walkLEX – Page 5 – The Kaintuckeean

What’s In a Name? History.

A number of local watering holes and restaurants around downtown Lexington have opened in recent years or are set to open soon – several with historic sounding names.

Least among them, Shakespeare and Co. opened in the old Clark Hardware Store last weekend. The “Victorian chic” restaurant reaches to circa 1600 with its name beckoning on of (if not the) greatest authors of the English language.

Local names, too, haven’t been ignored.

Nick Ryan’s Saloon on Jefferson Street adopted the same name as the saloon on North Mill Street circa 1905. It was then, in fact, a man named Nick Ryan who owned and operated his bar at what is now 120 North Mill Street.

More famously, the Jefferson Davis Inn was originally located at West High and Limestone where the Confederate President lived while attending Transylvania University. A popular pub until it closed in 1984, the JDI is being reborn again on South Broadway in a mixed use development between Cedar and Pine Streets.

And then there is Lexington’s most notable resident: Henry Clay. Clay owned the building on Jordan’s Row from which he practiced law across from the courthouse at an address which is now 110-112 North Upper Street. (This isn’t to be confused with the other existing Clay law office on North Mill Street.). There, work is finishing up on Henry Clay’s Public House which bills itself as an “old world style pub” where service will include ” a blend of todays and yesteryears classic cocktails, potations, and concoctions for the discerning bibulous patron, combined with a dash of american culture, historical heritage, and humorous anecdotes.”

Historical heritage is alive in Lexington and it is plainly evident in the naming of our new establishments.

Five Brews and Endless Possibilities at The Bread Box

West Sixth Brewing Company

Lexington’s newest brewery, West Sixth Brewing Company, is the flagship of The Bread Box which is a commercial redevelopment of the old Rainbo Bread Company building at Jefferson and Sixth Streets in the Northside Neighborhood. The oldest part of the building was constructd as the Holsum Bread Company in the 1890s. A series of renovations and hame changes (Honey-Krust, Rainbo) kept the bread factory going until it finally closed in the early 1990s.


The Breadbox, ca. 1919 (l) and 1940s (r). Photos courtesy West Sixth Brewing Company

Our tour occurred after a day of cooking beer – a seven hour process that will be followed by a couple weeks fermenting. Before long, the ancient recipe of water, grain, yeast, and hops will develop into one of the five craft brews produced at West Sixth: wheat, an IPA, an amber, a brown ale, and a stout are all excellent products worthy of more than a tasting. As Lexington’s mobile food truck develops, the location will be an excellent locale to get some tasty street food and a cold brew. Of course, there are other developments going on inside the Bread Box that will result in some other in-house food options.

Consider FoodChain – a non-profit fighting hunger and educating about urban indoor agricultural production. In a hands on way, they’ll be utilizing waste from the beer cooking process to feed the tanks of farm-raised tilapia. The CO2 produced by the tilapia will bubble up to the surface of the tanks where micro greens will grow. And, according to our tour guide, a local restauranteur will open later this year a walk-up fish restaurant using FoodChain product. I’m looking forward to some tasty fish-n-chips with my Sister Sue Stout.

Other groups calling the Bread Box home are Broke Spoke (a non-profit community bike shop), an artists’ cave, Cricket Press and the practice ring for the Roller Girls of Central Kentucky (ROCK). ROCK’s practice facility at 18,000 square feet is the largest room in the massive 90,000 square foot building.

The building’s scale, and some of its features, were exactly what the four guys who started it all wanted. Ben, Brady, Joe, and Robin wanted to start a brewery and searched Lexington for the right facility and found what the cavernous structure at West Sixth and Jefferson — already complete with a quality roof, fire code-satisfying sprinklers, a massive walk-in cooler and other features that would help expedite production. Production has moved along exceptionally fast and they are well ahead of expectations. Their IPA is a best seller and is the first canned craft beer in Kentucky – an accomplishment in scale since the minimum can order from the only vendor in the country is 100,000 units. The pallets, pictured at right, are only two of several scattered around the building. The can’s design is also acclaimed by Paste Magazine as one of the top craft brew labels in the country.

