BGT – Page 4 – The Kaintuckeean

First African Baptist Church: A Historic Structure, a Historic Faith, and a Determined Future

First African Baptist Church at Short & DeWeese – Lexington, Ky.

At the southwest corner of East Short and DeWeese Streets stands the oldest African-American church in Kentucky and the third oldest African American Baptist church in the nation. The strong edifice of the First African Baptist Church anchors this once residential block and seeks to once again anchor the East End community.

Labeled in the 1890 Sanborn insurance map as the First Baptist Church (Colored), its parenthetical used to differentiate between it and the anglo First Baptist Church on West Main. It is unlikely, however, that such a parenthetical would have been needed for any Lexingtonian then looking at the map for First African’s location in the East End suggested the racial identity of her members living in this southern city.

First African Baptist Church is, without a doubt, a Historic Structure representing a Historic Faith. And though the Baptists abandoned the building decades ago, those who love this structure have for it a Determined Future.

Front Doors of the First African
Baptist Church – Lexington, Ky.

A Historic Structure

Constructed in 1856 with the slave labor of its own membership, the significant architectural detail leaves no doubt that the structure’s design was prepared with great thought and attention. First African is described in the National Register as a “good example of a mid-nineteenth century Italianate style Protestant chapel,” though the windows on the eastern façade (when uncovered) are said to have a Gothic appearance.

In 1926, the Parish House was added in the Collegiate Tudor style on the western side of the old church. Also added to the façade of the church in the 1920s was the “colossal stone portico with four widely spaced Tuscan columns … across the front with a flat entablature.”

The interior’s description in its National Register application predates its conversion to the daycare center of Central Christian Church. This present use has converted the sanctuary into a gymnasium with basketball goals, toys, and cots. The description from 1986:

A well-proportioned rectangular hall, it is distinguished by a classical Georgian cornice. The most striking feature is the large mural of Jesus christ as a shepherd rescuing a stray lamb from the precarious edge of a cliff high over a river (presumably Jordan). It is flanked by red draperies and tall unfluted Corinthian columns. Similar red curtains protect the baptismal pool at the southwest corner of the sanctuary, where the sacred ceremony of total immersion takes place. In the opposite corner is the raised seating of the choir, whose musical participation is of paramount importance in the services. The walls are painted to resemble stone in soft beige tones, and the opalescent-glass windows cast pleasing soft colors over them.

Many of these interior features were removed when the FABC departed the location for Price Road in 1987.

A Historic Faith

Though the building itself was erected in the mid-19th century, the history of the congregation dates back to the prior century. Peter Durrett, a slave who came across the mountains from Virginia in 1781 with his master and the Traveling Church. Known as “Uncle Peter” or “Old Captain,” Durrett was an able preacher just like his master Lewis Craig,

In fact, Durrett had previously scouted the path and destinations the Travelling Church would take into Kentucky. This assigned task by his master revealed a great deal about Durrett’s character and intelligence, and the respect he garnered from all those – black and white – in that group of sojourners.

In 1790, Durrett established his own congregation in Lexington in what was easily the first black congregation west of the Alleghenies. When Durrett died in 1823, he left behind a strong church and a historic legacy.

London Ferrill, the second minister, assumed the pastorate upon the death of Durrett and remained as leader of the flock until his own death in 1854. During the time, he would baptize over 5,000 souls to Jesus Christ. He brought his church into the fold of the Elkhorn Baptist Association in 1824.

Ferrill was highly respected by all races, much like his predecessor. When some in the church sought to have him removed over a churchly matter, they attempted to utilize a state law requiring slaves freed from other states to stay no longer than 90 days in Kentucky. Ferrill’s friends in Frankfort passed special legislation granting him the permission to stay here permanently.

During the 1833 cholera epidemic, Ferrill stayed in Lexington (one of only three ministers to do so during the epidemic) to pastor his congregation, administer medicine, and bury the dead.

He was so well respected by all peoples of Lexington that his funeral was the largest attended in the city’s history, a claim not to be eclipsed until the 1852 funeral of Henry Clay.*

* This funeral factoid is told in one of two ways, with the runner-up to Clay being either Durrett or London Ferrill, the second minister of First African. Either way, it evinces the significant role this church played in the community.

A Determined Future

Rendering of Restored FABC with Addition
Photo: First African Foundation

Yvonne Giles, a local historian and expert on the East End, emphasized the importance of interpreting First African within the neighborhood as she repeated that it was “not just a church, but a community center.” It was the gathering place for generations of the East End and African-American communities of Lexington.

