Tag: Fayette

walkLEX: Sidewalks Be Gone

Brick sidewalks in Lexington’s downtown are disappearing. In their place will be concrete (bad, ugly) and rain gardens (good). A little of all three. Currently work is occuron on the north side of Main between Limestone and Broadway, with work to follow on the south side of Main and on both sides of Vine. All is to be complete by the WEG.

Oh, and the same thing is also happening on Short in front of the Security Trust Bank Building, only without the “good” of rain gardens.

walkLEX: The Flying General

As previously posted, Cheapside Park is undergoing a lot of change. Although the Fifth-Third pavilion is not yet taking shape, the statute of General John Cabel Breckinridge was today on the move:

[photo by PJWB from the Courtyard Deli]

[photo by Jamie Millard of the Lexington History Museum]

Oddly, in my picture you can see Jamie; in Jamie’s you can see me. This is a really neat project to watch. It is scheduled to be completed by April 9 – the day before the opening of Lexington Farmer’s Market.

walkLEX: Rupp Arena & Kentucky Wildcats


The University of Kentucky Wildcats are the winningest men’s basketball program in the country! Earlier this season, the Cats achieved a mark: 2,000 Wins. After the win over Drexel (score 88-44), the celebration began as shown above. The celebration emphasized Kentucky history – as well as its future; honors to Coach Hall, Coach Rupp and Mr. Wildcat. The crowd, which often leaves early in a blowout, remained glued to their seats long after the game ended. To date, the Cats remain undefeated this season at 18-0.

Rupp Arena has been the scene of many, many events in Kentucky’s history. It has been the home of the Wildcats since 1976. It hosted the 1985 Final Four – when Villanova upset Georgetown. Since in Rupp, Kentucky has won the National Championship three times: 1978, 1996 and 1998. The official capacity of 23,500 is routinely exceeded and record crowds continue to be reached (most recently the record was broken on Jan. 2, 2010 when Kentucky defeated Louisville 71-62 before a crowd of 24,479.

Currently, there is a proposal to build a new downtown arena for the Wildcats which would include needed amenities like luxury boxes. If this is done, the existing Rupp Arena might be converted into a smaller music venue and additional conference floor space for the Lexington Center.

I hope that readers will share in the comments their favorite Rupp Arena memories.

No Destination: Valley View Ferry

Fjording the Kentucky River at the point where Fayette, Jessamine and Madison counties meet is the John Craig. This boat has provided a motor for the Valley View Ferry since 1996, but the ferry is much older. In fact, the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1785 issued John Craig (a Revolutionary War veteran) the “perpetual and irrevocable” charter to operate the ferry at the site.

Since that time, a ferry has operated at Valley View and it is the longest, continuously operating business in the Commonwealth. For more than 200 years, the franchise for the privately-owned ferry was transferred between seven families. In 1991, it was purchased for $60,000 by the three counties who have since operated the ferry toll-free.

The barge adjoining the John Craig was replaced in 2000 and can now ferry three vehicles across the river at once (before the upgrade, only two could cross at the same time). About 250 vehicles cross the Kentucky River each day aboard the Valley View Ferry.

Flying above the John Craig are four flags: the American flag, the Kentucky flag, the Virginia flag and the POW-MIA flag. The Virginia flag flies as a tribute to the colony which first provided Cpt. Craig his franchise.

I always find it fun to ride the ferry, though my wife has a clear preference against it. Though, I guess the same could be said about all of my No Destinations.

NoDestination: Spears


Spears, Kentucky is one of those county-straddlers. Because the center of Tates Creek Road was used as the boundary between Jessamine and Fayette counties upon the creation of the former, this community on Tates Creek Road (KY-1974 at the junction with KY-169) is also in both counties. It was settled in the early 1790s by John L. Spears; other settlors followed as Spears was a well-educated man known for being both a surveyor and a teacher. (Today, Spears is serviced by two county school systems – depending on which side of the street you are on.) Spears even had its own post office from 1867 until 1915.

Pictured above is the Fayette County Old Country Store; across the street is another market in Jessamine County.

walkLEX: Henry Clay’s Law Office

At 176 North Mill Street sits a one-story structure erected by Henry Clay in 1803 as his office. From this office, Clay practiced law until 1810. During this period, Clay was twice elected to the state senate and from that office was selected to fill an unexpired term in the United States Senate.

Henry Clay, the “Great Compromiser,” delayed the inevitable Civil War through his Compromise of 1820 and his role in pacifying the Nullication Crisis (when South Carolina thought it could nullify acts by the federal government). He was several times the Whig’s candidate for President.

His law office is one of Lexington’s few remaining early professional buildings. Although it was enlarged in 1830, these additions were removed as the building was reconfigured to its 1803 design by the Commonwealth in 1969. Soon after, a renovation followed. The building is now nestled within First Presbyterian Church’s property and is the home of the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship.