National Register Action – Page 2

Louisville Elementary School on National Register

Charles D. Jacobs Elementary School (1932) – Louisville, Ky.
Photo: T. Dade Luckett (NRHP Application File)

Earlier this year, the Department of the Interior approved the application of the Charles D. Jacob Elementary School for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Located at 3670 Wheeler Avenue in Louisville’s south end, the two structure elementary school has seen little exterior change since the 1930s.

The first building was constructed one hundred years ago, in 1912. The two-story structure features both craftsman and colonial revival elements and is a fraction of the size of the much larger 1932 addition which is connected to the original school by a breezeway. This larger structure was described upon its opening by the Courier Journal as “a buff brick building of modern architecture” which today exemplifies the traditional architectural style of educational buildings of the era, i.e., art deco/moderne.

Charles D. Jacobs Elementary School (1912) – Louisville, Ky.
Photo: T. Dade Luckett (NRHP Application File)

The land on which the school sits was formerly owned by Charles Donald Jacob, for whom the school and its neighborhood are named. The 1912 structure was a seven-room schoolhouse originally known as Jacob’s Addition Community School until 1922 when the neighborhood was annexed by Louisville and the school by Louisville City Schools. The name of the school was changed to Charles D. Jacob Elementary when the addition was added in 1932.

Charles D. Jacob was a four-term mayor of Louisville being first elected in 1872. Jacob’s father was the president of the Bank of Kentucky and thus Jacob was raised in a family of wealth. An elegant man, he always wore a yellow rose and sought to beautify and improve Louisville. To these ends, he is considered the father of Louisville’s parks. Iroquois Park was originally named Jacob’s Park after the mayor who envisioned the city’s great parks. Jacob’s administration oversaw the construction of the city’s first Home for the Aged and Infirm, the installation of the city’s first granite and asphalt streets, and the conversion of street lighting from gas to electricity. At the school’s 1932 dedication, a school board member said of Mayor Jacob: “I don’t think that the history of Louisville will show the name of a man who gave more service more unselfishly that that of Mr. Jacob.”

For more on the unique architectural combination found at the Charles D. Jacob Elementary School, be sure to read the National Register application file.

Source: NRHP Application File, courtesy Ky. Heritage Council.

Annville Institute brought “Complete Living for the Mountain people”

Original Lincoln Hall, ca. 1915. Photo: Jackson Taylor. Source: KY Explorer.

Nine miles south of the Jackson County seat of McKee rests the community of Annville where the Reformed Church of America once had its college. Like so many communities across Kentucky, a “Campus Road” or similar name harkens back to an area when small, regional schools or colleges dotted the landscape — many in lieu of our modern high school which were often too far for students to reach, particularly in poor weather or at the time of the harvest. With dormitories on site, Annville was able to avoid these issues as well.

Lincoln Hall – Annville, Ky.
Source: NRHP Application.

Rev. William Worthington, instrumental in establishing and growing the school, had the purpose of “Complete Living for the Mountain people.” With the lens of political correctness, this mission statement may not seem appropriate, but considering the era the meaning is true: “to give the mountain people the best possible opportunity for the largest development for service in home, Church and state.”

The most notable building at the Annville Institute is Lincoln Hall, constructed in 1923 after a fire destroyed the original hall. The new Lincoln Hall is a Colonial Revival and would be more fitting or expected in Williamsburg, Va. than in Annville, Ky. Atop, the ten-foot square cupola features built-in arches, a metal dome and a presently-inoperable clock.

The school closed in 1978, but the property remains in the hands of the Reformed Church of America. They recently had the site added to the National Register of Historic Places and are working to convert Lincoln Hall into a cultural center. You can read more about what is going on at Annville with the good work of Jackson County Ministries which has operated the site as a field mission since the school closed.

Two Boone County Homes Added to National Register

Two Boone County homes – one in Belleview and one in Burlington – were recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Register is America’s official list of cultural places worthy of preservation and it is administered by the National Park Service. Nominations must be recommended by a state agency; in Kentucky, that is done by the Preservation Review Board and the Kentucky Heritage Council.

Locations are added to the National Register weekly and these two Boone County properties were listed at the end of February 2012.

