several times before (here, here, here, and here among others) and I’ve only been a small voice. But the collective voice of many has improved the design of the property from its earliest forms to what we see today.

E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.

Great credit should be given to the property owners for opening up a dialogue about the design of the property even though they have received great criticism. Public comment continued last night at a forum while email comment is being continuously accepted at [email protected].

Great credit should be given to the architects involved – all of them – who have listened to and, as appropriate, incorporated suggestions from the public.

From last night’s public meeting, I did glean a few details about the overall project that were not known last month when the initial renderings of the EOP (the primary architectural firm involved) were released. (See Another Round in the Centrepointe Saga, Feb. 16, 2012) But mostly, these were small details.

In my earlier post, I saw inspiration for the building at Vine and Limestone as being a bird’s nest a la the Beijing Olympic Stadium. Apparently, I was wrong. The building was inspired by a Kentucky forest with its trees strongly reaching upward. The rooftop garden completes the canopy. Okay!?

Anyway, the main thing from yesterday was seeing all the renderings. And there were a lot of them! Here is some of what I saw:

All great! Two notes from these photos. In the second to last, we see a pedway over Upper Street that likely won’t survive the CADRB and I understand that the exact schematics of the pedway are yet to be finalized. We’ll see. More importantly, in the last photo I’m concerned about the vehicular traffic flow into the hotel. It seems that there are some very dangerous points with the up/down ramps as traffic comes in off Vine Street; also, I’m afraid traffic would become congested on Vine as many people arrive for a conference, etc. Just my two cents.

And now for my funny observation of the evening: the schematics indicate that most of downtown is being overrun by either Transy or UK. The Student Center is EVERYWHERE!

Fayette County’s old courthouse is all history

The old Fayette County Courthouse – Lexington, Ky.

Even before a courthouse first occupied this site, it was an important center of Lexington. In fact, the first schoolhouse in the Commonwealth was built on the site in 1783. It was there that John “Wildcat” McKinney, the schoolteacher, was attacked by and fought off a wildcat that had entered the school.

Fayette County’s first three courthouses were torn down or sold, the fourth burned on May 14, 1897, and the fifth courthouse remains standing on the footprint of its two immediate predecessors. That fire in May 1897 occurred when the courtroom was full of fifth graders taking their year end exam. The smoke and fire caused great calamity throughout the building as adults scurried around with great difficulty and confusion, yet these fifth graders assembled a single file line before safely exiting the building.

A sneak peek of the HVAC-filled dome

Visiting the 1898 courthouse is particularly special when the historic dome becomes visible. As written following my 2009 visit to the old courthouse, “Prior to the renovation, visitors inside the courthouse would have marveled at a grand staircase as they gazed up 107 feet to the dome ceiling. The dome, picture above, was painted a blue with dozens of lights which would have illuminated the dome – then one of Lexington’s tallest structures – and the surrounding area. The use of these electric lights in 1900 was groundbreaking; only Paris, France (the “City of Lights”) was using lightbulbs in such innovative ways. The lights would also have illuminated the beautiful interior – the carvings and paintings reminiscent of a 14th century Tibetan palace.”

The 1898 courthouse was designed by the Cleveland, Ohio architecture firm Lehman & Schmitt, who also designed their own city’s Cuyahoga County Courthouse. The Fayette County Courthouse is a fantastic example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. In the shape of a Greek cross, though appearing almost cubic, the courthouse has an entrance on each of its four sides. Each entrance is marked by a large round arch and a shallow balcony above. The corbels supporting these balconies feature facing ranging from grotesque to “resembling characters from the Canterbury Tales.”

The clock in the belfry survived the 1897 fire and has been preserved through history to 1806. On the hour, you can still hear the bell mark the hours of the day just as that same bell did for the ears of Henry Clay, John Breckinridge and Abraham Lincoln.

In 1951, plans were moving forward to demolish the 1898 courthouse despite opposition from, as the Lexington Leader called them, “sentimentalists.” The 1951 plan would have transformed the block: “raze the present courthouse; widen Cheapside; build a county building to house businesses, county offices, courtrooms and the county jail at the corner of Cheapside and Short street; put a two-deck parking lot at Short and Upper streets; build a parking garage beneath the county building and the parking lot; sell the jail and the part of the courthouse square that fronts on Main street.” A chief proponent of this new plan was County Commissioner Dudley Burke who, frustrated with the insufficient space in the half-century old structure, wanted “to tear this damn thing down and building a new building.”And although the plan was supported by the chamber of commerce, it ultimately floundered.

