walkLEX – Page 10 – The Kaintuckeean

walkLEX: Downtown’s Little Green Camel

The Zero Mile Marker – Lexington, Ky.

Where the once mighty Phoenix Hotel stood, the Phoenix Park “rose from the ashes” of the old hotel and failed World Coal Center development. In the northwest corner of the park, at the corner of East Main Street and South Limestone, a barefooted traveler looks eastward from his perch atop his camel. With his heavy bags, this Bedouin traveler makes no progress despite giving great perspective to others.

When driving on interstates and highways, do you wonder how the transportation authorities determine how many miles it is to Lexington? With Lexington’s city limits extending to the county line, the distance would vary depending on the direction of your approach. A constant is needed and this camel is that constant. It also is the point that determines whether a Lexington road is east or west, north or south. It is the center of Lexington. Sort of.

This supposed constant has been located in three different locations around downtown Lexington. Originally, a granite marker was dedicated by the Lexington Automobile Association on November 20, 1926, in front of the grand Union Station on Main Street (at Walnut, now MLK Blvd, St.). The Bedouin and his camel atop the granite stone was a gift from William Ingram, the then-owner of the Lexington Granite Company, who was the artist who created the bronze statue.

In 1961, the Union Station was demolished and the zero mile marker was removed to the courthouse lawn. The marker was again moved in 1990 to its present location, though its base (and the language on it) was replaced. Removing the language which mirrored the Washington, DC zero-mile marker, “Starting Point from Lexington On All Highways” to include a reference only to the “Zero Milestone,” the marker also boasts its new location: “Phoenix Park.”

This post appeared on KyForward on July 11, 2011.

Bibliography
Art Inventories Catalog
Lexington Herald-Leader (local.lexpublib.org)

walkLEX: Robert Patterson Cabin at Transylvania University

Patterson Cabin – Lexington, Ky.

On Third Street, just east of Broadway, is a fantastic log cabin that dates to 1783. If this date is correct, the cabin would be one year older than the “oldest house in Lexington” – the Adam Rankin House. In Lexington: Heart of the Bluegrass, the claim is disputed altogether: the Patterson Cabin was likely not the first cabin built outside the blockhouse, but was one of about 30 cabins built around the same time. Still, it is the only surviving cabin… so symbolically, it is the first.

The cabin itself was built by and belonged to pioneer Robert Patterson who was among those who settled Royal Springs (Georgetown), Lexington, and later, Cincinnati (Ohio). Born in Pennsylvania, Patterson was only 22 years old when he set out with a group to explore the wilderness. Leaving Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) in 1775, the group ultimately established a fort which would become Georgetown. Patterson went to the fort at Harrodsburg before returning to Fort Pitt for additional ammunition in 1776.

After returning to Kentucky, he led a group of 25 men in 1779 to construct a blockhouse which would become the basis for Lexington. Four years later, Patterson felt it sufficiently safe to erect a cabin outside the walls of the blockhouse for himself and his growing family (not that the blockhouse would provide much further protection; it was torn down in 1783) [Lexington Leader, 5/25/1951]. It is unclear how long Patterson lived in the cabin, but we do know that he and his wife (married in 1780) had eleven children.

In 1782, Patterson was second-in-command at the Battle of Blue Licks, a bloody battle which he survived. In 1788, Patterson formed a partnership in which he received a one-third ownership of the town site of Cincinnati, Ohio. But Patterson did not relocate to Cincinnati; he continued to serve Kentucky in various political roles until 1800 (his political career had begun in 1781).

Patterson sold his Kentucky landholdings and moved to Dayton in the same year that Ohio achieved statehood, 1803. His cabin followed in 1901.

That’s right! According to a 1901 announcement in the Bourbon News, “The old log cabin…has been purchased by John H. Patterson, President of the National Cash Register Company, and is being removed to Dayton, Ohio.” The Lexington Leader confirmed:

The work of tearing down and loading the old Patterson cabin on the cars was completed yesterday, and the car was started last night to Dayton, where the old structure will be re-erected near the scene of Col. Patterson’s conflict with the Indians, on the Pickaway plains. [10/9/1901]

On May 5, 1906, the Lexington Leader followed up on the old Lexington landmark:

John H. Patterson, of Dayton, O., the famous National Cash Register man, has just issued an attractive brochure in gray and gold, which tells the story of the historic log cabin built by his ancestors in Lexington over a century ago, which he bought a few years and removed to Dayton, and rebuilt on a part of the ground adjoining his splendid home in the suburbs of that city.

Kaintuckeeans rejoice – the cabin is back! The City Commisioners of Dayton voted to return the cabin to its origin: Lexington. Transylvania College would be the recipient and the old cabin was relocated to its present location [Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/18/1939]. Transylvania was a fitting place for the Cabin as it rests on part of Patterson’s original 400 acre tract of Lexington. Patterson also was a trustee of the college.