Thomas Zane Roberts House and Workshop – Burlington, Ky.
Photo: Margo Warminski, Boone County Planning Commission
KY Heritage Council

The Thomas Zane Roberts House and Workshop (#12000042), located at 5074 Middle Creek Road in Burlington, is a picturesque farmhouse near the Ohio River. Its original owner and builder, Thomas Z. Roberts, was a master carpenter whose work shows in this frame two-and-one-half story temple-front dwelling that features an inset corner entry porch. Built in 1900, Roberts’ fine craftsmanship is evident in both his home and workshop – part of some 250 acres he once owned in the region.

It was here that Roberts – an inventor whose name is obscured by the more popularized Thomas Edison – spent time tinkering and inventing. Of all his creations, none were commercially adopted or patented (another reason why Edison is more renowned). Still, Roberts most notable creation was the Middle Creek Clock: a seven-foot tall walnut grandfather-style clock. Noted for its “intrinsic value as well as its extrinsic beauty,” the clock included a “Seth Thomas timepiece, a planetarium, a lunarium, and a dial showing the days of the week. … The planetarium contains an abbreviated model of the solar system, built to scale, and shows the earth’s position relative to Jupiter, Mars and Venus. “The orbit of each planet is precisely geared: while Venus gains one degree of arc in 1,656 days, Jupiter loses one degree of arc over 250 years.” The lunarium depicts the moon phase, and a dial indicates diurnal and nocturnal hours. The clock features an eight-day spring motor that sounds an alarm as it turns low and keeps ringing until attended.”

John J. Walton House – Belleview, Ky.
Photo: Margo Warminski, Boone County Planning Commission
KY Heritage Council

Belleview’s John J. Walton House (#12000041) is located at 5408 Belleview Road. It, along with its three outbuildings (a washhouse, a smokehouse and a corn crib) sit high atop a knoll about 1.5 miles east of the Ohio River.

Two stories tall, two bays wide and a room deep, the Walton House can clearly be seen as log construction given its impressive thirteen inch thick exterior walls. Built around 1840, the log pen construction was quite typical of the period’s regional architecture. In fact, the John J. Walton House is one of eight Boone County homes of log construction listed on the National Register.

It is worth noting that the three outbuildings described were not included in the nomination. Though described in the application, the buildings were not added to the National Register. They are, however, well-preserved examples of domestic outbuildings which are rarely in existence today thanks to obsolescence courtesy of rural electrification. It is rather peculiar that these outbuildings weren’t included, and I hope that this omission doesn’t lead toward lack of preservation.

Oldest Catholic Church in Eastern Kentucky

St. Therese Church – Heidelburg, Ky.

When considering the role of the Catholic Church in Kentucky outside the “golden triangle,” one immediately thinks of the central Kentucky region around Bardstown and Lebanon where many Catholics settled in the nineteenth century building a strong church and faith.

Original Church on Contrary Creek, ca. 1925

One, however, does not immediately think of the hills of eastern Kentucky. Although Catholic families can trace themselves to eastern Kentucky communities long before, it was not until 1927 that a Catholic church was established in eastern Kentucky. In Lee County’s Heidelburg community, four families established St. Therese at Contrary Creek “down in the holler.” Families worshipping there had as much as a two hour trek by foot to reach the small church by Contrary Creek.

In the 1940s, the decision was made to relocate the church onto the mountain above the holler. In 1948, the present wood frame clapped board church was constructed with its materials being reused from the old church on Contrary Creek. Its white siding and red roof are in stark contrast to the lush, green forest that surrounds it.

Regular services ceased in the 1990s and since 2001 the Catholic diocese of Lexington has designated St. Therese as an oratory, or house of prayer.

After recommendation by the Kentucky Heritage Council’s Preservation Review Board, the National Register of Historic Places included St. Therese Church into the register on February 28, 2012. With hope, this designation will enourage and promote preservation at this house of worship.

Sources: NRHP Application; Queen of All Sts. Parish
Photos: Ky. Heritage Council in the National Register Application

Forsythe-Shewmaker House in Mercer County on National Register

Forsythe-Shewmaker House – Salvisa, Ky.
Photo: NRHP Application, Ky. Heritage Council

On the banks of the Salt River in Mercer County, Andrew Forsythe built his two-story brick home as the centerpiece of his farm around 1830. In the Federal-Greek Revival style, Forsythe’s home also incorporated a number of French considerations which would have been quite en vogue at the time such as the parlor wallpaper being imported from Paris.

Forsythe was born in 1795 in Mercer County. He was the grandson of one of the five McAfee brothers who settled the area around what is now Salvisa. From the age of 17, Forsythe ventured in the transport of goods utilizing the many waterways around Mercer County. He would often “fill a flat boat at Oregon with produce, take it down to New Orleans, sell it and then walk home.” He would also transport items via horseback to eastern Kentucky and to Maysville by road.