When the congregation departed in 1986, Central Christian purchased the structure and found utility in it. It is altogether possible that the historic church could have been demolished in the late 1980s in favor of a surface parking lot were it not for Central’s intervention. In the 2010s, Central Christian has sought to unload some of its surplus property and for a time the First African Foundation was under contract to acquire the old church at Short and DeWeese and convert it back into a community center. The Foundation intended to restore the old sanctuary as well as the circa 1926 Collegiate Tudor addition. The complex would “include a theater space with 300 to 350 seats, conference rooms, exhibit areas and space for music education.” Unfortunately, this worthy cause failed due to a want of funds.

But a different future for the historic structure emerged in October 2017, with the announcement that Zeff Maloney was purchasing the structure from Central Christian with the intent of redeveloping it into a commercial space. Maloney has previously turned around the old Protestant Infirmary just a block away.

Maloney plans to “bring [First African] back to its former glory” according to his interview with the Herald-Leader. I, for one, can’t wait to see it!

Sources
Bio of London Ferrill; First African Foundation; Lexington Herald-Leader; NRHP; Owenton News Herald

This post was updated on October 6, 2017, to revise the “Determined Future” section to reflect changes to the First African Foundation’s progress and the acquisition of the property by Mr. Maloney

Last Week’s #ThrowbackThursday a Clue to this Week’s Blue Grass Trust deTour of First African Baptist Church

Last Week’s #TBT Photo

The Streetsweeper successfully guessed that a connection might lie between last week’s #TBT post and this week’s Blue Grass Trust deTour of the First African Baptist Church.

I had significantly cropped the contest photo, displayed above, from the original. In so doing, I actually masked the church from view. In the foreground is a Sunday School class from what was known in its day as the First Baptist Church (Colored) while the background showed the streetscape of Short Street ca. 1911 looking west from Deweese Street. At the time it was highly residential and quite different from its present form.

The uncropped photo follows after the jump.

1911 Photo of First African Baptist Church Sunday School – Lexington, Ky.
Photo: University of Kentucky.

The uncropped photo also shows the church as it originally appeared, prior to the 1926 Collegiate Tudor addition.

Further back in history, this congregation was the largest in the Commonwealth. The church acquired the property in 1833 and the extant structure was erected in 1856. But the congregation itself traces its roots back to 1790 and its first minister, Peter Durrett.

To learn more about this beautiful piece of Lexington’s East End history (and how you can help preserve her), join the Blue Grass Trust deTour tomorrow evening (that’s Wednesday at 5:30). More details are available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bgtdetours/events.

Also, be sure to check out Merlene Davis’ column which appeared in today’s Lexington Herald-Leader, “Efforts continue to purchase Lexington’s historic First African Baptist Church.”

2013 BGT Preservation Award Recipients Include the Kaintuckeean!

We won!! I’m honored to have received the Lucy Graves Advocacy Award yesterday evening at The Blue Grass Trust’s Annual Preservation Awards Dinner!

The full list of recipients follows:

Preservation Craftsman Awards: Given to a building industry craftsman who has exhibited a strong commitment to quality craftsmanship for historic buildings.
To: George Neel; Prajna Design (Garry Murphy and David Wittmer)

Public Service to Preservation Awards: Given to a government agency or official for service to preservation movement or to a specific project.
To: Dr. Derek Paulsen, LFCUG Commissioner of Planning; Janet Graham, LFUCG Commissioner of Law.

Clay Lancaster Heritage Education Award: Given to an individual or group for service in researching and disseminating information about the Central Kentucky region.
To: Bluegrass Renaissance: The History and Culture of Central Kentucky, 1792-1852; accepting: Daniel Rowland and James Klotter, editors, and the essayists

Community Preservation Award: Given to a non-governmental organization or individual for service to the preservation movement or to a specific project.
To: North Limestone Neighborhood Association.