In 1951, a great restoration of the cabin occurred as a joint effort of Transylvania University, the State Highway Department and the Kentucky Historical Society. As one can imagine, several of the old logs had rotted through. Timber was felled from the Natural Bridge area and transported to the cabin for repair. [Lexington Leader, 7/16/1951]. Another restoration followed in 1976 to this great landmark of Lexington.

You can see the rest of my pictures of the Patterson Cabin on flickr.

This post was republished by KyForward.com on June 23, 2011.

Bibliography
Kentucky Digital Newspaper Program
Kentucky Encyclopedia, “Patterson, Robert“
Lexington Herald-Leader/Leader from local.lexpublib.org

walkLEX: Maxwell Place

Each month, the Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation offers a deTour to visit a local historic site that has been well-preserved and restored. Please join us on our next deTour. Details on Facebook!

Maxwell Place – Lexington, Ky.

On a very warm afternoon in early June, we gathered on the circular driveway of a brick Italianate villa nestled in the center of the UK campus – right between the Guignol Theatre and the Chem-Phys Building. While architecturally unique and impressive in its own right, Maxwell Place particularly stands out between its mid-20th century neighbors.

Our guide was none other than First Lady Patsy Todd – a wonderful woman who, with her husband President Lee Todd, have led the University of Kentucky since 2001. One of the couple’s first tasks upon arriving at Maxwell Place in 2001 was to have the hedges that surrounded the property removed, allowing visitors, including students, to wander through the grounds. It was a big change welcomed by the students!

Maxwell Place is a storied place in Lexington’s history. Its name comes from Maxwell Springs – a natural spring that was one of three that crossed near the property before feeding the Town Branch of the Elkhorn Creek. The present Guignol Theatre rests above Maxwell Springs and some memory of the old water features exists in the low-lying areas just south of the University’s Student Center. Henry Clay once said, “No man can call himself a gentleman of Kentucky until he has watered his horse at Maxwell Springs.”

Maxwell Springs received its name from the area’s landowner, John Maxwell. Maxwell was one of Lexington’s earliest pioneers and, it is said, he named the original encampment at McConnell Springs “Lexington” after the recent Revolutionary War victory. With a 1,000 acre tract acquired from fellow pioneer Robert Patterson, Maxwell owned much of what became southeeast Lexington.

During the Civil War, the present-day University campus was occupied by Federal troops and its trees were felled for heating fuel. The owner of the land, the Maxwell Springs Company, couldn’t keep up its payments during the War and in 1870 the entire parcel was sold in a judicial sale.

The “most active and influential” of city councilmen, Dennis Mulligan, led the City of Lexington to acquire the majority of the land at the sale for use as a City Park, while he individually purchased a narrow strip of land on Rose Street. Mulligan, it should be noted, was an Irish Catholic political boss and many believe it was his political machine which boss Billy Klair would later steer and perfect.

On this narrow strip, Mulligan built for his son a wedding gift: Maxwell Place. The son, James Hilary Mulligan, would serve in a number of political offices in Kentucky, in Washington and abroad. As Speaker of the Kentucky House, Mulligan would retain the services of a young Billy Klair as his page. Mulligan is best remembered, however, for a poetic speech he delivered at the old Phoenix Hotel in Lexington in 1902 entitled, In Kentucky . A copy of the poem hangs in the library at Maxwell Place.

Lexington, vying for the state university and facing strong competition from a Bowling Green bid, offered its old Maxwell Springs land and the rest is University of Kentucky history. The Mulligan family sold its 13 acres, including Maxwell Place, to the University in 1917 for $40,000.

The original architect of Maxwell Place is unknown, though it is believed to have been either Thomas Boyd of Pittsburgh, Pa. or Phelix L. Lundin of Lexington. The two-and-a-half Italianate has been added to and remodeled throughout the years, but many of its original features remain intact. One of its most iconic additions is the arts-and-crafts pergola that stretches from the residence to the circular drive.

Maxwell Place has been the home to many University of Kentucky presidents during its service to the University. It has also been the host destination for many visitors and dignitaries, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who stayed at house in 1934. Despite its storied past, Maxwell Place faced its critics: in the late 1960s, Maxwell Place was slated for demolition as part of the University’s development plan. Fortunately, an effort to preserve the historic structure succeeded so that we can enjoy this property today. Soon Eli Capilouto, the 12th University of Kentucky President, will call Maxwell Place home.

You can check out more pictures of Maxwell Place on my flickr account.

