Fayette – Page 9 – The Kaintuckeean

Robert Tharsing’s Room With A View

Robert Tharsing’s “Room With A View” Exhibit. Author’s collection.

Circumstances caused me to enjoy several trips down the long corridors of the Chandler Medical Center. Enjoy? Well, if life gives you lemons then it is best to make lemonade.

In designing the new hospital, great steps have been taken to make it a beautiful place. During the week, musicians perform in the library. And art is everywhere.

Painting of the Old Courthouse by Robert Tharsing
Ann Tower Gallery.

Along one hallway that connects the new hospital to the traditionally-institutional old hospital is a display of art by UK art professor Robert Tharsing.

Tharsing’s “Room With A View” stems from the artist’s time living in a flat above Cheapside Bar & Grille during the 1990s. At the time, Tharsing also maintained a studio near High and Rose Streets.

In moments of thought, the artist would stare out his windows.

And his paintbrush followed his eyes to create scenes of downtown Lexington that transcend time.

“The paintings in this exhibition literally and elegantly depict one artist’s brief view of a small corner of the Earth in all its beautiful banality” reads the card describing the display.

The noble old courthouse stands proudly in the heart of downtown with the autumnal leaves of Cheapside Park beginning to change colors. Other paintings depict snowy streets capes.

Interestingly, the last time I took the opportunity to appreciate the hospital’s rotating art collection the same space featured on display a collection of Robert Tharsing’s daughter, Lina Tharsing, “Making a New Forest.”

Painting of an Interview of Gatewood Galbraith.
Ann Tower Gallery.

One of my favorites in the 14-piece exhibit is that of a tv reporter interviewing Gatewood Galbraith at the corner of Cheapside and Short Streets. The attorney and perennial political candidate was as much a fixture of downtown as anything until he passed away in 2012.

In my email signature, I have a quote from Gatewood that speaks to the purpose of art in healthcare. “Make a resolution to lift someone’s spirit each day and follow through with it.” That was Gatewood’s mission and a few minutes with Tharsing’s simple collection is sufficient to raise one’s own spirits.

Postcards of the collection can be purchased online from Institute 193 or in person at Ann Tower Gallery or the Morris Book Shop.

Goal! Soccer at the University of Kentucky

UK Men’s Soccer at the Bell Soccer Complex, University of Kentucky. Author’s Collection.

Soccer isn’t really my thing. I’m a football first, then basketball kind of guy. But I’m a fan of the University of Kentucky. And we were playing Louisville. And the proceeds from the ticket sales were going to benefit the Kentucky Mansion Preservation Foundation (KMPF) which is an important non-profit dedicated to preserving historic structures in Kentucky (see comment below).

So last night, I went to my first UK Soccer game. And I took my son along; at age six, he is beginning to show an interest in playing soccer. In all honesty, it was the first time I’ve attended a soccer match (outside of youth games) since the 1996 Olympics group play between the USA and Argentina in Birmingham, Alabama.

Back in Kentucky, UK’s sports marketing planned an “Abe Out” with the suggestion that President Lincoln, Kentucky’s native son, was a Cats fan. (We’ll ignore historical accuracy for a minute solely because it is at the expense of Louisville.)

With Abe on deck, tickets were a penny each and the first 500 fans got a pretty cool t-shirt. We arrived too late to join the ranks of the free t-shirt. Traffic to the soccer complex was heavy and it was a record attendance for UK Soccer (3,368). Few, if any, followed the other Lincoln suggestion as I saw no one dressed in mid-19th century attire.

There was, of course, a nice smattering of blue and white. Big Blue Nation appeared for the Cats sixth home game of the year.

The complex itself – the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex – was completed in the spring of 2014 and we are now enjoying its first season of use. Nicknamed The Bell, the cost for the facility was $7.7 million and it contains separate facilities for both the men’s and women’s programs. The facility also shares some amenities (concessions, bathrooms, etc.) with the softball complex. It is a great facility and I’ll certainly be back (my son agreed!).

The Bell Soccer Complex at the University of Kentucky. Author’s Collection.

The Lil’ Kaintuckeean and the Victory Bell.
Author’s Collection.

The Victory Bell rung once during the second half of a losing battle versus No. 8 Louisville, 2-1. The bell at The Bell is rung each time the Wildcats score which is a neat tradition. The bell is located just off the sidelines near the northeast end of the complex.