Barbara Hulette Award: For efforts in the preservation of central Kentucky’s history, heritage, built environment, landscape, archaeological resources, sense of community or significant endeavors. To: Ashland Park Neighborhood Association; accepting: Rev. Bob Sessum, Wanda Jaquith, Tony Chamblin

Lucy Shropshire Crump Award: Given to an individual who has provided exemplary service to the Blue Grass Trust throughout the year.
To: Estill Curtis Pennington

Lucy Graves Advocacy Award: Given to an individual or group that has exhibited advocacy leadership in supporting the historic preservation movement in central Kentucky.
To: Peter Brackney for Kaintuckeean blog

Betty Hoopes Volunteer Service Award: Given to a volunteer from the Antiques and Garden Show Committee.
To: Brenda Pettit

Clyde Reynolds Carpenter Adaptive Re-use Award: Given to an individual or group for outstanding efforts towards the rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of a building or buildings within Central Kentucky.
To: The Bread Box; accepting: Ben Self, Brady Barlow and Joe Kuosman

Landscape Preservation Awards: This new award is given to an individual or group for the preservation, design, stewardship, restoration or enhancement of an historic cultural landscape in the Bluegrass.
To: Vaucluse (Clay Hancock); Botherum (Jon Carloftis and Dale Fisher); The Garden of Dorothy Crutcher Cordray (Joseph Hillenmeyer Garden Design)

John Wesley Hunt Award: Given to an individual for lifetime service to the preservation movement in Central Kentucky.
To: H. Foster Pettit

Congratulations to all these great recipients!

Walking Tour of Woodward Heights Reveals Stunning Architecture and Beautiful Gardens

Examining the walking tour brochure of the
Woodward Heights Historic District – Lexington, Ky.

The best way to explore any urban area is on foot. In Lexington, the BGT has created a series of walking tour brochures for the various historic districts surrounding downtown.

A brochure for Woodward Heights is the most recent addition to the offerings, having been released at the June deTour.

It is the largest walking tour brochure to wit covering 45 properties in an area roughly bounded in a triangle between High, Maxwell, and Merino Streets – an area centered around #40: Botherum House.

This neighborhood was subdivided and developed in the late 1800s and stands as a largely intact reflection of the period’s architecture. Woodward Heights was added to the National Register in 1980 and was made a local historic district in 1987.

The neighborhood can be recognized not only for its architectural diversity, but also for the resident’s efforts to beautify the neighborhood with gardens in back yards, front yards, and shared use spaces.

722 West High Street – Lexington, Ky.

Two homeowners opened their doors for our deTour. The first was the Ella C. Williamson House at 722 West High. The brochure describes the property as follows:

An eclectic Victorian mansion, this house was owned by Ella Williamson, widow of a building contractor who had emigrated from Scotland with his brother in the 1860s. The house’s many ornate wood decorations reflect his connection with the East End [Planing] Mill on the Town Branch (1867). Rough-cut limestone lintels, dentil work, and Roman columns are also evident. A large bay with a turret and bracketed eaves are featured.

Walking into 722 West High, one is immediately overcome by the intricate walnut and cherry woodwork. Exceedingly high ceilings make the space so open and the pocket doors between foyer and living room that much more impressive. (The doors are easily seen in this Herald-Leader article.) Owned by Fran Taylor and Tom Cheek, the home is a pantheon of color that adds to the home’s grandeur.

Helene Steene welcoming us into her home at
312 Madison Place, Lexington.

Around the corner and a few doors up Madison Place is the home of artist Helene Steene. The native-born Swede’s studio is in Loudon House, but undoubtedly she can find inspiration (or reprieve) at her lovely home and stunning garden at 312 Madison Place. The home was described in Bricks+Mortar as being in the “romatntic revival [style], but the details are Colonial inspired.”

This property is the Frank W. Fletcher House as it was first occupied by he, a lumber dealer. The house appeared on the 1907 Sanborn map and is described in the Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory as being in the “Richardsonian/Neo-Classical” style.

That rose, pictured at right, is of the trellising variety in a particular plant that climbs to the second story! Steene’s art is impressive, but I will always remember her for a different accomplishment: I played LYSA soccer with her son in the 1990s and she was our Coach!

Yes, we all wear different stripes at different times. And so, too, does Madison Place. The neighborhood which had fallen apart through the 1970s has seen a slow continuous trickle of improvements that have made it one of the most impressive of Lexington’s near neighborhoods.

All photos from the Woodward Heights deTour are available on flickr.

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.

A Thief is in Our Midst: Historic Iron Door Stolen from Hunt-Morgan House

CSI: Lexington. The Hunt Morgan House.

During the Civil War, General John Hunt Morgan and his cavalry engaged in guerrilla style warfare springing attacks and raids on Union troops, supply chains, and communities. He was once caught and imprisoned at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus (demolished, 1998, for the Nationwide Arena), though the General escaped.

