Kaintuckeean :: All Things Kentucky

This Just Happened, a weekly roundup

2013-05-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

Kentucky Heritage Council recommends fifteen sites for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places [KHC Presser]

Answering complaints of Lexington's wayfinding signs being too autocentric, Leadership Lexington plans for pedestrian oriented signage [KyForward]

A conference on Appalachian feuds? It's set to occur at the Filson Society in Louisville [Courier-Journal]

Lots of great photos from a tour of the new Newtown Pike campus for BCTC [KyForward]

Most Kentuckians want medical marijuana; a quarter support recreational legalization. We miss you, Gatewood! [NKY.com]

First Lady Michelle Obama spoke last weekend at EKU's commencement. Some text and video. [cn|2]

Once struck by lightning, Newport's Old Salem Methodist Church emerges as an arts house [KyForward]

Maysville and Bardstown are now designated Kentucky Cultural Districts [Bluegrass Politics]

Reinternment of the 178 former patients at Eastern State occurred this week on the campus of the future BCTC [Herald Leader]

Along the Great Allegheny Passage: Ohiopyle

2013-05-17T07:21:00.000-04:00

Ohiopyle Low Bridge Spanning the Youghiogheny River

Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania had as of the 2010 population a permanent population of 59. This small borough, however, comes alive during the summer months. Arriving in April, we beat the summer rush of adventure seekers on the rapids of the Youghiogheny River.

Restored Ohiopyle Rail Depot

Ohiopyle is also a trail town along the Great Allegheny Passage, a rail-trail linking Cumberland, Md. to Pittsburgh, Pa. Ohiopyle was also our starting point for our first venture on the GAP which would take us along the route of the old rail lines of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, Union Railroad, and the Western Maryland Railroad. Our journey would extend from Ohiopyle to Frostburg, Md. and back.

Ohiopyle and the Low Bridge

We arrived in Ohiopyle later than expected, but early enough to get a bite to eat before beginning our day's trek to Meyersdale, Pa. A tasty lunch at the Ohiopyle Bakery & Sandwich Shoppe was both tasty and filling. The bakery/cafe opened in 2011 and is one of many eateries in this community - a testament to the tourism brought to this trail town of 59!
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Kentucky's Reputation Hurt by de Tocqueville's Missed Opportunity

2013-05-16T11:48:00.001-04:00

Chaumiere's "octagon room" asserted to have been built
for Gen'l Lafayette, who never visited
Photo: Jess. Historical Society

Alexis de Tocqueville

On Dec. 5, 1831, the Ohio River froze over, making voyage impassable for Alexis de Tocqueville and his party. They disembarked at Westport, Oldham Co., Ky. and walked the cold 22 miles to Louisville. It was one of many poor experiences that during a 10-month voyage planned to determine “what a great republic is like.”

Upon reaching Louisville, the river still offered no passage and de Tocqueville experienced a large swatch of central Kentucky as he traveled south toward Nashville. His writings on Kentucky were not kind:

“Nothing in Kentucky ... gives the impression of such a finished society.”

Kentuckians “are well known through the union for their violent habits.” “They seem to deserve that reputation.”

Ouch.

Though unimpressed with Kentucky, de Tocqueville extolled the United States in his great work, Democracy in America. In this magnum opus, he warned that “when the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”

To avoid such darkness, we should take occasion to examine our history. A great starting point in the history of Jessamine County is the grand country estate of Colonel David Meade: Chaumiere des Praries.
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Louisville's Most Endangered Properties

2013-05-15T16:21:00.001-04:00

Preservation Louisville has released the names of the community's most endangered historic properties.

Vacant & Abandoned Shotgun Houses, which are in dwindling supply in the city
Colonial Gardens, described as a "dilapidated reminder of the South End's colorful past, historic value and uncertain future."
Mid-century modern structures are not old enough to be recognized by enough people for their signficance and too few steps are being taken to preserve the era's architecture
Ouerbacker House, 1633 W. Jefferson Street, ca. 1860-1865.
Corner store fronts of retail establishments from antebellum to midcentury were staples of American life as we shopped in the local general store.
Roscoe Goose house, 3012 S. Third St., ca. 1900, was occupied by the jockey who rode 91-1 Donerail to victory in the 1913 Kentucky Derby.
Lampton Baptist Church, located at 850 S. Fourth Street, was founded in 1866.
Doerhorfer house, 422 W. Broadway, was designated a city landmark in 2011. Despite the designation, the 2 1/2 story frame structure remains at risk.
Historic Old Clarksville Site in Indiana is where George Rogers Clark built his cabin and mill. It is a key part of Kentuckiana history and must be protected for future generations.
Water Co. Block downtown Louisville contains many older structures utilized by the old water company. A mixed use development proposal puts them at risk.