Adding to a growing beer scene in Lexington, the West Sixth Brewing Company is a welcome addition. The mission of its owners, culminating in The Bread Box, is also a huge boost for Lexington’s growing Northside. The area is destined to redevelop and hopefully other investors maintain the historic character that exists at 501 West Sixth.

Additional photos of The Bread Box and West Sixth Brewing Company are accessible on flickr. You really should check these out — the building is awesome!

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour for young professionals (and the young-at-heart) 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 Facebook! Our next meeting is Wednesday, June 6 where we will explore the historic Botherum on Madison Place in the Woodward Heights neighborhood! You can see Kaintuckeean write-ups on previous deTours by clicking here.

Henry Clay Law Office

Henry Clay Law Office – Lexington, Ky.

Historic preservationists are often faced with a difficult question: which version of history should we preserve? A great illustration of this question exists on Lexington’s North Mill Street. The Henry Clay Law Office, which is the home of the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship, is a one story brick building adjacent to First Presbyterian Church. Henry Clay had the building constructed in 1803 as his law firm while he and his wife, Lucretia, lived across the street.

The building served as Clay’s law office until September 1810. While there, Clay was elected to the successive terms in the Kentucky legislature from 1803 to 1809 and was twice named (1807 and 1810) to fill unexpired terms in the United States Senate. Clay, the “Great Compromiser,” continued to grow in stature and prestige after he left his Mill Street office.

Henry Clay Law Office, ca. 1934
Photo: J. Winston Coleman, Jr. Special
Collection, Transylvania University

Despite its famous occupant, there is little architecturally significant about this small 22 by 20 foot structure. An 1830 addition encapsulated the little, old law office into a larger two-story structure but left intact the four walls, floorboards and chimney.

The building, circa 1830, is fairly historic in its own right even if it does envelops a structure twenty-seven years its senior? Preservationists in this case opted for the older structure which was tied to the building’s most important occupant.

In the late 1960s, the adjacent church owned the land and was prepared to raze the two-story structure when preservationists and the Commonwealth of Kentucky stepped in. Recognizing the historic value, the Commonwealth acquired the building and carefully demolished the 1830 exterior to uncover the good condition of the 1803 building. Through 1971, a detailed restoration took place that involved the turning of each exterior brick on the building. This was done because the clapboard siding once attached had damaged the brick’s then-exterior; now turned, the inside faces out and the building looks its original, 1803 self. Ultimately, the same church that once sought to demolish the building reacquired it and used it for various purposes before leasing it to the Center for Statesmanship.

Sources: Lex H-L; NPS; NRHP

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour for young professionals (and the young-at-heart). The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Details are always available on Facebook! Our next meeting is Wednesday, May 2 where we will explore The Bread Box (501 W. Sixth St.)! Join us by meeting at West Sixth Brewing Company!! You can see Kaintuckeean write-ups on previous deTours by clicking here.

Veiled and Unveiled: Hunt-Morgan House Gets a New Historic Marker

Veiled Historic Marker – Lexington, Ky.

This evening, the new historic marker at Lexington’s Hunt-Morgan House was formally unveiled. The old marker, the venerable #3, was over fifty years old, difficult to read, and factually inaccurate. Thanks to some generous gifts and the good work of the Blue Grass Trust and the Morgan’s Men Association, we now have a much more informative history in front of the beautiful 1814 Federal at the northwest corner of Second and Mill streets:

HUNT-MORGAN HOUSE
1814 Federal-style home, named Hopemont, retains original architectural features, including a cantilevered staircase & fanlight window. Saved from demolition by the Blue Grass Trust in 1955. Built by John Wesley Hunt (1773-1849), a philanthropist and the first millionaire west of the Allegheny Mountains.

(Reverse) Inherited by daughter, Henrietta Hunt Morgan, mother of Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan (1825-1864), known as the “Thunderbolt of the Confederacy.” Birthplace of John Wesley Hunt’s great grandson, Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866-1945), known as the “Father of Modern Genetics” and the first Kentuckian to win a Nobel Prize (1933).

More text and photos after the jump…

At the bottom of each side, the marker reminds us of its own history: “Update of original KY Historical Marker #3.” The old #3? A much shorter history (text after the photo):

Old Historic Marker – Lexington, Ky.