The subject iron door

Apparently, however, a raid against his history as occurred at the Lexington property bearing his name. From the property owner, the Blue Grass Trust:

A circa 1800s iron prison door, weighing more than 400 pounds and approximately 6 to 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide, (pictured above, on its side) was stolen from the grounds of The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation’s Hunt-Morgan House. The iron door is from the Ohio State Penitentiary that housed General John Hunt Morgan during the Civil War. It was donated to the BGT by Burl McCoy of Morgan’s Men and has significant historical significance. The Blue Grass Trust is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the safe return of the iron door. Please call the BGT at (859)253-0362, or the LFUCG Division of Police at (859)258-3600 with any information, re: Case #2013-072783.

The Blue Grass Trust and Debra Hensley are offering a ~~$500~~$1,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of this historic artifact.

Kentucky’s Oldest Florist, Michler’s

Michler Florist on Maxwell Street – Lexington, Ky.

Drive slowly down Maxwell Street and you may find one of the gems of Lexington. For generations, the Michler family has grown beautiful flowers and other flora in the greenhouses which now occupy land sandwiched better the University of Kentucky and downtown Lexington.

Michler Florist, or Michler’s, is the Commonwealth’s oldest continually operated greenhouse and florist. Carl Michler, an immigrant from Württemberg, Germany, began to establish his greenhouses on the site in 1902. It was a family business and remains so to this day.

It was written in the Herald Leader on the occasion of Michler’s 100th anniversary that Michler’s “is a fundamental piece of traditional downtown Lexington. It’s a grass-roots family business as old as the neighborhood around it, with a strong old-fashioned flavor.”

Carl’s two sons, Louis and Charlie shared the operation until Charlie broke out to begin the defunct Michler Nurseries on Richmond Road. Louis kept the family greenhouse operating on Maxwell Street before turning the helm over to his son, Karl, who returned from military service in World War II.

Karl’s son, John, would later operate the family business after having studied horticulture at UK. His expertise has expanded Michler’s offerings to include native species and educational offerings in perennials and garden design. And now, through John’s son Robin, a fifth generation has joined the fray!

Michler’s is unique for in those greenhouses – now a century-plus old – the plants sold here are still cultivated in-house. The alternative seen in most floral shops is to only assemble arrangements from the cuttings from far distant lands.

Ordinarily, I’d include a flickr link here – but, alas, I accidentally deleted my photos from this deTour. A pity, as the beautiful flora is a spectacle to behold. Since I can’t share them, you should stop by Michler’s at 417 E. Maxwell Street.

Art Abounds at Central Christian Church

This is part 2 in a two part series on Central Christian Church. The first installment discussed the building and the church itself with some interesting tidbits. An earlier post on this site commented on the prayer garden at the church.

“The Good Shepherd” Stained Glass Window – Central Christian Church – Lexington, Ky.

No longer visible from the sanctuary after a post-fire remodeling of the historic sanctuary of Central Christian Church in downtown Lexington, “The Good Shepherd” stained glass window is alit and visible in the evenings on Martin Luther King Blvd. and from a mechanical room on the church’s interior.

A platform in the mechanical room brings you nearly to the face of Jesus, carrying the lost sheep to safety. The powerful art and imagery at Central Christian Church are reminders of their faith, designed to deepen spiritual understanding. A publication, Symbols in Our Journey of Faith, examines the art in this impressive church, as well as its meaning.

Doorways depicting Moses and David

After ascending the stairs along Short Street, one encounters the hand carved doors made of American Red Oak. Installed in the spring of 1980, each of the six doors depict a different figure in the Christian (Disciples of Christ) faith: Moses, David, the prophet Micah, Jesus of Nazareth, St. Paul the Apostle, and Barton Stone. Each pair of the highly symbolic doors close beneath a tympanum complete with more Judeo-Christian symbology.

Another entry to the church is through the prayer garden – a common feature found in churches as reminders of the first garden – “Eden, when God and humankind lived together in a relationship of absolute trust and obedience.” The prayer garden was added during renovations to the church in the 1950s.

Upon entering the sanctuary at Central Christian Church, one is immediately taken by the most impressive collection of stained glass windows. Each is described in Symbols, but I will highlight a few. In the rear of the church balcony is the Empty Tomb depicting the Easter scene of the angel in white advising Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome of Christ having been raised while the three wooden crosses of Golgotha are depicted in the window’s upper left.

