Tag: deTour

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour to a local historic site that has been well-preserved and restored – the group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Details are always available on the Kaintuckeean Calendar and on Facebook! In September 2011, the deTour group visited three carriage houses; this is the second installment with the first having been the Hunt-Morgan House Carriage House and the second the Maria Dudley Carriage House. More pictures from this deTour are available on flickr.

Clyde Carpenter Carriage House – Lexington, Ky.

Every time I pass down Lexington’s New Street, a one block path between North Mill and North Broadway, I am taken away to the narrow, history-filled streets of Boston, Mass. The narrow street, nestled between a busy road and beautiful Gratz Park, has a variety of architectural styles — all relatively traditional — that are perfectly scaled to the street’s width. Adaptive reuse and infill are the common themes on this one-block stretch.

But the greatest example of adaptive reuse here, and arguably one of the best examples of adaptive reuse in the city, is the carriage house-turned-residence at 340 New Street. When architect Clyde Carpenter first envisioned turning the carriage house into a home in 1966, he entered through the main door to find an actively used garage. In his living room, a vehicle sat. In the loft, there remained hay and grain.

But a great mind can envision great things. And Clyde Carpenter did. Of course, other hurdles remained beyond his control. Financing was a tricky thing to obtain, particularly given that the area around nearby North Broadway was not considered ‘prime’ for a single family dwelling. ‘Adaptive reuse’ was also not in its ‘prime,’ but despite these odds Mr. Carpenter succeeded in securing financing to turn a dilapidated carriage house into a beautiful residence.

Inside,  part of the second floor was removed to expose the first floor to the building’s height and to showcase the preserved beams from the original structure. The second floor could be opened up in this way because it is suspended from those same ceiling beams.

Rather than constructing a privacy fence around the garden, Carpenter constructed a narrow (10ft wide) addition on the southwest corner of the home in which he has placed the master bedroom and bath and a sitting area. Due to the dimensions of this addition, the bed and bath are obviously quite a tight fit and, despite the scale of the overall house, recall the now-popular small house movement.

Between kitchen and dining room, an original horse stall gate connects the house to its origins. For his remarkable work, Carpenter  and his carriage house have been recognized by many organizations and the Blue Grass Trust’s annual adaptive reuse award is named in Carpenter’s honor.

And if you didn’t click the link above, check out all of the pictures of the Clyde Carpenter Carriage House on flickr.

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour to a local historic site that has been well-preserved and restored – the group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Details are always available on the Kaintuckeean Calendar and on Facebook! In September 2011, the deTour group visited three carriage houses; this is the second installment with the first having been the Hunt-Morgan House Carriage House. More pictures from this deTour are available on flickr.

Maria Dudley Carriage House – Lexington, Ky.

Built contemporaneously with the Maria Dudley House in 1879, the carriage house at 215 North Mill Street has been and continues to be beautifully converted into a usable garage and cottage. A stable stall door in the rear of the garage hearkens back to the structure’s prior use, though the carriage house now ably stores vehicles and its upper floor is being remodeled into a very usable living space or possibly an apartment.

The first floor has ample parking room, a wonderful gardener’s prep area, a storage area and a powder room, while the upstairs remains a wholly unfinished 1,044 square feet.  Architecturally, however, the carriage house could not be more different than the Victorian Eclectic main house with its octagonal tower that uniquely stands among the beautiful houses in Gratz Park.

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour to a local historic site that has been well-preserved and restored. Please join us on our next deTour – details on Facebook! Our guides for the East Third Street deTour were property owners and preservationists John Morgan and Linda Carroll. The deTour also included a stop at Atomic Cafe and the Morgan-Carroll residence, both of which will be profiled later.

East Third Street – Lexington, Ky.

Across East Third Street from the Carrick House are a number of older properties in various stages of (dis)repair. John Morgan and Linda Carroll, owners of three of these properties, have taken my grandfather’s sage advice in Lexington’s quest of historic preservation: “one bite at a time.” There three buildings – 146, 126, and 122 East Third Street – are, in that order, increasingly well-preserved yet adapted for today’s use.