The Old Grand Stairway Remembered

The space issues, however, did not go away, because five courtrooms had been squeezed into a building designed for one. A 1961 plan called for adaptive reuse. While preserving the façade of the historic courthouse, its inner workings (including the palatial atrium) would be filled with HVAC, an elevator system and restrooms.

A grand jury convened in 1987 focused on the possible solutions to the lack of community interest in the courthouse square which had become to be visibly seen by the growing layers of bird droppings on the lawn’s memorials.

In 2002, the old courthouse closed when the new courthouse complex opened a couple blocks away on North Limestone Street. The old courthouse is the home to several museums, most notably the Lexington History Museum, which opened in 2003. Fundraising is underway to restore the old courthouse to its original glory and provide a beautiful home for these great museums.

Additional photographs are available on flickr.

The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour for young professionals (and the young-at-heart) at a local historic(al) site. Meetings are on the first Wednesday of each month, 5:30 p.m. Details are always available on Facebook! The next meeting is on March 7 at the Henry Clay Law Office and First Presbyterian Church (both on N. Mill between Short and Second Sts.). Click to see Kaintuckeean write-ups on previous deTours.

Sources: kentucky.com; ky120 (Fayette); local.lexpublib.org; NRHP; walkLEX (1st visit)

New novel on assassination of Governor Goebel is a must read

I recently wrapped up reading a fantastic novel written by Howard McEwen, a freelance writer from the Cincinnati area.

Wrath – the life and assassination of a United States Governor dealt with the life and machinations of the only sitting governor in United States history to suffer at the hands of an assassin’s bullet.

The journey of William Goebel was a difficult one. Born in Pennsylvania, Goebel became for a few years the “man of the house” while his father served in Lincoln’s army. Debt-ridden before his enlistment and still financially suffering after his service, Goebel’s father took his family down river to Cincinnati. The family was deposited at the cheaper port across the river: Covington, Ky.

Basil Duke Historic Marker –
Georgetown, Ky.

It was from this Kenton County city that William Goebel learned to hate Confederate veterans and sympathizers, the railroads, and a host of others. One of this chief rivals was Basil Duke – a Confederate veteran who had served in General Morgan‘s cavalry and railroad executive of the L&N Railroad.

After a number of negative experiences, Goebel pulled himself up through handwork and self-made connections to develop his own political machine. It was during Goebel’s rise to power that other Kentucky political machines, chiefly Boss Klair, got their first taste of politics.

Statue of William Goebel – Frankfort, Ky.

Murder, proverbial backstabbing, back-room deals, and some of the most corrupt political acts imaginable (our current legislators might even shudder at what Goebel pulled) create the background that led to Goebel’s infamous (though largely forgotten) assassination that occurred just steps from the state capital in Frankfort.

Using the Goebel biography written by James C. Klotter as a factual spring board, McEwen weaves a well-written and marvelous background to a dramatic time in Kentucky. Without further research, it is difficult to know where fact ends and McEwen’s fiction begins (making me want to read Klotter’s book soon!).

Goebel was, without a doubt, power hungry and got great satisfaction from any power he acquired. Quite focused, he is portrayed to have not given way to the normal temptations of political life.

But perhaps the greatest accomplishment in McEwen’s work is his portrayal of the assassin. Although history does not give us his identity, we assume the “mountain man” came and disappeared from the hills of eastern Kentucky. McEwen creates an accounting of this unnamed person, as well. In each chapter, the sad tale of the mountain man – also one of wrath – brings the two toward an inevitable collision in 1900.

Only a Park Rose from the Ashes of the Once Mighty Phoenix Hotel

Phoenix Hotel, 1879
Clay Lancaster Collection

The theme “Then vs. Now” provides insight into Lexington’s past. Building by building, whether standing or demolished I’ll explore the structural influence on our city. Historic photographs, architectural evidence, and archival research all contribute to providing a narrative that illustrates each building’s evolution and, in turn, the influence of that structure on
Lexington’s history. Archival photographs juxtaposed with contemporary pictures help to give the clearest
glimpse into Lexington’s history when a building still stands. In those cases where (lamentably) a building has been razed, one’s best sources are research of historic newspapers, books, photographs, and stories.

Phoenix Hotel, undated
Frank C. Dunn

At the corner of Limestone and E. Main
stood what was possibly one of Lexington’s most architecturally and historically important buildings: the
Phoenix Hotel. Constructed in 1897 on the footprint of no less than three taverns, the Phoenix
Hotel was established in 1820. Its name was purportedly derived from the hotel surviving a fire in the 1820s.