Since you can’t read that, it says:

Home of John Hunt Morgan, “Thunderbolt of the Confederacy.” Born Huntsville, Alabama, June 1, 1825. Killed Greeneville, Tennessee, September 4, 1864. Lieutenant, Kentucky Volunteers in Mexican War 1846-1847. Major General, C.S.A., 1861-1864.

Despite its own challenges, this old #3 (historic in its own right) will soon be displayed in the gardens of the Hunt-Morgan House. Now without further adieu, the new historic marker at the Hunt-Morgan House:

Hunt Morgan House Historic Marker Unveiling - Lexington, Ky.

Foster and Brenda Pettit Unveil the New Historic Marker – Lexington, Ky.

Check out these other pictures from the unveiling and of the historic Hunt-Morgan House.

Dr. Walter Warfield Building Central to Lexington Commerce

Dr. Walter Warfield Building – Lexington, Ky.

John Jordan, Jr. was a major nineteenth century Lexington merchant who owned most of the property fronting the courthouse square along Upper Street. The block between Short and Main streets was known as Jordan’s Row. At the northern end of the block is 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.

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.


1970s (Photo: NRHP)		Today

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 (see 1970s photo, above). Currently it houses Della’s Diner, an excellent source of grilled chefs and inexpensive comfort diner foods in a setting that is both clean and quintessentially 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.

Sources: Downtown Inventory; NRHP

“The Worst Kept Secret in Lexington” – First National 21C is Coming to Town

Steve Wilson at the 21C Announcement – Lexington, Ky.

When Mayor Gray took to the podium, he formally announced what he described as “the worst kept secret in Lexington: 21C is coming to town!” Gray spoke of a decision made by the directors of the Fayette National Bank one hundred years ago this month (April 25, 1912). They opted to erect a fifteen story skyscraper at the northeast corner of Main and Upper Streets. The building would be the tallest in Kentucky outside of Louisville.

Gray took a pause from his remarks as the bell at the old Courthouse rang ten times as if to honor each of the decades since that 1912 decision.

After Mayor Gray left the podium, owner/visionary/philanthropist Steve Wilson took the podium. Amid laughter, he discussed the ubiquitous red penguin that marks the 21C brand. Wilson and his wife/business partner Laura Lee Brown knew that a red penguin wouldn’t fly in Lexington so he quickly presented to the assembled crowd the Italian designed blue penguin (pictured above).

Fayette National Bank Building – Lexington, Ky.

The Fayette National Bank Building is in the Beaux-Arts classical design. Under its new 21C brand, it will house a contemporary art museum, approximately 80 hotel rooms, a restaurant, meeting rooms, ballroom and bar.

The building was completed in 1914 and it is anticipated that 21C will begin work later this year with completion one hundred years later in 2014.

Architecturally, the building is divided into three distinct vertical tiers spread across four bays.The first four stories are of Bedford limestone with 2 pairs of Ionic columns stretching three floors to create an impressive, yet approachable Main Street frontage. The top four floors of the building act as a cap with beautiful three-story arched windows. Although the middle floors are a non-descript shaft, the top and bottom tiers give the building incredible beauty and character. More of the buildings history, architecture, etc. can be found on my earlier post.

A lot of the history and promise of the future was captured in a fantastic video by Bullhorn which was shown by the Mayor at the announcement:

Other details are emerging about this exciting project. Check out B&P, Beverly Fortune and KyForward for the latest. Also, a special mention to WKYT for the incredible photography featured in their on-air story:

Sometimes, it’s nice to see your “name” on air.

Lexington’s History Encapsulated in First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church – Lexington, Ky.

Under an old Virginia law, the city or town acting as county seat could only have a church of the Anglican persuasion within her limits. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and others located their houses of worship outside of the city limits in order to circumvent the establishment law.

In 1784 Virginia, the area known as Kentucky today remained part of Virginia. Lexington had already been established as the county seat of Fayette and thus the establishment law applied here as well. Circumventing it, the people of Mount Zion Presbyterian Church established their church home beyond the city limits on a 190-acre tract in the vicinity of today’s Agriculture Experimental Station at the University of Kentucky, near the corner of South Limestone and Huguelet.