The next home men’s soccer game is on October 3, 2014 versus conference rival Old Dominion. N.B. – The Southeastern Conference, SEC, doesn’t sponsor men’s soccer so UK’s team places in Conference USA. The full men’s schedule can be found here. And the women’s soccer schedule is here.

And now for that comment. For those keeping score at home in Lexington’s historic preservation struggle, the University and preservationists haven’t exactly been on the same page of late. That ticket sales for the UK-UL matchup’s Abe Out went to the Mary Todd Lincoln House which is managed by KMPF is a nice gesture. Baby steps?

The Historic Home of the Lexington Diner

Lexington Diner in the ca. 1806 Warfield Building. Author’s Collection.

Earlier this year, the Lexington Diner opened in the historic Dr. Walter Warfield Building at the southeast corner of Short and Upper streets. The Diner changed the culinary landscape of the corner as it abandoned the perfunctory diner fare that had been served from the site for decades. By raising standards and including locally raised ingredients and homemade dishes, the Lexington Diner has become a favorite for those living and working downtown.

It historic location is directly across from the old courthouse in the Dr. Walter Warfield Building which was built around 1806.

Dr. Warfield was a noted surgeon from the Revolutionary War from Maryland who ultimately settled in the Bluegrass as a “highly esteemed and excellent citizen.” As with any “esteemed and excellent citizen” of the day, Warfield amassed significant land holdings in the region.

From his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Christian Dickerson, Warfield purchased 1,000 acres in 1805. This land was situated in what is now both Fayette and Scott counties. Ms. Dickerson had inherited the land from her father (William Christian) in 1786; he had acquired the land (and 8,000 other acres) by grant from Virginia Governor Patrick Henry in 1779. After being sold, inherited, and divided, these acres have had a storied history with storied names in the equine industry. Today, however, much of Warfield’s acreage is now owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky as part of the Kentucky Horse Park.

Warfield Building through the lens of Asa Chinn, ca. 1920-21. NRHP.

Downtown, Dr. Warfield had built a two-story brick building in the late-Georgian style. An 1870 remodel added the notable Mansard roof and dormers creating a third-story. A number of changes through the years have made it difficult to imagine the building’s original appearance, but some clues linger. The stone belt-course between the first and second floors, the lovely keystones over the second-story windows, and a sliver of the original stone water-table remains between the main entrance and the plain shop window.

Over the years, the building has had many varying occupants. For those who have worked downtown for years, the corner diner has taken many names. In the 1930s, it was Southern Brothers. In the 1940s, Wallace Brothers. For many years, it was A Family Affair and, more recently, it housed Della’s Diner.

The National Register listing also includes 148 West Short Street, a mid-19th century Greek Revival with gable roof and storefronts. Two story with 9 bays, a number of shops have called the building home for many, many years. The Dr. Walter Warfield Building has been and continues to be central to Lexington’s center of commerce.

An earlier version of this post was published in April 2012 when Della’s Diner occupied the spot.

Lexington Food Trucks – There’s An App For That

Follow That Food Truck! is a free iPhone app.

One of the most exciting new developments in Lexington these days is the growth of our culinary culture. Every time I turn around, a new restaurant is popping up. And, believe me, I’m doing my best to try them all.

But there’s one particular niche of this new dining market that has really caught my attention–the food trucks. These restaurants-on-wheels have become commonplace around the streets of Lexington, ushering in a new era of eateries that didn’t even exist here just three years ago.

As fans of the food truck hunt, my friend Erik Rust and I recently began seeking these trucks out and chronicling our finds on the website lexingtonfoodtrucks.com. Before we knew it, our site had grown to host descriptions and contact information for over 30 local food trucks. Hard to believe there are that many trucks thriving in this town of 300,000.

korean beef bulgogi from fork in the road

steak chimichurri by the gastro gnomes

Everything from BBQ to Mexican to Greek to Cajun can be found on a given weekend on the streets of Lexington.

Diners can find tacos for as cheap as $1.50, or gourmet meals for $15. It’s kind of amazing actually.

Erik and I quickly learned, though, that the tricky thing about food truck dining is knowing where to find them. Blue Stallion and Country Boy host a truck almost every night, but the rest of them can be tough to track down.