The Phoenix Hotel was the stop of at least six
presidents, the location of the Morgan’s Men Association’s inception (1868),
the Kiwanis Club of Lexington’s inception (1919), and the home of WVLK-AM for
33 years (1947-1980).

In a Phoenix Hotel ballroom, in 1902, Judge James H. Mulligan read his now infamous poem, In Kentucky.

Including the former
taverns (most famously, the Postlethwaite’s Tavern), the Phoenix was quite possibly the longest standing hostelry this side
of the Allegheny Mountains. Its demolition in 1981 ended this reign, making room for the
World Coal Center.

Demolition of the Phoenix Hotel
ca. 1981 (note the billboard)
Kentuckiana Digital Library

Conceived by Wallace Wilkinson, later governor from 1987-1991, the World Coal Center (WCC) was to house the corporate headquarters of major coal companies. Depending on the source and plan referenced, the tower was to be 50, 41, or 25 stories beginning with first floor retail space. The demolition of the Phoenix Hotel jumpstarted a statewide discourse on politics,
coal, and preservation.

Despite Kentucky’s coalfields being found in the hills of eastern Kentucky, Wilkinson argued that Lexington was the center of commercial activity for the eastern portion of the state. Building his WCC in the coal fields was not viable. In October 1981,
an op-ed in the Bowling Green Daily News belied Wilkinson’s defense of the coal center suggesting that the choice of location was just “another ‘slap in the face’ to coalfield residents” and that the project would only perpetuate the removal of resources from eastern Kentucky.

The WCC ultimately succumbed to lack of funding. Its shadow hangs over another project that has stumbled from lack of resources: Centrepointe. While the loss of the Phoenix Hotel is thirty years in the rearview of Lexington’s memory, the loss of Morton’s Row is much fresher in the mind of Lexingtonians. The excitement for the Jeanne Gang re-design (combined with disappointment of proceeding without her) and the close eye Lexington keeps on every development demonstrates that some lessons were learned from the loss of the Phoenix Hotel.

Historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newport Regains Status

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Newport, Ky.

In his final years, Colonel James Taylor donated a piece of land for the establishment of a church near the courthouse square in Newport, Kentucky. Taylor brought the first settlers in 1793 to the southeastern point of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio Rivers. By 1795, Newport was incorporated.

On the land donated by Taylor was a 30 x 40 foot brick structure that had been used by the Methodist Church, but they had already moved on to a larger structure. It was here that on Easter Sunday, 1844, that the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church first held services. Services were led by the then-rector of Cincinnati, Rev. Nicholas Hamner Cobbs. Also of note is that St. Paul’s was the first Episcopal church in the United States to have a vested choir.

The old Methodist meeting house was purchased later in 1844 for the sum of $500. In 1845, the church was admitted into the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky and was transferred to the Diocese of Lexington when the new diocese was formed in 1896. At that time, the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church congregation was the largest in the newly formed diocese.

Postcard of Campbell County Courthouse Square and
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Courtesy: NKyViews)

In 1871, the Methodist meeting house was demolished and on the same site the cornerstone was laid for the present Gothic Revival church building. It was designed by J. R. Neff and was completed – well over budget – in August 1873. A parish house was added in 1929.

The Gothic Revival church is quite impressive. Its tall steeple, unlike the majority which are either pre-made or constructed with panels, was built stone-by-stone. The Gothic elements embody the popular Anglican architectural style prevalent in the 19th century: side entrance tower, buttresses, tri-window arrangement on the front and usage of the lancet window. In truth, the style has come to represent a “traditional look” for churches in America.

Historic Marker “St. Paul’s Church”

About forty years ago, St. Paul’s found itself unable to be self-sustaining due to dropping attendance and offerings. As a result, the diocese dropped St. Paul’s designation from parish to mission. Though once the largest parish in the diocese, St. Paul’s was relegated to a diminished status. But the faithful people of the mission were steadfast. Since the installation of a new rector in 2004, St. Paul’s has seen tremendous growth and only recently regained its status as a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington.

Those who have worshipped here included Taylor and his family, Rep. Brent Spence, and Henry Stanberry who represented President Andrew Johnson during his impeachment trial.