Mt. Zion counted among its members some of Lexington’s most prominent eighteenth century names: Robert Patterson and John Maxwell. By 1792, a location closer to town was sought and found by the courthouse square at Cheapside. Yet it was the same convenience and centrality which brought the Presbyterian congregation to the center of town that took it away — the noise was just too great. So in 1808, the church again relocated to the corner of Broadway and Second streets where it constructed a temporary one-story meeting house.

First Presbyterian Church, later Broadway Christian
Photo: Louis Edward Nollau (KDL)

During an 1817 service at the old meeting house, two women visiting (but not having joined) First Presbyterian were struck and killed by lighting. The following week, another church’s minister proclaimed it a classic lesson in procrastination and urged quick heed.

Benjamin LaTrobe was contacted and consulted for the erection of a new house of worship. Plans were drawn, but the vision never completed. Instead, a two story brick church was built on the same location in 1857. When First Presbyterian (as the congregation had been remonikered) left Broadway in 1870, the incoming Broadway Christian Church took its place where the first sermon pronounced it to be the “first Christian sermon to be preached in this building.”

Organ at First Presbyterian – Lexington Ky.

Until the new church on Mill Street was completed in 1872, the First Presbyterian congregation met in the Melodeon Hall on Main Street. Originally four bays deep, the First Presbyterian Church on Mill Street cost approximately $338,000 to construct. It is a beautiful construction in the Gothic style and it was designed by Cincinnatus Shryock. It prominently features an eighteen foot square, 180 foot tower/spire at Mill Street while its Market Street side was added on in 1897 to add a fifth bay as well as the wonderful Kimble organ. The organ pipes were recently discovered to have been originally stenciled and this design has been reincorporated.

First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary – Lexington, Ky.

The ten stained glass windows are each unique and were installed over a number of years following the 1897 addition. Money for these improvements came from pew rentals, while the loose plate offerings were used for incidentals and to aide the poor.

First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian (k/a Mt. Zion)’s first minister was Adam Rankin. A great speaker, but highly opinionated, Rankin shared his duties between the Lexington church and the Woodford County congregation as Pisgah. Controversially, he withheld communion from parishioners who liked Isaac Watts’ paraphrased hymns (the lyrics paraphrased scripture). Ultimately, the Transylvania Presbytery removed Rankin from the pulpit.

Another noted minister was Rev. Robert J. Breckinridge who was known as the “Napoleon of the Pulpit.” Serving from 1847 to 1853, Breckinridge was known for his strong favor of education. For his views, Governor Owsley (a very pro-education governor) named him Kentucky’s first superintendent of public instruction.

The Civil War found a splintering First Presbyterian Church as its members loved the Union but wanted to keep their slaves. By the end of the war, however, the split couldn’t be avoided. The suspension of habeus corpus and emancipation caused a major rift in the congregation and the congregation of Second Presbyterian. From 1866 until the 1880s, each of the two churches had two separate congregations with separate ministers with each aligning with either the northern or southern wings of the Presbyterian church.

The two wings of the Presbyterian Church were reunited in 1968 and the church remains one of Lexington’s finest. The church’s duration and functions (e.g., John Cabell Breckinridge’s 1875 funeral) have witnessed nearly all of Lexington’s storied history.

ky360: First Presbyterian Church
Flickr Photo Album of First Presbyterian Church

Sources: deTour; First Pres. Church History; KDL; NPS; NRHP

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour for young professionals (and the young-at-heart) 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 Facebook! Our next meeting is Wednesday, April 4 where we will explore the North Limestone neighborhood! Join us by meeting at Al’s Bar!! You can see Kaintuckeean write-ups on previous deTours by clicking here.

Looking West from Lexington’s Oliver Lewis Way Bridge

Oliver Lewis Way Bridge – Lexington, Ky.

At the western edge of the Rupp Arena is the Manchester Street parking lot. This parking lot travels under the Jefferson Street viaduct before coming to an end near the new bridge at Oliver Lewis Way. Although the bridge is rather nondescript, the view from it can be described as anything but.

In Lexington’s never-ending labyrinth of street names, the parking lot was once known by Cox Street because that was the road that extended Newtown Pike from Main Street to High. A rebuilt Newtown Pike Extension was renamed Oliver Lewis Way (slightly west of Cox Street) in time for the 2010 World Equestrian Games. The extension is a fantastic bypass of downtown which I’ve utilized many times, though recently on foot for the first time.