Painstaking efforts to maintain the streetscape appearance and to enlarge and modernize interior facilities while preserving interior features that can be preserved seem to be hallmarks of the Morgan/Carroll brand. The three properties each have a unique history and are fantastic examples of preservation and adaptive reuse.

146 East Third Street – Lexington, Ky.

Walking into 146 is like walking into a true construction zone. Originally built in 1847, this property was sold in 1849 to Daniel Wickliffe, the editor of the Lexington Observer and Reporter. Wickliffe would later serve as the Secretary of State under Governor Robinson. In the mid-1900s, the property was a Moose Lodge and was later converted into apartments. Morgan & Carroll acquired this property in late 2009 and have not yet begun restoration, so many remnants of its days as a tenement remain. Additional pictures of 146 East Third Street are available here.

John Morgan welcoming us to 126 East Third Street – Lexington, Ky.

At 126, the work is almost complete. Built around 1839, the small residence was a rental for much of its life. In September 1925, the tenant was John Morys, a jockey who rode Frogtown to a second-to-last finish in the 1919 Kentucky Derby; it was in the house that he took his own life by ingesting carbolic acid. The exterior has been restored and the interior is framed. As mentioned above, historical details (moulding, etc) that can be preserved is, but the Morgan/Carroll brand is to modernize the interior making it comfortable for 21st century living. The property was greatly expanded by Morgan and Carroll, who purchased the property in 2004 to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood where they live and work. Atop the addition will be a green roof and roof patio that will greatly expand the home’s living area while not disrupting the appearance from the street of this side-gabled, three-bay. Additional pictures of 126 East Third Street are available here.

122 East Third Street – Lexington, Ky.

122 serves as the headquarters for Morgan Worldwide and is the completed structure in the trio. Built in 1839, the building was restored in 1998. During the restoration, the basement was discovered and was dug out by hand having been completely filled with dirt – it was discovered by a keen eye noting the peculiarity of the top of a door frame being at ground level. In 1906, Professor Bernard Grehan passed from this life; his funeral was held in this house which was then owned by his daughter, Mrs Lillie Clark. Grehan was an Irishman whose accolades ranged from the ministry to mathematics and from trading to teaching; his son, Enoch Grehan, would help establish the journalism school at the University of Kentucky and the University’s journalism building would bear his name.  Additional pictures of 122 East Third Street are available here.

These are three gems in Lexington’s Constitution Historic District – one that, like so many of Lexington’s historic neighborhoods – has a colorful past and, with the help of individuals like Morgan and Carroll, a bright future

Bibliography
Connelley’s History of Kentucky (v. 4), p.106-107.
Fayette PVA
local.lexpublib.org

Join the Blue Grass Trust deTours group of young professionals (and young at heart) as we discover Lexington’s past. On August 3, 2011 at 5:30 p.m., we will gather outside Atomic Cafe (265 North Limestone) before exploring three East Third Street properties which are in various stages of restoration. RSVP on Facebook.

The majority of the properties to be explored on the August 3 deTour are located within Lexington’s Constitution Historic District. This district encompasses several city blocks between North Limestone and Martin Luther King Blvd, stretching from the north side of East Third Street to the alley with three names (references have been found to Templeman Alley, Clark Street and Pleasant Stone Street). As with all historic neighborhoods surrounding Lexington’s business core, Constitution has a checkered past — as do the individual properties to be visited.

The Atomic Cafe building – 265/267 North Limestone Street (not in the Constitution HD) – was constructed by and adjacent to the house of Joseph Wingate who served as Lexington’s Mayor from 1863-1865. In 1869, it was known as the “family grocery now owned by Jacob White,” thought it was in the Crawford family for 35 years. By fortune, this building it still exists – it was “almost blown to pieces” by an exploding oil can in the early morning hours of August 14, 1888.