Behind the chancel is the most impressive of the windows: God at Work in the World. The upper portion consists of a rose window with a central depiction of the hand of God under a crown with the words from Genesis, “In the beginning, God.” Each petal in the rose window are representative of God’s work in the world. Below the rose window, Christ stands with outstretched hands – “and became flesh.” Several Biblical scenes surround the Christ.

Many other stained glass windows frame the sanctuary: Gospel windows, The Three Graces (faith, hope, charity) window, and several Maltese crosses included.

Centrally located behind the communion table is an ornate Celtic Cross dedicated in 1969. It is a reproduction of the St. John’s Cross at the Iona Abbey in Iona, Scotland. Handcrafted in Scotland, the cross itself weighs nearly 100 pounds. Ancient symbolism are engraved into both sides of the cross, though weight and display options limit viewing to only the one side. The Celtic Cross is typically associated with the Scottish Presbyterian Church, of which many early Disciples of Christ leaders were first associated.

Regardless of your faith preference, one must stand in awe of the beautiful sanctuary and structure of Central Christian Church. Like an onion, each layer of meaning and symbolism can be peeled away to reveal more meaning and symbolism in the church’s journey of faith.

More photographs of Central Christian Church can be found on flickr.

Sources: Central Christian Church (DoC), Symbols in Our Journey of Faith.

Oldest Disciples of Christ Church is Historic Central Christian Church in Lexington

This is part 1 in a two part series on Central Christian Church. This installment discusses the building and the church itself with some interesting tidbits, while Part 2 examines the great art found at Central. An earlier post on this site commented on the prayer garden at the church.

Gathered on the Steps of Central Christian Church – Lexington, Ky.

In 1891, the Main Street Christian Church had an enrollment of 914. Too many for its space. A new location was found at the corner of Walnut and Short streets on the site of the derelict Masonic temple. The site was bought for $12,100 and the temple razed. At 5 p.m. on August 7, 1893, the cornerstone for the renamed Central Christian Church was laid atop the foundation of the old Masonic temple.

Central Christian Church, ca. 1898. Source: NRHP.

On July 22, 1894, the new church, constructed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, was dedicated. The photo, at right, is the earliest known photo of Central Christian Church. Taken in 1898, the photo shows the building’s original entrance with an “elegant concrete walks and steps leading to and around the building [all] in bold relief.” The paired steps along both Walnut and Short stand in contrast to the single set of steps now along only Short Street (the change being made due to a 1930s fire, discussed below).

According to the National Register Application, Central is Lexington’s only major remaining Richardsonian Romanesque, describing the old courthouse as being stylistically provincial.

A Growing Church. Around 1911, the church began to find their space inadequate and enlargement was discussed. An education wing was formally dedicated in November 1915.

In 1933, a fire in the church caused significant damage to the sanctuary. The decision was made to reconfigure it to its present layout (save the chancel which was later enlarged); the new sanctuary was dedicated in September 1934. In the time between the fire and the dedication, the church found refuge for its weekly services at the Kentucky Theatre.

Central Christian Church, ca. 1952. Source; NRHP.

Another expansion in 1950 saw the demolition of the previously mentioned education wing in favor of an enlarge education wing as well as another sanctuary remodel and the construction of the Chapel of Memories. During this remodel, the congregation met in the auditorium at the old Henry Clay High School on East Main Street.

In 1954, “My Father’s Garden” was dedicated. It had been designed by Central’s Mrs. Wilson Case Lawwill with Louis Hillenmeyer serving as consulting landscape architect.

A final addition occurred in the early 2000s after Central purchased the old municipal building at the eastern end of Barr Street. Though once a beautiful structure, a flat façade added in the 1960s or 70s eliminated all beauty. The decision was made to raze the building and in its place, a new fellowship, youth and children center, and additional parking were made available for the growing church. It was a wise decision (particularly when compared to the alternative of abandoning the downtown site), and the church has since grown.

Sanctuary of Central Christian Church – Lexington, Ky.

Interesting Tales. A review of the old newspaper archives is always revealing, and a few stories related to Central Christian Church are of note. In 1902, “Patrolman James Dodd, while searching for a burglar, fell into the baptistry at Central Christian Church.” In 1905, “Central … votes to try individual communion cups for 30 days.” (They still use them.) In 1918, “Fifty stars on flag unveiled at Central Christian Church yesterday.” (I don’t understand this as we didn’t get a fiftieth (or forty-ninth) state until 1959. Ideas, anyone?) In March 1955, noted Disciple Ronald Reagan, in town as a movie star and program supervisor for General Electric Theater, delivered a “layman’s witness” to the congregation.