I knew, but hadn’t ever taken the time to notice, all of the activity that occurs on the western side of the bridge:

Panoramic View, facing west, from Oliver Lewis Way Bridge – Lexington, Ky.

All visible are the Distillery District, the Town Branch Creek and the RJ Corman Railyard. About 100 years ago, much of this was open land to receive seasonal flooding of the town branch. The bridge today sits largely over the building and the “s-curve_” in the Town Branch as seen in the 1907-1920 Sanborn Insurance Map below. The building was industrial in nature – the home of the Waller Manufacturing Company, Planing Mill and Hogshead Mfy. A hogshead was a large (225 litre) wooden barrel used typically to hold tobacco or, more importantly given the proximity to several Lexington-based distilleries, to age bourbon.

Sanborn Insurance Map (1907-1920); Source: KDL-KYVL.

The Town Branch Creek which forms the axis on which Lexington is designed flows underneath Lexington (since we buried it). Efforts are underway as part of the Arena, Arts, and Entertainment Taskforce to raise the Town Branch Creek back to the surface. But, looking west from the Oliver Lewis Way Bridge one can already see the Town Branch Creek working its way toward the Kentucky River and beyond:

Town Branch Creek – Lexington, Ky.

Finally, I could spend the afternoon watching the happenings at the RJ Corman Railyard. The coupling and uncoupling of trains and the unloading of freight (often, river sand harvested from near Louisville) is an incredible sight. Corman’s holdings (a lot of land and facilities at its headquarters in Nicholasville, a major derailment division, and the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train among them) all are well-kept and contribute to the beauty of the region. That is something you cannot say about many short lines around the country. Consider the display at the southwest corner of Main and Newtown Streets featuring fence, a stone wall, cab, car and caboose:

RJ Corman Railyard – Lexington, Ky.

There is a lot to see from the Oliver Lewis Way Bridge, but you must take the time to observe it. And I’m sure in my few minutes that I missed a lot. What else do you see?

Lexington’s Centrepointe Design Almost a Reality? Feels like it.

Proposed Design of Centrepointe Block – Lexington, Ky.

After last night’s public meeting, I am convinced that 2012 will be the year that ground is broken on the Centrepointe project. With the likes of Marriott, Urban Active, Jeff Ruby’s, Saul Good and others being (repeatedly and publicly) linked to the project, it is hard to comprehend that the developers would not be nearing shovel readiness. Yes, ink must be dried, permits and governmental authorizations attained … but by and large, I think we are ready to move forward.

And that will be a good thing. I’ve commented on the Centrepointe saga several times before (here, here, here, and here among others) and I’ve only been a small voice. But the collective voice of many has improved the design of the property from its earliest forms to what we see today.

E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.

Great credit should be given to the property owners for opening up a dialogue about the design of the property even though they have received great criticism. Public comment continued last night at a forum while email comment is being continuously accepted at [email protected].

Great credit should be given to the architects involved – all of them – who have listened to and, as appropriate, incorporated suggestions from the public.

From last night’s public meeting, I did glean a few details about the overall project that were not known last month when the initial renderings of the EOP (the primary architectural firm involved) were released. (See Another Round in the Centrepointe Saga, Feb. 16, 2012) But mostly, these were small details.

In my earlier post, I saw inspiration for the building at Vine and Limestone as being a bird’s nest a la the Beijing Olympic Stadium. Apparently, I was wrong. The building was inspired by a Kentucky forest with its trees strongly reaching upward. The rooftop garden completes the canopy. Okay!?

Anyway, the main thing from yesterday was seeing all the renderings. And there were a lot of them! Here is some of what I saw:

All great! Two notes from these photos. In the second to last, we see a pedway over Upper Street that likely won’t survive the CADRB and I understand that the exact schematics of the pedway are yet to be finalized. We’ll see. More importantly, in the last photo I’m concerned about the vehicular traffic flow into the hotel. It seems that there are some very dangerous points with the up/down ramps as traffic comes in off Vine Street; also, I’m afraid traffic would become congested on Vine as many people arrive for a conference, etc. Just my two cents.