We are attempting to solve this problem with a new iPhone app that we just launched in Lexington. The free app is called Follow That Food Truck! and it uses GPS to display the location of all active food trucks. Several trucks have signed on already and more are adding each day.

Whether this new food truck movement in our town is a response to the lean business strategies of the economic recession or whether it’s the way of the future for culinary startups is hard to say, but it has definitely taken hold here.

I encourage you to check out a food truck or two this weekend and take in a new dining experience. You can find all of the trucks on our website or on the app in real-time. It’s a great way to support the local economy. And besides, it’s totally worth it.

This post is a guest post by Josh Boldt, cofounder of lexingtonfoodtrucks.com.

Lexington’s Downtown Lakes and Waterways

A satirical “Lake Centrepointe” rendering. Centrepitte.

Political blog Barefoot & Progressive (B&P) recently posted about a “crowdfunding campaign to build ‘Lake Centrepointe’.” B&P was highlighting the independent, crowdfunding campaign to create a “people-made oasis of calm in the middle of the city [with] opportunities for sailing, swimming, fishing – or doing nothing at all.”

The B&P article didn’t delve into the history books, but a similar proposal was actually made by developers in the 1980s (though B&P has previously mentioned the subject of Lake Lexington).

Rendering of Lake Lexington, proposed in the 1980s. Barefoot & Progressive.

Lake Lexington would have created a visible and usable water feature of the historic Town Branch. I’ve made mention of this in my forthcoming book, Lost Lexington, which will be released in November:

[Lake Lexington] would have been a largely rectangular lake in the area roughly bounded by the Jefferson Street viaduct to the east, Main Street to the north, what is now the Oliver Lewis Way Bridge to the west and Manchester Street to the south. Developers of this proposal envisioned having Rupp Arena reoriented toward the new lake. A few slips included in the design suggested the possibility that sailboats, canoes or even some motorized vessels might take to Lake Lexington.

But just because two lakes (one imaginery and one not produced) haven’t materialized doesn’t mean that something isn’t afoot.

The Break Room at Pepper, part of the Distillery District. Behind the fence is the Town Branch.
Behind the building is a great patio overlooking said creek. Author’s collection.

Perhaps the most exciting news in terms of Lexington’s waterfront is what is presently occurring in the Distillery District. Multiple businesses are in the works with patio seating overlooking Lexington’s historic waterway.

The Break Room, Ethereal Brewing, Middle Fork Kitchen, and the Barrel House Distillery are truly making something of this incredible part of town that not long ago was just an industrial wasteland. And behind that wasteland was the historic (and surprisingly beautiful and peaceful) Town Branch.

And speaking of crowdsourcing, there is a public art project underfoot. There’s about 20 days left to help put a massive mural along the old barrel warehouse. Imagine the public art that could be fit on a 270-foot wide canvas?

20,000 square feet of public art. In one location. In Lexington. Where do I sign up for that? Actually, click on the crowd sourcing box on the right to find out more about the project and how you can help out.

Enjoy a Simple Summer of Memory Making

The Lil’ Kaintuckeean Enjoying a Popcicle on a
Hot Summer Day. Author’s collection.

Oh the simple joys of summer as seen through a child’s eyes. It is always such joy to see the faces of my children as they’ve taken advantage of being outside and enjoying the warmth of summer.

Whether it be running in the sprinkler, eating a popsicle, or just interacting with their siblings or friends, watching the children play brings great joy. And the neat thing about honest summer play is that it is largely unchanged from generations past.

Kids still ride their bikes, still drink from hoses, and still get into trouble as always. Whereas it used to be a challenge to corral one’s children for mealtime or for the night, the struggle persists to keep the child active and outside and not dormant in front of a screen.

As a parent, it is much more fun to see my kids doing those summer things. Just watching them have fun is fun. My great grandfather used to say that “watching children is the best way to waste time.”

And it is.

Sometimes, of course, I struggle with allowing myself to waste that time. But it is so important to do so. To stop and to enjoy the moment. After all, isn’t that what I’m trying to get the kids to do by shooing them out the door and away from the television and their various iDevices?

Of course, there are so many risks outside, too. Bug bites once fairly innocent now might carry unpronounceable diseases. (Is it just me, or does anyone else want to say chupacabra whenever the Chikungunya virus is mentioned?) And then there is drinking out of the water hose.