Evolution of Church Polity and Doctrine. Theologically, the church and its prior inceptions represent the oldest Disciples of Christ church in the denomination (though other churches are older, they began under other denominational brands before taking the Disciples identity). The church can be linked through history to a founding in 1816.

In its early years, the church was a hotbed for the community’s temperance movement. The annual meetings of the Kentucky Women’s Christian Temperance Union met almost annually at Central. On the opposite corner from the church, Tom Lyons had to go to court against the church in order to open his saloon, though he ultimately succeeded in 1897. A 1911 sermon series on “Vital Church Discipline” including a message entitled “Excommunicate the unworthy” which “created a profound impression and caused much favorable comment.” Though taking harsh posititions in the early years, both Central (and Disciples, generally) ultimately have softened their tone with regard to alcohol (recognizing that, after all, Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine) and other matters. In 2011, Central was recognized as an Open & Affirming congregation, showing a grand shift in social thought from its former days as a hotbed of WCTU activity.

A deTour to Remember. Though I’ve attended services several times at Central, I knew little of its history until our Blue Grass Trust deTour of the venue in early April 2013. The senior minister since 1995, Dr. Michael Mooty, led an adventurous crew through the church’s old boiler room with the exposed foundation from the old Masonic temple. It was joked that a dusty old chair in the boiler room was the a strict form of discipline for those talking during Sunday school or during services; it would seem this to be less strict, however, than that proposed in the 1911 sermon on “Excommunication: Withdrawal from the Church of Unworthy Members” preached by Rev. I. J. Spencer.

Our adventure continued through a portal off the balcony into a small mechanical room where we discovered a ladder mounted to the wall. Up we climbed to a small landing next to the magnificent stained glass rose window of Jesus that is visible from Martin Luther King Blvd, but not from the church’s interior since the 1933 fire and reconfiguration.

Another long ladder, fixed at about 30-45°, took the most adventurous from the landing to the platforms that span above the sanctuary. Though the spaces were tight, the sense of construction and the sentiment of history was strong in this surprising elements to the deTour.

Shimmying to the area atop the sanctuary

An ajar light fixture above the sanctuary revealed the height from the ground below. Pictured through the opening in the light is the front pew of the church, upon which lay a few hymnals.

More photographs of Central Christian Church can be found on flickr.

Sources: Central Christian Church (DoC); Local.LexPubLib.org; NRHP; Ward Russell’s Church Life in the Bluegrass.

The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour for young professionals (and the young-at-heart). On May 1, the group will meet at the Michler Florist on East Maxwell Street before visiting the Pope Villa. Join us 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.

If the walls of Lexington’s Oldham House Could Talk

The Oldham House – Lexington, Ky.

The names Samuel and Daphney Oldham don’t ring out among the most famous in Lexington’s storied history. Like many in Lexington’s early years, their stories began in Virginia. But they, and their ca. 1835 home at 245 South Limestone Street (then 95 South Limestone, or South Mulberry), represent a unique part of our community’s African-American heritage.

Listing from Lexington City Directory, ca. 1864

Samuel A. Oldham was an enterprising barber and business owner when he and his wife built their home on what was then Lexington’s southern edge. But at the start of the 1826, Oldham was enslaved. During the course of the year, he would purchase his own freedom. In 1830, he transacted for the freedom of his wife and sons. The freed black family thereafter built the two-story, five-bay common bond brick house.

In 1839, the Oldhams sold the home to William R. Bradford. Though they lived there only a short time, their ownership was marked as the first time a freed slave at owned a home in Lexington. In 2008, their South Limestone home was the inspiration for a one-woman act portraying Daphney Oldham. In In This Place, Daphney told her story of being born into slavery but dying as a free woman of color. The show was a collaborative effort between LexArts and director Ain Gordon; thanks be to God, Ain has published the entire performance on Vimeo:

Ain Gordon’s IN THIS PLACE… from Ain Gordon on Vimeo.

1890 Sanborn Map of then
95 S. Limestone/Mulberry

Like the Oldham’s, Bradford owned 245 S. Limestone for only a few years. It was purchased in 1845 by Juretta Shepherd,a widow, who five years later would marry Dr. Joseph G. Chinn. Attorneys kept the couple’s finances separate and it appears that Dr. Chinn, who would serve as a councilman and mayor of Lexington, never had an ownership interest in the property. Mrs. Chinn died in 1872 and the property was sold as the result of a lawsuit brought in 1877.