And now for my funny observation of the evening: the schematics indicate that most of downtown is being overrun by either Transy or UK. The Student Center is EVERYWHERE!

Fayette County’s old courthouse is all history

The old Fayette County Courthouse – Lexington, Ky.

Even before a courthouse first occupied this site, it was an important center of Lexington. In fact, the first schoolhouse in the Commonwealth was built on the site in 1783. It was there that John “Wildcat” McKinney, the schoolteacher, was attacked by and fought off a wildcat that had entered the school.

Fayette County’s first three courthouses were torn down or sold, the fourth burned on May 14, 1897, and the fifth courthouse remains standing on the footprint of its two immediate predecessors. That fire in May 1897 occurred when the courtroom was full of fifth graders taking their year end exam. The smoke and fire caused great calamity throughout the building as adults scurried around with great difficulty and confusion, yet these fifth graders assembled a single file line before safely exiting the building.

A sneak peek of the HVAC-filled dome

Visiting the 1898 courthouse is particularly special when the historic dome becomes visible. As written following my 2009 visit to the old courthouse, “Prior to the renovation, visitors inside the courthouse would have marveled at a grand staircase as they gazed up 107 feet to the dome ceiling. The dome, picture above, was painted a blue with dozens of lights which would have illuminated the dome – then one of Lexington’s tallest structures – and the surrounding area. The use of these electric lights in 1900 was groundbreaking; only Paris, France (the “City of Lights”) was using lightbulbs in such innovative ways. The lights would also have illuminated the beautiful interior – the carvings and paintings reminiscent of a 14th century Tibetan palace.”

The 1898 courthouse was designed by the Cleveland, Ohio architecture firm Lehman & Schmitt, who also designed their own city’s Cuyahoga County Courthouse. The Fayette County Courthouse is a fantastic example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. In the shape of a Greek cross, though appearing almost cubic, the courthouse has an entrance on each of its four sides. Each entrance is marked by a large round arch and a shallow balcony above. The corbels supporting these balconies feature facing ranging from grotesque to “resembling characters from the Canterbury Tales.”

The clock in the belfry survived the 1897 fire and has been preserved through history to 1806. On the hour, you can still hear the bell mark the hours of the day just as that same bell did for the ears of Henry Clay, John Breckinridge and Abraham Lincoln.

In 1951, plans were moving forward to demolish the 1898 courthouse despite opposition from, as the Lexington Leader called them, “sentimentalists.” The 1951 plan would have transformed the block: “raze the present courthouse; widen Cheapside; build a county building to house businesses, county offices, courtrooms and the county jail at the corner of Cheapside and Short street; put a two-deck parking lot at Short and Upper streets; build a parking garage beneath the county building and the parking lot; sell the jail and the part of the courthouse square that fronts on Main street.” A chief proponent of this new plan was County Commissioner Dudley Burke who, frustrated with the insufficient space in the half-century old structure, wanted “to tear this damn thing down and building a new building.”And although the plan was supported by the chamber of commerce, it ultimately floundered.

The Old Grand Stairway Remembered

The space issues, however, did not go away, because five courtrooms had been squeezed into a building designed for one. A 1961 plan called for adaptive reuse. While preserving the façade of the historic courthouse, its inner workings (including the palatial atrium) would be filled with HVAC, an elevator system and restrooms.

A grand jury convened in 1987 focused on the possible solutions to the lack of community interest in the courthouse square which had become to be visibly seen by the growing layers of bird droppings on the lawn’s memorials.

In 2002, the old courthouse closed when the new courthouse complex opened a couple blocks away on North Limestone Street. The old courthouse is the home to several museums, most notably the Lexington History Museum, which opened in 2003. Fundraising is underway to restore the old courthouse to its original glory and provide a beautiful home for these great museums.

Additional photographs are available on flickr.

The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour for young professionals (and the young-at-heart) at a local historic(al) site. Meetings are on the first Wednesday of each month, 5:30 p.m. Details are always available on Facebook! The next meeting is on March 7 at the Henry Clay Law Office and First Presbyterian Church (both on N. Mill between Short and Second Sts.). Click to see Kaintuckeean write-ups on previous deTours.

Sources: kentucky.com; ky120 (Fayette); local.lexpublib.org; NRHP; walkLEX (1st visit)