I recently saw an adorable picture of a friend’s twin daughters drinking from the water hose. While wondering if the hose was BPA free, I laughed at the things we now think of. (And I already checked, Amazon.com does carry a BPA-free garden hose for this very reason so sadly someone else already thought of this and is profiting on it!)

Of course one summer adventure that we don’t get to enjoy quite like the old days is the amusement park. Sure, lastweek the great sights and sounds of the Jessamine County Fair are available locally. But next week, they’ll be gone. (You can still take advantage of the Bluegrass Fair in Lexington!)

Without hopping from fair to fair, the nearest amusement park is the old Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville or Kings Island north of Cincinnati. But it once was that all Nicholasvillians had to do was hop on the interurban rail line or the Greyhound bus to Lexington’s Joyland Park.

The Pretzel, ” That Funny Mysterious Dark Ride” at Joyland Park in
Lexington, Ky. University of Kentucky Archives.

Open from 1923 to 1964, Joyland Park was a regular destination for those who grew up in Nicholasville and Jessamine County. The park offered the region’s first public pool. Generations of Kentuckians learned to swim there at the free swimming lessons sponsored by Lexington’s newspaper.

In addition to swimming, the park offered a great wooden roller coast (The Wildcat), a carousel, a midway with 26 booths of games and other temptations, and several acres of picnic grounds. A venue on-site also brought to town some of the great musicians of the twentieth century early to mid-20th century.

I’ve discovered so many shared memories from those who visited Joyland Park as children on the many “I Grew Up In …” Facebook groups like the one for North Lexington.

What are your favorite summer memories? And what memories will you make this summer for yourself and for your family?

A version of this column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal on July 9, 2014. It should not be republished without permission.

Art is winning in Lexington and Nicholasville

Lexington’s First National Bank (aka Fayette National Bank) Building
and Future 21c Museum and Hotel (Photo: Author)

In early June, the city council approved final terms on the 21c Museum and Hotel which will occupy that city’s oldest skyscraper, the Fayette National Bank Building. Since the approval, construction has been moving along in the historic structure.

Originating in Louisville, 21c already has locations in Louisville, Cincinnati, and in Bentonville, Arkansas. The fourth location will be in Durham, North Carolina, and Lexington will be the brand’s fifth. Construction has already begun to rehabilitate the Lexington landmark for its future purpose.

A 21c hotel, however, is far more than a place to rest one’s head.

The modern, award-winning hotels are well-regarded for the art museums at each location which are free and open to the public.

During the council debate on the matter, Lexington’s elected leaders heard from some constituents who don’t approve of the art that will be on display. Too risque. Too provocative. Too sexual, they argue.

But the project was still approved. Lexington’s leaders approved of the downtown development that would bring jobs, a proven hotel, and a collection of art (albeit controversial at times) to its Main Street.

But what is art?

It is defined as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

Emotional power? Surely those objecting to 21c’s art have a strong emotional response to seeing it (or perhaps just hearing of it). It so moved them that they sought to take an active step in democracy by speaking to their elected leaders.

Have you been dramatically moved by a piece of art?

Perhaps it was a painting or a song or a sculpture or a book. Irrespective of form, art can carry us to new heights, can overcome our emotions and can make us dream new dreams.

It is a good thing that art won on Lexington’s Main Street.

Nicholasville’s First Gallery Walk in June 2014 (Photo: Author)

And it is a great thing that art won on Nicholasville’s Main Street in early June, as well.

At the close of business on June 6, the Polvino Family Art Center opened its doors. And with it came throngs of people for Nicholasville’s first gallery walk.

Twelve spots along Main Street saw artists showcasing their work and people filling sidewalks. Four restaurants along Main Street — Euro’s, the Nicholasville Cafe, Brewer’s, and Simi’s — each were open for evening dining.

It was so exciting to see all of the people walking along our downtown streets on a beautiful evening while patronizing our locally owned businesses.

When our Main Street’s streetscape was torn up several years ago for a beautification process, our community suffered. But I believe that through the years and through that pain, we are emerging as a better community.

I tip my hat to Constance Grayson and all of those involved in having the vision and the drive to turn that vision into a reality. The Creative Art League of Jessamine County has grown so much over the past few years and it has so much more potential!

I am excited about future gallery walks and the energy and beauty that they bring to Main Street, Nicholasville.