John Steele House - Nicholasville, Ky. [Flickr]

2013-05-15T08:54:14-07:00

kaintuckeean posted a photo:

Golf Club of the Bluegrass www.kaintuckeean.com

This Just Happened, a weekly roundup (Happy Mother's Day Edition)

2013-05-12T08:20:00.003-04:00

My Mom walking the 'Lil Kaintuckeean down
a Lexington sidewalk a couple years ago

Happy Mother's Day to all the Kentucky moms and grandmoms out there!

To celebrate, the Louisville Slugger is going pink! [Courier-Journal]

It apepars that a superb series of television programs on Kentucky's rich history will air on KET in the coming weeks. [KYForward]

In the words of Yoda, revisiting its alcohol-free campus policy UK may be. [LEX18]

Kentucky's first trail town is Dawson Springs in western Ky. Can't wait to visit [14News]

Plans for recovery for tornado-ravaged West Liberty [Herald-Leader/Tom Eblen]

A Franklin County farmhouse built around the original log-cabin saddlebag is undergoing the NRHP application process [LEX18]

... And From Elsewhere ...

Abandoned Chicago landmarks Cook County Hospital and Brach's Candy Factory face an uncertain future [WGN]

Philadelphia's Woodlands is the scene for a new movie directed as a thesis project by a Temple U student [Bricks+Mortar]

An Update from the Garden

2013-05-10T07:46:00.001-04:00

How does your garden grow?

The last time I wrote of my garden I was scouring through seed packets deciding and deciding on plantings. Now the raised beds are constructed after a long winter of caring for seedlings under indoor grow lights.

Through the use of the po' man's greenhouse (PVC piping and plastic sheeting), I was able to get a head start on lettuces, radishes, beets, collards, and carrots - some of which is ready for the tasting this Mother's Day weekend.

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Celebrate National Bike Month and Cycle to Work

2013-05-09T07:53:00.001-04:00

The following column of mine appeared in the Jessamine Journal on May 8, 2013:

May is National Bike Month. Sponsored by the League of American Cyclists, National Bike Month celebrates “the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride.” The idea is to encourage cycling for commuting to work or to school. Doing so can save money and is healthy for both your body and for the environment. Plus, it is a great way to explore the community that you might miss from the inside of a car.

Next week, May 13-17, is Bike to Work Week during which those with bicycles are encouraged to bike to work. You don’t have to ride every day, and even cycling to work one day will have a positive impact. If you can only ride one day, May 17 is designated as Bike to Work Day. (But try to ride any day it works into your schedule).

For me, I’ll trek the estimated 20 miles from my house to my office in downtown Lexington as many days as possible. I can comfortably ride the distance in just under 90 minutes accounting for traffic along the way.

Without a doubt, US 68 - with the paved mixed-use path parallel to the highway — is by far the easiest and best route to take. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and all involved in planning that mixed-use route deserve accolades and should attempt to create similar conditions as other road projects are planned.

But your route is likely different than mine.

The rest of my column can be found at the Jessamine Journal's website. Click here.

In Kentucky, Four Additions to the National Register and Two Newly Designated National Historic Landmarks

2013-05-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Each week, the National Park Service transmits a list of properties added to the the National Register of Historic Places. Depending on applications pending, there are weeks where no Kentucky properties are listed for inclusion. Some emails are full of Kentucky's rich history. Such was a recent e-mail.

As I alluded to in one of my weekly roundup's last month, two Kentucky properties were designated as National Historic Landmarks. This designation is the highest designation that can be afforded a property in terms of historic significance. With the inclusion of the George T. Stagg Distillery in Franklin County and the Camp Nelson Historic and Archeological District in Jessamine County, the number of Kentucky properties designated as National Historic Landmarks rests at thirty-two.

North elevation of the Liggett and Meyers Harping
Tobacco Storage Warehouse, Source: NRHP App./KHC

From Lexington, the Liggett and Meyers Harpring Tobacco Storage Warehouse (1211 Manchester Street) was added to the Register. Constructed in 1930, the warehouse sits on a six acre tract and was well-situated to tobacco storage. A rail spur from the L&N railroad ran to the property and, as preferred shipping methods changed, proximity to New Circle Road kept the Liggett and Meyers building relevant. The building itself is constructed in six segments with each segment containing 20,000 square feet. This immense structure was important to an industry vital to central Kentucky. Today, the building is part of the city's growing Distillery District.
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A Slideshow from the Great Allegheny Passage

2013-05-07T10:04:00.001-04:00

Me riding the GAP Trail between Ohiopyle and Connellsville, Pa.

Last weekend, my brother and I rode our bikes on the Great Allegheny Passage - a rail-trail from Pittsburgh, Pa. to Cumberland, Md. Our ride covered 133 miles from Ohiopyle, Pa. to Cumberland, Md. and back.

It was an incredible journey full of history and natural beauty. I'll post more on this trip later, but wanted to go ahead and share with you the photos.