Bibliography
Bossism and Reform in a Southern City: Lexington, Kentucky, 1880-1940
Kentucky Encyclopedia, “John Maxwell” and “Maxwell Springs“
Lexington Herald, p. 1. Oct.18, 1967. (local.lexpublib.org)
National Register of Historic Places, “Maxwell Place”

walkLEX: Soup Perkins Alley and the Last “Old-Time Southern Negro Jockey”

The new “Soup Perkins Aly” in Lexington, Ky.

There is a good reason why I’ve never noticed Soup Perkins Alley before. It’s because it didn’t exist a month ago. On May 5, 2011, Mayor Gray signed Res. 152-2011 which, in part, renamed a portion of Morris Alley to Soup Perkins Alley. But who is Soup Perkins?

Source

James “Soup” Perkins was a jockey who began racing at age 11 at a northern Kentucky race track situated in Latonia (near Covington and Newport) [*]. In 1895, he rode Halma to a win in the Kentucky Derby. After the race, the 90-pound African-American was asked his age; he replied, “going on sixteen.” At 15, Soup Perkins and Alonzo Clayton share distinction of being the youngest jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby.

Perkins got his nickname because he was known to love a bowl of soup. And he could afford to feed his small frame; his riding contract paid $5,000 annually. This is equal to an annual income of over $600,000 today!

In 1880, James Perkins was born in Lexington to former slaves of Major Flournoy. On the opening day of races at the old Kentucky Association track, October 16, 1893, Perkins rode five horses to victory before “a large crowd.” [Lexington Morning Transcript, p. 1. 10/17/1893]. The morning paper reported again on Perkins’ victories a few days later: “James “Soup” Perkins rode 5 winners yesterday and finished second on another mount. He is a 13-year-old colored boy.” [Lexington Morning Transcript, p. 1. 10/21/1893].

After his derby win in 1895, however, things began to unravel for Perkins. In 1897, Newport (Ky.) racing officials disqualified him from taking any mounts. [Lexington Leader, p. 2. 5/2/1897]. Later that year, his brother, Frank Perkins, “became suddenly insane” while lodging in Cincinnati. [Lexington Leader, p. 5. 10/9/1897].

By 1899, James “Soup” Perkins’ racing career was over and was described in the past tense: “at one time one of the most prominent jockeys in the West.” [Lexington Leader, p. 4. 8/25/1899]. His death was reported by the Lexington Leader in a section entitled Colored Notes: “James S. Perkins, the famous jockey, better known as “Soup” Perkins, departed this life Wednesday, August 10, 71 York street, Hamilton, Canada, at the Daniel Hotel. He was aged 33 years, five months, 12 days. The immediate cause of his death was heart failure.” [Lexington Leader, p.7. 8/21/1911]. His body was brought back to Lexington for burial at what is now the African Cemetery No. 2.

With his death, it was pronounced that “the last of the old-time Southern Negro jockeys passed away.” [Lexington Leader, p. 10. 9/12/1911.].

walkLEX: Graham Cottage

Graham Cottage – Lexington, Ky.

In antebellum Kentucky, education was a priority for many. In Hustonville in 1854, James M. Hocker formed a Christian College for women. It was the first all-female college this side of the Appalachian Mountains. After the Civil War, he relocated his “Hocker College” to a six acre tract on the west side of North Broadway in Lexington [*]. There, he called upon another leader in the Stone-Campbell restoration movement, Robert Graham, to assume the presidency of the institution. The residence pictured above was constructed in that year, 1869, as the college president’s home. Graham resigned in 1875 and, following a large donation, the college was renamed Hamilton College (I bet you can guess the donor’s last name!?).

By 1889, Transylvania University had taken an interest in the small college near its own campus and, in 1903, Transy converted Hamilton College into its own junior college before dissolving the institution entirely in 1932. The main building of Hocker/Hamilton was an impressive four-story brick Italianate that was repurposed as a women’s dormitory at Transy until the structure was demolished in 1962.

Today, the only remaining part of the Hocker/Hamilton College days is the Graham Cottage. Hardly a cottage, this stately home would serve as the home of four presidents of Transylvania University before the University began using the Cottage as an alumni house.

Speaking of alumni, one notable alumni of Hamilton College was Maurine Dallas Watkins, the scriptwriter who created the characters Roxie Hart and Velma Kelley for Chicago in 1926. Of course, the story was remade into a film in 1942 (with Ginger Rogers) and readapted as a musical (and a blockbuster film) in the past decade.

The Graham Cottage was described by Clay Lancaster as an “interesting antiquity” [*] and is one of three truly historic buildings standing on the campus of Transylvania University, the others being Old Morrison and the Patterson Cabin.

This post was republished on KyForward.com on June 8, 2011.

walkLEX: Pope Villa

Pope Villa – Lexington, Ky.

Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1811 for Senator John Pope and his wife Eliza, this home is one of – if not the – best example of residential architecture in America by this incredible architect (only 3 remain).