Forsythe took to farming in 1820 and by 1832 had amassed 250 acres along the Salt River. Eventually, his holdings would include 693 acres before he died in 1886 at the age of 91.

Forsythe’s home, known now as the Forsythe-Shewmaker Home, was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just shy of 19 acres remains part of the property. One of the notable points in the nomination form is how the structure and design of the home lent to impress others and to improve Forsythe’s social position.

The application points specifically to the one story brick servants home built in close proximity to the main house. In the 1830s, having two brick structures so close together was significant and showed Forsythe’s importance in the local economy.

The Shewmaker name is added to the identity of the home because that family bought the dilapidated house in 1937 at auction on the courthouse steps in Harrodsburg, restored it and held the property until 1976.

On a personal note, I’m quite fond of this area as it was where I took my first No Destination drive, including a visit down to the dock at Oregon where Forsythe’s career was forged. Much of the family, including Forsythe’s father, worshipped at New Providence Church and is buried in the church cemetery.

Source: Ky. Heritage Council NRHP Application

Paducah, Ky. Neighborhood, Wallace Park, Added to National Register

Tree-lined streets of Wallace Park Neighborhood Historic District
Photo: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application

The National Park Service listed Paducah’s Wallace Park Neighborhood Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 2012. The district was recommended by the Kentucky Heritage Council in December.

Development of Wallace Park began in 1923 as an affluent residential neighborhood and it thrived as a middle- and upper-class subdivision after incorporation into Paducah’s city limits in 1926. The district consists if approximately 75 acres, including 154 of 159 structures being contributing.

Wallace House – 203 Cedar Lane – Paducah, Ky.
Photo: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application

The oldest structure, the Wallace House, was built ca. 1860 by Captain Phillip Wallace and his wife and is “the iconic symbol of Wallace Park.” “The Greek Revival structure is a five- bay, central passage structure laid in seven-course, common-bond masonry and covered by a hip roof. The side and rear of the structure are enclosed with several additions.” In 1890, Capt. Wallace sold his home and the surrounding acreage to the City Transit Company who developed the property into a recreational, family getaway (accessible, of course, by trolley).

Originally known as LaBelle Park, the site included a nine hole golf course, dance pavilion, lake, and a zoo. The park – then about a mile west of Paducah’s city limits – also had a casino!!

Around 1904, baseball diamonds and bleachers were added and the park was renamed Wallace Park. A minor league baseball team (Kitty League) called it home from 1904-1908. Interest in the park, however, fell by the early 1920s.

Survey of Wallace Park – west of Paducah, Ky. (June 1923)
Source: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application

Before the neighborhood was developed, the land was offered by the city to the state to be the site for a new college in the Purchase area. Instead, in 1922, the state legislature selected the town of Murray as the home of the new western normal school. At the same time, an eastern normal school at Morehead was also established.

Once a neighborhood was planned, Tudor Revival and Craftsman Bungalow style homes were constructed in the mid-1920s. These were followed by the construction of Cape Codders and Colonial Revivals. In the 1950s, a housing boom prompted the construction of several duplexes. The last homes in the neighborhood were built in the 1980s.

The neighborhood is a microcosm of Paducah’s own development during the twentieth century. Further, the integrity of the neighborhood is strong due to design requirements, setbacks, and minimum housing prices since the earliest days of Wallace Park. It is a beautiful neighborhood with a variety of architectural styles, established trees, and significant character.

Source: McCracken Co. History; NRHP Application, #12000047; NRHP Listing; Paducah Parks History

kernel: Two Central Kentucky Historic Districts Now on National Register

On December 19, 2011, the Department of the Interior recognized and approved the nominations of two central Kentucky historic districts to the National Register of Historic Places. The first is in Harrodsburg (Mercer County); the second is in Springfield (Washington County).