The property would transfer hands many times over the following century-plus. Over the years, it would be utilized as “a single family home, an antique store, apartments, and eventually a rooming house.”

The house became quite dilapidated.

Oldham House, ca. 1965
Photo: BGT/KDL

As you can see from the ca. 1965 photo above, the old house was beginning to show signs of her age and lack of maintenance. It was listed on the Blue Grass Trust’s most endangered properties list in 2000. In 2004, the owner sought a permit to raze both the Oldham House and an adjoining structure; the Board of Architectural Review denied the request. The building was one of the most blighted structures on South Limestone; in fact, Hayward Wilkirson was quoted in a 2006 Herald-Leader article as describing South Limestone as a “gap-tooth grin” in the Historic South Hill Neighborhood. Of course, Wilkirson was referring to the Oldham House in the article entitled “Historic home needs loving owner.”

Oldham House, ca. 2007
Photo: Gilpin Masonry

A new owner was found: local builder Coleman Callaway III bought the property in early 2006 for $175,000. At that time, squatters had been the building’s most recent occupants; they had started fires to keep warm. There were holes in the roof and hardwood floors were no longer connected to floor joists or the foundation. As you can see from the photo at right, the condition of the property was nothing less than poor.

In December 2006, the home’s savior entered into a fight with the architecture review board (BOAR) over a sloped-roof addition Coleman had added to the rear of the structure. BOAR found the addition was 4 1/2 feet too wide and the sloped-roof was not in keeping with the architectural style. Seven months later, the planning commission overruled the BOAR.

An op-ed in the Feb. 4, 2007, Herald-Leader summed up the situation quite well in: “Lexington’s desire and ability to connect with the past is fantastic and, in many ways unique among growing, forward thinking cities. But our love for history and tradition should not blind us from the reality of the modern day.”

Additional photos of the deTour of the Oldham House can be viewed on flickr.

Sources: ancestry.com; BGT; LBAR; local.lexpublib.org; Merlene Davis (H-L); Rootsweb

Federal Courthouse is of “classic architecture, according to the Greek motif”

Lexington’s Federal Building, ca. 1934. Photo: Nat’l Archives.

Since it opened in 1934, the Barr Street façade of Lexington’s Federal Building remains unchanged. Its four stories of steel, brick, and limestone construction are a classic example of federal construction in the 1930s (Neo-Classical), evincing the strength of a government and nation fighting off the consequences of the Great Depression. But even this powerful building shows signs of the era’s economics: the central eastern façade (less visible) has a less-costly brick exterior surface. In 1957, an annex was added to the federal building to better accommodate post office operations.

Lexington’s Federal Building, ca. 2013

Grand Lobby of the Federal Building – Lexington, Ky.

Flanking the building’s Barr Street frontage are two projecting pavilions which operate as the building’s primary entrances. Each admits visitors into small anterooms off the central, grand lobby. Originally, the grand lobby operated as the main post office with sorting facilities in adjacent rooms and in the basement. Today, the post office is long gone though vestiges remain in the extensively decorated room comleted with “bronze grills, marble pilasters, and a terrazzo floor.”

The eastern anteroom/lobby features “an elliptical staircase with original wrought iron balusters and a wood handrail” while the lobby has “walls of St. Genevieve Golden Vein marble.”

Courtroom A in the Federal Building, as viewed from the Bench

On the second floor is the main Courtroom A which remains as it would have appeared when the building opened in 1934, though with the addition of advanced technology necessary for today’s legal system. As described in the National Register application, it is “the most significant space of the upper floors.” The room features a “marble wainscoting, and original acoustical tile walls,” as well as original “Gothic design hanging chandeliers [having] fleur-de-lis and quatrefoil designs” hang from the coffered wood beamed ceiling.”

Ward Lockward’s
Daniel Boone’s Arrival in Kentucky

At the rear of the courtroom, opposite the judge’s bench, is a 1938 mural by Ward Lockwood entitled Daniel Boone’s Arrival in Kentucky. Commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts of the Works Progress Administration, it recalls Boone’s first crossing into Kentucky on a hunting and trapping expedition in the 1760s. Boone would, of course, return to this “promised land” calling “heaven … a Kentucky of a place.” (As legend would have it…)

Behind the bench is a portrait of Judge Cochran who was the first judge to preside in the Eastern District of Kentucky. Appointed in 1901 after the old District of Kentucky was split, Cochran would serve until his death in 1934. Flanking the walls of the courtroom are additional portraits of former and senior status judges from the District.