The next Gallery Walk along Nicholasville’s historic Main Street will be on August 8 from 5:00 to 8:00.

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Post by A Better Nicholasville.

A version of this column originally appeared in the Jessamine Journal on June 11, 2014. It should not be republished without permission.

This is #MyOldKYHome

Me at #MyOldKYHome

I grew up in downtown Lexington in a home in which my parents still reside. It has been on the market of late and I haven’t been able to bring myself as of yet to write its history for the site. I promise, it is coming. Here’s a little bit of history, though.

The home sits on West Short Street in the Historic Western Suburb. The age of the original structure is unknown, though the front room was built in 1843. The architect of that addition was John McMurtry whose work is so prevalent and prominent in Lexington’s downtown area.

My parents purchased the home in the early 1990s and I lived there from first grade through my first few years of college.

Without a doubt, it is – and always will be – My Old Kentucky Home.

Historic Preservation, the University of Kentucky, and Legos

Funkhouser Building of the University of Kentucky in Lego.
Though not on the BGT’s Endangered List, many of the campus structures by its
architect (Ernst Johnson) are slated for, or at risk of, demolition.

For Christmas, I received the Lego Architecture Studio. It is truly a Lego set for adults, especially those with an interest in architecture. And even though I have no training, I’m always up for a little fun. With a bourbon in hand, one of my first “projects” was to recreate, in Lego, some of the historic structures in Lexington. Of particular interest were those properties slated for inclusion on the Blue Grass Trust’s “Eleven in Their Eleventh Hour” list for 2014.

The BGT’s focus for 2014 was on historically significant structures located on the campus of the University of Kentucky. Many, though not all, of these buildings are modern in design (which is well suited for the Lego Architecture Studio, I might add) and the architectural beauty and significance of such mid-20th century structures have been discussed with much greater detail than prior properties listed on endangered lists. The release of the BGT’s 2014 list dovetailed with UK Trustee meetings on which the same very buildings’ fate would be determined. Within a short time, the wrecking ball will strike several of these unique structures.

The Kirwan-Blanding Complex was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone. UK has not
confirmed whether these 1967-era, 23-story towers and surrounds will survive. Of them and
their architectural style, Tom Eblen wrote that while “modernist buildings [are] not
for everyone … they’re worth saving anyway.”

Once the fate of the buildings had been determined, the BGT reiterated a Plan B: “documenting [the buildings] thoroughly … provid[ing] an opportunity for preservation and design students to become involved and educated [and to leave] behind an accurate and detailed record for future research.” UK’s own VisCenter and historic preservation programs could make great effort together to accomplish these aims.

Wenner-Gren Aeronautical Research Laboratory in Lego is slated for immediate demolition.
Built in 1940, the stories related to Wenner-Gren are numerous and its importance huge.
It was designed by architect Ernst Johnson, a noted Lexington architect. A chapter in the
book accompanying the Lego set discussed the concept of scale, something I practice with
my interpretation of the Wenner-Gren Laboratory.

Though my Lego interpretations are hardly accurate or detailed of the original structures, they show how these campus facilities can be a source for imagination and inspiration if given the opportunity. Though preservation of the structures is no longer an option, I do hope that each building can be fully documented.

Lexington’s Southern Boundary in 1935

View from yard on Goodrich Ave. in Lexington, KY, ca. 1935 (KDL)

As a history buff, some of the best moments are when you see an image that takes a familiar place back in time. I found this picture in the Kentuckiana Digital Archive a while back. It’s a picture that was used to advertise a house that was for sale on Goodrich Avenue in Lexington. It’s dated June of 1935. And my home happens to be on Goodrich.

Several years ago I saw an old map of Lexington that showed Goodrich Avenue as the southernmost street in Lexington. Goodrich is in a little neighborhood called WGPL, just north of Southland Avenue off Nicholasville Road.

In this map, Southland Avenue didn’t exist, and beyond Goodrich, Nicholasville Pike turned into a country road that meandered its way south to Jessamine County. The picture above gives us a glimpse of what that must have been like.

What you see here is the backyard of the home, facing south, with the area that would become Southland stretching out beyond. As I understand it, Southland was developed in the ’50s. This area would roughly be about where the Southland Collins Bowling alley is today. Wolf Run, which begins in this area and is now underground, flows around the property line, and farmland stretches out to the south.

Pretty awesome little glimpse of the past.