The East Third Street properties we’ll be visiting – 122, 126 and 146 – today share a common owner who has taken each building to a different stage of restoration with 122 being the most complete and 146 being the most raw. 122 and 126 were both constructed by Joseph Uttinger circa 1839. Uttinger was a carpenter who owned a lumberyard; he sold both properties later that same year. James Jackson purchased 122 and 126 was sold to Thomas Bradley who rented out the property for about 20 years. 146 was built in 1847 and sold in 1849 to Daniel Wickliffe, the editor of the Lexington Observer and Reporter and later the Kentucky Secretary of State under Gov. Robinson. Both 120 and 146 (as well as five others on the block) are two-story, three-bay, all-brick, Greek Revival hall-and-parlor homes.

As a bonus, we’ll also be visiting another North Limestone residence outside of the Constitution HD. Although officially it was completed in 1900, its from room dates to a cabin first built in 1797.

Please join us for our August 3 deTour. More information about the deTour is available on Facebook.

Bibliography
Blue Grass Trust, “Constitution Spreads“
Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory
Lexington Leader, local.lexpublib.org
NRHP, “Constitution Historic District“

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour to a local historic site that has been well-preserved and restored. Please join us on our next deTour – details on Facebook! You can also help us plan the September deTour by voting here! Our guides for the Opera House deTour were Opera House program director, Luanne Franklin, and technical director, Michael Lavin.

Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, the Lexington Opera House has a colorful past and a bright future. During its life, it has gone through a number of acts. In 1886, a fire destroyed the old opera house – seated at the southeast corner of Main and Broadway – and the following month a corporation was formed to raise funds for the present Opera House. What opened the following year was later described by the Lexington Leader as the “costliest, handsomest and most convenient Thespian temples in the South, an object of cherished pride in the city.” Designed with both safety and comfort in mind, the Opera House pumped cold water from a nearby ice factory to cool the temperature of the orchestra level and the two balconies.

(clockwise, from top). Exterior from Short Street; Exterior from North Broadway; Carved Putto over the main door into the theatre hearkens prosperity; the orchestra and two balconies.

Over time, the tastes of arts patrons changed and the Opera House adapted. It operated as a vaudeville house and as a movie house. Ultimately, the boxes were boarded up (those on the orchestra level never would return) and a false ceiling was installed hiding the second balcony (in days of segregation, the remaining balcony was for blacks only). And then the pornos hit the big screen. Over time, the building (and arguably the quality of the programming) deteriorated and, in 1968, that false ceiling collapsed.

A fortuitous event, really, because it reminded urban renewal activists of the Opera House’s grandeur. The site was included in a proposed revitalization of downtown that, through the Lexington Center Corporation, would include the construction of Rupp Arena and the Civic Center. In 1973, the fate of the Opera House was sealed. A storm ripped open the roof to reveal a building determined by engineers to be structurally sound. It would cost $2.5 million to repair the Opera House (as opposed to a proposed $7 million new facility). As with all projects, the renovation costs went over-budget, but a number of Lexingtonians stepped up to make the Opera House grand again.

Garvice Kincaid donated a Baccarat crystal chandelier that hangs inside the North Broadway entrance; it originally hung in a chateau in the south of France. Sylvia Ross took a remnant of the decaying golden ornamental design that creates beauty throughout the Opera House and, with 6 tons of plaster, created all of the ornamental plaster work you see today!

The Opera House is truly a unique gem for Lexington. With only 866 seats, it is one of the smallest venue to host the Broadway LIVE series (now in its 35th year). It is one of only fourteen theaters in the United States constructed prior to 1900 seating fewer than 1,000 people that survives today. Great stars have appeared on the stage and the stage itself has been both flooded and iced for different performances. 

Our tour guide, program director Luanne Franklin, would be disappointed if I did not mention the Opera House Fund. Since the mid-1970s, it has raised over $4 million to support the local arts community and to continue to bring quality programming, like Broadway LIVE, to Lexington. As discussion continues on the future of Rupp Arena and a new arena, we must not forget about our arts venues. Some of this discussion contemplates a new basketball venue and converting the existing arena into a larger performing arts center; Lexington needs a venue of this size and it would be a complement, not a detriment, to the continued success of the Opera House.