Benjamin Latrobe was best known, however, for his work as the nation’s architect. In fact, he was the first professionally trained architect in the country. A friend of Thomas Jefferson and other leaders, Latrobe oversaw the construction of the U.S. Capitol, designed parts of the White House, and drew up the plans for the Baltimore Basilica.

Latrobe’s Kentucky clients were very involved in the design of their home – a perfect square footprint topped with a dome. The first floor “basement” included Pope’s office, Eliza’s parlor, in-house servant’s quarters and, of course, some “secret” passages. The primary floor of the Villa, however, was the second. Upon ascending the stairs, one would have found a circular domed main parlor (probably with an oculus skylight). To the right were the drawing room and the dining room – each with a curved wall creating two “dead zones” one of which would have completely obscured any utility from the middle window on the second floor. Bedrooms were to the left.

The Popes sold the property in 1829 when they left for Arkansas (John had been appointed by President Jackson to be the territorial governor). The Woolfolk family bought the home and, at the conclusion of the Civil War, retained Thomas Lewinski to redesign the building into an Italianate structure. (Lewinski was the Lexington architect of the era as Gideon Shryock had left for Louisville; Lewinski also designed the new Ashland estate and a number of downtown churches, including Christ Church Episcopal).

Over time, the property was expanded and converted into as many as ten apartments for University students. Despite all the damage done, original wallpaper samples and other architectural detail has been uncovered. [*]

Ravaged by arson in 1986, the property was thereafter purchased by the Bluegrass Trust which has carefully restored the exterior of Pope Villa to its 1812 appearance; the interior is an ongoing project. More pictures of the Pope Villa can be accessed here. Richard Moe, the President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has described the Pope Villa as “one of this country’s greatest treasures.” It certainly is one of Lexington’s.

walkLEX: Town Branch Market

Town Branch Market – Lexington, Ky.

A couple of weeks after Shorty’s opened in downtown Lexington (163 W. Short St.), the Town Branch Market opened at the corner of Esplanade and Main. The opening last week took downtown Lexington to a count of two downtown grocer’s (a far cry from the goose egg we’d had for years).

Town Branch is completely different than Shorty’s. When you walk into Town Branch, the feel is more convenience store that grocery — an intended feel for a market designed for downtown employees and residents needing to quickly pick up a few items. Yes, there was some meat, some veggies, some fruit … but nothing like the selection at Shorty’s. Again, I think this was intended.

Town Branch offered a great selection of fountain drinks and cappuccino bar to serve a market and price-point not otherwise available downtown. Coupled with partnerships with area businesses (Good Foods Coop, Donut Days — I’m really excited about getting a Donut Days doughnut downtown) and you have some great pre-made food offerings. There is also a nice selection of Ky Proud products – as owner Howard Stovall says, “If we can get it locally, its going to come locally.” That is good news.

The market’s name comes from the Town Branch of the Elkhorn Creek which flows underneath downtown Lexington. This stream is also known as the Middle Fork of the Elkhorn, but Town Branch is certainly the more commonly utilized name. Lexington is what it is today because this tributary flows through our fertile soil and is another example of a new local business taking its name from our collective local history.

walkLEX: Thoroughbred Park

Thoroughbred Park, Lexington, Ky.

When I was little, I remember walking down Short Street to its eastern terminus on the back side of Thoroughbred Park. There, the topography recreates the feel of rolling, grass-covered hills of the region. As a kid, it was the perfect place for a game of frisbee.

Before the rolling hills were built and the statues crafted, this block was still the eastern entrance into downtown Lexington. Among the many buildings and businesses occupying the site was an old Pure Oil gas station which had become the Featherston’s Motor Company – a unique piece of architecture that could not be salvaged and funds couldn’t be secured to move the structure.

Thoroughbred Park, which opened in April of 1991, is a 2.75 acre tribute to the area’s equine history. As you drive down Midland Avenue toward Main Street seven life-size horses gallop with their jockeys urging them to the finish line where they are greeted by the pictured rose garden. (A “finish line” snap shot is recommended for visitors to Lexington, but natives can and should take advantage as well). The jockeys aren’t generic either; keen equine eyes will recognize Willie Shoemaker, Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Randy Romero, Don Brumfield, Jerry Bailey and Craig Perret – each adorned with the silks of a major stable. Foal and broodmare sculptures are located throughout the park, and there is also a statue of the famed horse, “Lexington.” All of the horses were sculpted by Gwen Reardon, a local and renowned equine sculptor. There is also a walk of plaques of important figures in equine history from around the globe.

This park is a great Lexington resource, but is underutilized. Maybe more people should go and throw around a frisbee?

walkLEX: Wolf Wile / Gray Construction

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.

walkLEX: Shorty’s


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.