Sources: Cinncinnati.com; Cinn. Dly Cmlth (Taylor St. Meth.); Ky. Enc.; N. Ky. Enc.; N. Ky. Views; NRHP

Beta Testing and Kentucky Coffee Stout

In software development, there are two basic types of testing: alpha and beta. In alpha testing, you don’t let your product out-of-house as you work out kinks in the system. Beta testing brings the product to the public – or a small subset of the public – for feedback.

I believe Kentucky Coffee Stout is in its own version of beta testing. With much hype on twitter throughout the preceding day, a keg of the first new brew from Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Company was tapped at Lexington Beerworks. A few other locations also have the stout on tap.

Alltech launched Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale in 2006 and this is their first new beer since. Other brews in the lineup are Kentucky Ale and Kentucky Ale Light. I’m a huge fan of all of their beers and was very excited to try Kentucky Coffee Stout so I didn’t tarry on my walk to Lexington Beerworks.

A few sips in, I remembered to snag a photograph. As I talked with the barkeep and a few other patrons, we all had very similar tasting notes. First and foremost, the flavor was great. Starting with a good beer like Kentucky Ale and adding in an excellent coffee bean, Alltech has produced a fantastic flavor.

Flavor is the beer’s strength, but its body is its weakness.

The coffee beans are from parent company Alltech’s Café Citadelle – a fair trade coffee from Haiti. (Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries, is located on the western half of Caribbean island Hispaniola, and had a devastating earthquake in 2010 bringing worldwide attention and assistance but has since gone forgotten.) I first tasted Café Citadelle at the 2012 National Horse Show in Lexington (sponsored by Alltech) and found the coffee to be really good. Dumping twelve pounds of the stuff into a batch of beer? Brilliant.

The problem with Kentucky Coffee Stout, however, was its body. A sip of a stout beer (think: Guiness, an Irish stout) should leave a slight weight on your tongue. The head on a well-poured stout should occupy about the top inch of the glass, but by the time the Kentucky Coffee Stout hit the bar its head was gone. A slight twirl of the glass left no foam stuck to the side of the glass, again something that should occur in a stout. I can attest that it was not the fault of the barkeep; I’ve already had a few perfectly poured stouts at the Beerworks. This fault, unfortunately, lies with the beer itself. I believe I dubbed it a stout with erectile dysfunction.

It is therefore a question of Shakespearean proportion: would a beer by any other name taste so good? Ignoring the label ‘stout’ for a minute, you’ve got a damn good tasting beer. Dark and flavorful, maybe the texture is purposeful? We’ll find out when this beer leaves beta testing. And it will. Because it is good.

Paintsville Post Office, circa 1931, is the ultimate in adaptive reuse

The Old Post Office – Paintsville, Ky.

If you walk down Paintsville’s Second Street, you can not help but notice the seven-bay Colonial Revival post office at the intersection with College Street. The impressive building, its front door at the building’s center, dates to 1931. One of Paintsville’s oldest commercial structures, the old post office features a brick and concrete parapet with balustrade below the Mansard roof. It was built two years after the start of the depression-era and three years before the Works Progress Administration started bringing jobs and construction to communities across the country. And although many WPA projects occurred in Paintsville, but the post office predated them all.

Inside, the old post office featured many luxurious features which must have been quite foreign to both rural Paintsville and the Depression period. Terra cotta floors, pink granite walls, and marble baseboards all would have been evidence in the early 1930s of a federal government attempting to show strength and power despite the weakening economy. The year after ground broke on this post office, President Roosevelt would be swept into office and in his first 100 days, the New Deal.

Outside the post office, nearer the corner of Second and College streets, is a blue mailbox. It is the only part of the property still in use by the federal government. For the house is an amazing tale of adaptive use since its conversion to residential use several years ago. The house has been featured in This Old House and on NPR’s All Things Considered.

One can easily see the changes done to the old Paintsville post office by comparing the original floor plan of the main building’s first floor with the adaptive reuse floor plan:

Original Floor plan (Courtesy: Kentucky Heritage Council)

Adaptive Reuse Floor plan (Illustration: Michael Luppino)

On the building’s rear, a mailing vestibule and mailing platform has been converted into a gardening room, sunroom, and verandah.

The postmaster’s office, with its pebble-glass door and stenciled Postmaster, remains as the owner’s home office. The old money order office, a dining room; its safe, silver. Originally divided between a public front and a large mail sorting facility, the owner has redesigned the interior while incorporating original design features to create a usable living space. A number of interior photographs are available on the This Old House website.

Sources: Hooked on Houses; Kentucky Heritage Council; NRHP; NPR; This Old House