Harrodsburg Post Office
(Photo from NRHP Application File)

In Harrodsburg, the North Main Street Historic District includes addresses at 105-414 N. Main St., 109 W. Lexington, 101 W. Broadway, and 163 E. Broadway. With twenty-three contributing buildings , the district encompasses a number of architectural styles with a period of incluence stretching from 1823 until 1949. The district is mixed-use and features commercial, residential, and civic structures. In this historic district, the development of Kentucky’s oldest non-native settlement is readily visible. (NRHP# 11000796)

West Main Street, Springfield
(Photo from NRHP Application File)

One hundred sixty-five contributing features will make up Springfield’s Main Street Historic District, an 83-acre area bounded by Commercial Ave. to College St. and McCord, High Sts. to E. Depot St. This nomination is actually an expansion of the historic district originally approved in 1989. The Washington County Courthouse, completed in 1816, marks the beginning of the districts period of significance, though the city’s development can be bifurcated by the year 1888 during which year the Louisville & Nashville arrived. The county also had an extensive toll road network making Springfield a magnet for commercial and civic activity in the county. Pictured above are buildings which house or once housed shops, banks, masonic lodges and the opera house). (NRHP# 11000803)

kernel: More Kentucky Sites Make the National Register

Parkview Motel – Bardstown, Ky.
(Photo from NRHP Application)

The day after Thanksgiving, the National Register of Historic Places accepted three Kentucky sites from the thirteen recommended by the Kentucky Heritage Council (eight were accepted the previous week). This round of approvals includes a school in Covington, a historic district in Harrodsburg and another hotel/motel in Bardstown.

KENTON COUNTY (# 11000791)

LaSalette Academy,

702 Greenup St., Covington,

MERCER COUNTY (# 11000795)

Lexington and Cane Run Historic District

E. Lexington & Cane Run Sts., Harrodsburg

NELSON COUNTY (# 11000798)

Kurtz Restaurant and Bardstown–Parkview Motel–Office,

418 E. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown

Also, on December 19, the Kentucky Historic Preservation Review Board will consider eight additional nominations for recommendation to the National Register. More information about these eight sites, which includes Lexington’s Leestown Road VA Hospital, is available on the Kentucky Heritage Council website.

kernel: Eight New Kentucky National Register of Historic Places Sites

Livingston County Courthouse and Clerk’s Office
(Photo: Dr. Dianne O’Bryan, 2010)

In minutes released last week, the National Register of Historic Places has accepted eight Kentucky sites from the thirteen recommended by the Kentucky Heritage Council. Those approved include historic district, rural groceries, and civic buildings. Remarkably, three of the accepted sites were motels in the Bardstown area:

CALLOWAY COUNTY (#11000792)

The Murray Woman’s Club Clubhouse

704 Vine St., Murray

LAUREL COUNTY (#11000793)

London Downtown Historic District

Main St. between W. 6th & W. 5th Sts., London

LIVINGSTON COUNTY (#11000794)

Livingston County Courthouse and Clerk’s Offices

351 Court St., Smithland

NELSON COUNTY (#11000797)

Baldwin’s Tourist Court Residence–Office

321 W. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown

NELSON COUNTY (#11000799)

Old Kentucky Home Motel

414 Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown

NELSON COUNTY (#11000800)

Wilson Motel

530 N. 3rd St., Bardstown

TODD COUNTY (#11000801)

Guthrie Historic District

Roughly bounded by Ewing, Park & Cherry Sts., Guthrie

WARREN COUNTY (#11000802)

The Hardcastle Store

7286 Cemetery Rd., Bowling Green

National Register Action Update

In December, we posted on the nomination of five Kentucky sites to the National Register of Historic Places. Over the past week, each of the five became listed on the register.

Additionally, a sixth Kentucky site was added to the National Register. The Joseph Crockett House – an “old stone house on the banks of Hickman Creek” [*] in Union Mill, Jessamine County in 1803 was also added to the Register.

Crockett came to Kentucky in 1784 and was involved in Kentucky’s statehood. Lt. Crockett received a land grant of 1900 acres for his service in the American Revolution and began the Union Mill community and built its first gristmill. In 1801, President Jefferson appointed Crockett to be the U.S. Marshall and he served in that capacity for about eight years. One of Crockett’s most famous acts as a Marshall occurred in 1806. Joseph Hamilton Daviess, the U.S. District Attorney for Kentucky, had Crockett serve Aaron Burr with the government’s charges of treason. (Burr was acquitted at trial; his attorney was Henry Clay.) Crockett died in 1829. There are a lot of other fascinating stories about him (so I’ll do a full post some other time…).

The other sites added to the National Register are the J. Hawkins Hart House in Henderson, Henderson County, the Jenkins School in Jenkins, Letcher County as well as three sites in Louisville (Jefferson County): McBride’s Harrods Creek Landing, Miller Paper Company Buildings and the Most Blessed Sacrament School.