Grandeur of Courtroom A, as seen from the Jury Box

Building A Landmark.

North Limestone from Pleasant Green to Barr, ca. 1921
Source: Asa Chinn Collection/KDL

During the roaring twenties, Washington and Lexington leaders debated the ideal spot for a new federal courthouse in the city. City leaders opposed the federal governments proposal to erect the courthouse on Short Street at the head of Esplanade, and being owners of the property were quite persuasive.

Instead, the northeast corner of Barr and Limestone was selected in the spring of 1930 for the erection of a new federal courthouse and post office, as well as offices for other federal agencies. As a sign of the times, this included offices for the prohibition enforcement agency. The building would be located on a plot running “from Limestone east on Barr to St. Peter’s school, and north on Limestone from Barr to Pleasant Stone Street, or what is known as Sayre College alley.”

A title abstracter, J.W. Jones, was employed by the government and found “no serious defects in the titles to any property which affronts approximately 263 feet on north Limestone street and 213 feet on Barr street.” Though clearing title seemed effortless, property acquisition would not be.

In December 1930, Sawyer Smith – the U.S. District Attorney – instituted condemnation proceedings against those property owners who didn’t voluntarily sell their land. The total land value was appraised at $184,648.50; final judgment in the condemnation suit was entered in early March, 1931. On April 2, 1931, a blanket deed was filed in the Fayette County Clerk’s Office identifying the U.S.A. as owner of the land.

During the heat of late summer and early autumn, 1931, “an adequate force of workmen and equipment” from the Thurman Wrecking & Supply Co. worked to dismantle the old structures on the site of the proposed federal courthouse. But the proposal was not yet complete.

Old Federal Building at Main and Walnut

On November 6, 1931, the architect’s drawing of the “New Lexington Postoffice” was published on page one of the Lexington Leader. It was the “first official announcement of plans and specifications today.” Facing Barr street, the 170′ x 125′ structure would be “of classic architecture, according to the Greek motif.” Over the next year, the Churchill and Gillig architectural firm worked to finalize plans for the new federal building. As is often the case, it came down to the last minute. The Lexington Leader writes on March 1, 1932, “Nine draftsmen worked all night Monday … and completed plans for Lexington’s $761,000 federal building.” Plans were then taken for a “final check by Brinton B. Davis [of Louisville], consulting architect on the project, prior to final review and approval by Louis A. Simon, Superintendent of the Architectural Division of the Treasury Department.

With deeds acquired, land cleared, and plans approved, construction could commence!

In December 1934, the post office and other federal offices were finally moved from the old federal building at Main and Walnut) to the new building at Limestone and Barr streets.

Postal Operations and First Class Mail.

When the Post Office opened on Barr Street, the cost to send a first class letter was 3¢. The price was unchanged when many of the post office operations were relocated in 1957 to an annex on the building’s north side. As Lexington continued to grow, the Federal Building became inadequate to serve as Lexington’s main mail sorting facility.

In 1973, the Lexington post office office was relocated to Nandino Blvd and Georgetown Road and the old post office in the Federal Building became the Barr Street Station. At the time, the cost to mail a first class letter had risen to 8¢.

Security and convenience (i.e., parking) gave way to yet another change for downtown’s postal needs in April 1998 (first class letter, 32¢) when the Barr Street Station itself was closed. Downtown PO boxes were relocated to a new, modern post office on East High Street. The modern post office, however, carries a historic name: Post Rider Station hearkening to our nation’s earliest history when mail was carried over post roads by post riders on horseback and delivered to a central location in each town or community.

Above the entry to the U.S. Marshals Office for the
Eastern District of Kentucky

Though no postal service activities remain in the Federal Building, it remains an active federal building housing the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky as well as the Office of the United States Marshals for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Among other tasks, the Marshal’s Service provides security for the federal Courts. Of course, the Marshall’s of Eastern Kentucky have been made famous by the popular FX television program Justified. Fans of the show know that Raylan Givens, a Harlan County native portrayed by Timothy Olyphant, is a U.S. Marshal. A real U.S. Marshal will advise that Givens’ office space is quite spacious and a far cry from the quarters offered the U.S. Marshals at the end of the Federal Building’s grand lobby.

Additional photos of the Federal Building may be found on flickr.