No Destination: Church of the Annunciation

Church of the Annunciation

On a Sunday visit to Shelbyville, I sought out the local Catholic Church. I walked into the sanctuary only moments after the conclusion of the last service. The smell of incense still permeated the air and I was able to spend a few quiet moments in prayer.

Catholicism in Shelbyville has interesting roots; the first sermon (1843) by a Catholic priest in the community occurred  in the public square to a gathering anticipating the public execution of James McLaughlin. Father James Quinn of Louisville unsuccessfully pleaded with Gov. Letcher for a pardon. Hours before the execution, McLaughlin used a razor to slit his own throat and many accused Fr. Quinn of providing McLaughlin with the tool. Quinn’s sermon was on the value of life, though anti-Catholic sentiment lingered.

Nearly twenty years later, on October 2, 1860, the Church of the Annunciation was dedicated. When compared to Lebanon’s St. Augustine’s, the Church of the Annunciation is quite plain. Yet it is a beautiful sanctuary with aged clean lines and a genuine warmth.

See Parish History.

Oldham County Courthouse – La Grange, Ky.

I love La Grange. I lived in downtown La Grange for three years, and La Grange is where I fell in love with small-town life. For those of you who have never been, you owe it to yourself to visit. Main Street La Grange is split by a train track that is still active – more than 30 trains run through La Grange every day. I used to do historic tours through La Grange, and you’d think I could remember more about this structure. If I remember correctly, this building was constructed in the mid 1870s, after a fire destroyed the previous courthouse in 1873. The circuit courtroom upstairs is a pretty amazing space. The county jail is connected to the courthouse just to the left of the picture, and the Oldham County History Center sits just across the street. Directly behind me in this picture is the old La Grange Opera House, which I’m hoping Peter blogs about later.
As an interesting aside, Peter and I were walking through La Grange when Kentucky pulled off its miracle comeback to beat Mississippi State in the SEC championship game. We watched the final two minutes of overtime in the La Grange McDonald’s.

No Destination: Science Hill School

Shelbyville’s Science Hill School

Julia Tevis began in 1825 a college preparatory program for girls in Shelbyville. At the time, a “gentlelady’s” education consisted of only reading, writing and the social graces. Tevis sought to expand the minds of young women, including in areas such as the sciences. The school was a great success when on its first day, 20 women appeared at the door. Mrs. Tevis operated the school for 55 years until it fell under the principalship of Dr. W.T. Pointer.

Dr. Pointer brought great acclaim to Science Hill as it was declared one of the nation’s greatest college preparatory programs. The Lyceum Circuit regularly included Science Hill on its its itinerary, bringing distinguished speakers and educators to Shelbyville. This increased the cultural import of Shelbyville and prompted the construction of the town’s opera house.

After 114 years in operation, the Great Depression caused a number of preparatory institutions to close including Science Hill.

Shelby County Courthouse – Shelbyville, Ky.

A few weekends ago me and Peter decided to combine our powers and take a Kentucky 120/No Destination trip through my old stomping grounds. For 3 years I lived in Oldham County and commuted to see my fiance every weekend in Lexington. Shelbyville was the mid-point of that drive, and I’ve always loved the town. I especially love Main Street, which looks like something out of a movie. On the west end of Main are some of the prettiest older homes in the Commonwealth, and at the center of town is the amazing Greek Revival courthouse you see above. It’s really unlike anything else I’ve seen in Kentucky. This courthouse was built in 1913, and displaced the unique Shelbyville fountain that Peter blogged about earlier.

No Destination: Stanley House

The Stanley-Casey House

Augustus O. Stanley was born in the above-pictured house in Shelbyille on May 21, 1867, and would later go on to be Kentucky’s 38th governor (1915-1919). The house was erected c. 1816 Gov. Stanley also served in the U.S. House of Representatives (pre-governorship) and the U.S. Senate (post-governorship).

Stanley, a progressive Democrat, spent his time in Washington trust-busting (on behalf of Kentucky farmers against the American Tobacco Company and on principle against U.S. Steel). In 1912, Stanley authored a committee report that would be the basis of many of the reforms to the Sherman Act that would be embodied in the Clayton Act.

As governor, Stanley instituted a number of progressive reforms: state antitrust laws, ban on free railroad passes for public figures, campaign finance reform, worker’s compensation and budget reform. The biggest marker of Stanley’s political career was his opposition to prohibition; it and his progressivism ultimately cost him the 1915 Senate election and his Senate re-election bid in 1924.

Also of note, Stanley’s grandson (Augustus O. Stanley III, a/k/a Owsley Stanley a/k/a The Bear) was an underground LSD cook and financier for Grateful Dead. Oh, and he kind of designed the logo for the band.

No Destination: Shelbyille Fountain

Also at the intersection of Fifth and Main in downtown Shelbyville is the Shelbyville Fountain, erected in the middle of the intersection in 1895 to celebrate the community’s first public water works (Shelbyville Water & Light Co.). The statue and fountain were relocated to the southeast corner of the intersection in 1914 after the completion of the present courthouse.

The J. L. Mott Ironworks Company of New York designed and built the “Atlantis” patterned fountain. Its founder, Jordan Mott, was very creative in his designs and was successful in patenting a number of his iron works. President Buchanan offered him the position of Commissioner of Patents, but Mott refused.

The fountain was restored in 1992 in celebration of the Commonwealth’s (and Shelby County’s and Shelbyille’s) Bicentennial.

No Destination: Church of the Ascension

Church of the Ascension in Frankfort

Frankfort’s Church of the Ascension is the oldest congregation in the city. It has been instrumental in the growth of the city by sponsoring the first library, furnishing an orphanage from 1859 to 1939, and founding a free school for the poor.

The Episcopal Church is located on Washington Street in Frankfort’s historic district.

Constructed about 1850 and financed by Farmer’s Bank president John Hanna, the house of worship was enlarged in 1868 and both the parish house and chapel were erected in 1899. Hanna had traveled to Europe to see models of traditional church design before he funded the building of the Church of the Ascension.

No Destination: Shelbyville

5th & Main, Shelbyville, KY with county courthouse in background

In 1792, Kentucky became a Commonwealth, Shelby County split from Jefferson County and Shelbyville was first settled (though it would not be incorporated until 1846). Both the county and the city are named after Kentucky’s first governor, Isaac Shelby.

Civil unrest came to Shelbyville even before the Civil War began, prompting local officials to erect a blockhouse in the center of town. It stood at the intersection of what is now Fifth St. and Main St. and remained until “civil law and order were assured” in 1870. The intersection remains – with the courthouse, city fountain and memorial park – Shelbyville’s civil center (which is odd, given that it is Fifth Street).

Downtown Shelbyville is built around two one-way streets (Main and Washington) running parralel to one another. Historic sites, antique shops, cafes and other businesses prosper.