The original 1886 door between the Opera House lobby and the theater remains in place. The door and its frame were carved in France, and the framework features a putto who has and continues to hearken prosperity for this Lexington institution.

You can view all of my pictures from the Opera House here.

Bibliography
Lexington Opera House, “Our History“
Lexington newspapers via local.lexpublib.org
National Register, “Opera House“
Notes, deTour 7/6/2011

Wolf Wile Building, Lexington, KY

At the corner of Main and Quality Streets in downtown Lexington sits a classic example of mid-twentieth century urban commercial architecture. Its most noticeable feature is a limestone pillar that reaches above the roof line on the northwestern corner with vertical block letters: WOLF WILE. The four-story stone and brick building was built for the Wolf Wile Department Store in 1948 on a site that had previously been a bus depot. [*] Wolf Wile had moved from a location near Union Station to this new location designed by the Lexington architecture firm of Frankel and Curtis and the NYC firm Amos Parrish and Co.

The Parrish firm specialized in retail design and the Wolf Wile building represented a change in mid-century design. With an emphasize on maximizing floor space, sales and utility, the building was designed from the inside out – a clear departure from the highly ornamental commercial structures popular only decades earlier (consider 123 West Main). This International Style of architecture was and is rare in Lexington; the minimalistic style so popular in Europe between the two World Wars caught on in the United States only after WWII. [*]

The Wolf Wile Department Store was one of Lexington’s finest department stores, providing “family ownership, conservative management, low overhead, and personal service” for 103 years. [*] After more than a century, Wolf Wile shuttered in 1992 as Lexingtonians sought more suburban shopping destinations.

Four years later, in 1996, the building was acquired by the James N. Gray Construction company for use as its corporate headquarters. That same year, the National Register listed the building. You can see pictures included in the submission packet here (PDF). These pictures are very clearly those of an empty department store, but that also show the architectural features that have been preserved by the Gray renovation.

In opening the floorplan and including more natural light, Gray has preserved the Main Street and Quality Street facades. The interior has preserved the fantastic stairs and the elevator area with its polished Italian marble wall. The Main Street doors, however, are closed at Gray Construction. Instead, the primary entrance is on Water Street. This realignment of the building is dramatic as the primary entrance is now where the loading dock once stood facing out to the railroad tracks that decades ago were replaced by a widened Vine Street.

A Month Pre-Opening		Grand Opening Day

A few weeks ago, I got a sneak peek at what was to come. For the first time in years, a grocery store would open in downtown Lexington. Having grown up downtown, I remember the nearest grocer being either the Winn Dixie on Leestown or the Kroger on Euclid. Well, folks. The times they are a changin’!

My April visit revealed an unfinished ceiling, new subway tile, exposed brick, an empty bank vault … and blueprints. A month ago, this space could have been finished as a law office, a loft or anything. But it was planned to be and has opened as a grocery store.

Shorty’s – An Urban Market opened on Sunday, May 1 with a ribbon-cutting and champagne. I held a glass in one hand and my two-year-old’s hand in the other. As we explored the selection, we found a great selection of meats, fruits and veggies and packaged food. Prices were comparable with other high-end groceries, but the convenience factor at Shorty’s is high for those working and living downtown.

The remodeling of the suite at 163 West Short Street is part of the Traditional Bank Building (which was formerly the home  of Central Bank & Trust) was designed by EOP Architecture of Lexington. Milk bottle light fixtures, dark wooden shelving and a refrigerated section in the bank vault are some of the highlighted features.

As a result of having my 2-year-old at hand, I couldn’t snap the number of pictures I normally would have taken. Even so, check out my other before-after shots on flickr. Check out some more great photographs from Savoring Kentucky and canonchef. If you are in the area, check out Shorty’s – it is a great example of adaptive reuse. And, at least on its first day, it is a great little grocer!

This post was republished by kyforward.com on May 18, 2011.