If you don't want to look at the pictures through the slideshow, you can view the flickr set here.

A Map Received with Gratitude: 1873 Colton Map is Unique

2013-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Colton's Map of Kentucky (1873)

At least one colleague and friend discovered my interest in history through last week's Herald-Leader article by Cheryl Truman. To my luck, the avid baseball fan and history buff had an 1873 map of Kentucky which he has graciously given to me. It originally belonged to his grandparents, and he knew I would appreciate it.

The 1873 map was published by G.W. and C.B. Colton & Co. of No. 172 William St., New York. I've reached out to noted New York bloggers and amateur historians, The Bowery Boys, to see what they knew about the cartographers or their locale in the early 1870s? So far, I got nothing. But a study of their website does reveal a picture from 1859 of William Street, which today runs from the foot of Brooklyn Bridge near Pace University downtown to Broad Street. 172 William, near the intersection with Beeker, is now predominated by Downtown Hospital. Here's what it looked like a few years before the Coltons published by map from two blocks uptown:

NYC: William Street from Frankfort (via Bowery Boys)

I learned that J.H. Colton was an internationally recognized cartographer from 1831 to 1890. His two sons were brought into the fold in the early 1850s: George Woolworth Colton and Charles B. Colton.

G.W. and C.B. It looks like the two sons published the map which is seemingly unique. There are many Colton maps spanning multiple decades which combine Kentucky and Tennessee, but I'm not finding one of just Kentucky. Truly unique, at least per the University of Alabama's historic map collection.

Do you have any information about this map?

This Just Happened, a weekly round up (Kentucky Derby 139 edition)

2013-05-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday in Louisville, Kentucky's signature event - the fastest two minutes in sport - cofavorite Orb brought home the roses on a sloppy track [ESPN]

The Helix opens tomorrow in Lexington. No, it's not a cool bar; it's the parking garage next to the police department which has been undergoing costly but necessary repairs for months. [BizLex]

Evidence of cannibalism among America's earliest settlers reports Smithsonian [TPM]

The sun shines bright on Lexington food trucks as steps are being taken to expand their footprint [Herald Leader]

A great photologue of Covington's "front, back and side doors" with an eye toward improving entry to this northern Kentucky city [RiverCityNews]

Lexington's Town Branch Commons had a huge public presentation last midweek. I missed it, but ProgressLex didn't. Check out the video of the half-hour presentation! [ProgressLex]

Another thing I missed was the tour of the historic East End in Lexington - a hotbed of African-American history. Another tour is slated for June [Merlene Davis / H-L]

Art Abounds at Central Christian Church

2013-05-03T07:16:00.001-04:00

This is part 2 in a two part series on Central Christian Church. The first installment discussed the building and the church itself with some interesting tidbits. An earlier post on this site commented on the prayer garden at the church.

"The Good Shepherd" Stained Glass Window - Central Christian Church - Lexington, Ky.

No longer visible from the sanctuary after a post-fire remodeling of the historic sanctuary of Central Christian Church in downtown Lexington, "The Good Shepherd" stained glass window is alit and visible in the evenings on Martin Luther King Blvd. and from a mechanical room on the church's interior.

A platform in the mechanical room brings you nearly to the face of Jesus, carrying the lost sheep to safety. The powerful art and imagery at Central Christian Church are reminders of their faith, designed to deepen spiritual understanding. A publication, Symbols in Our Journey of Faith, examines the art in this impressive church, as well as its meaning.

Doorways depicting Moses and David

After ascending the stairs along Short Street, one encounters the hand carved doors made of American Red Oak. Installed in the spring of 1980, each of the six doors depict a different figure in the Christian (Disciples of Christ) faith: Moses, David, the prophet Micah, Jesus of Nazareth, St. Paul the Apostle, and Barton Stone. Each pair of the highly symbolic doors close beneath a tympanum complete with more Judeo-Christian symbology.

Another entry to the church is through the prayer garden - a common feature found in churches as reminders of the first garden - "Eden, when God and humankind lived together in a relationship of absolute trust and obedience." The prayer garden was added during renovations to the church in the 1950s.

Upon entering the sanctuary at Central Christian Church, one is immediately taken by the most impressive collection of stained glass windows. Each is described in Symbols, but I will highlight a few. In the rear of the church balcony is the Empty Tomb depicting the Easter scene of the angel in white advising Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome of Christ having been raised while the three wooden crosses of Golgotha are depicted in the window's upper left.
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This Just Happened, a weekly roundup

2013-04-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

'Battle of the Bumpers' goes to Transy; they've the most support on license plates among the independent colleges in the Commonwealth [Press Release]

The upgrades to the Distillery District in Lexington may run $23 million according to preliminary reports. The proposed District would revitalize a "historic - but long neglected - industrial corridor where there are no sidewalks, curbs, gutters, or streelights." [Herald-Leader, Bev Fortune]

Another TV show set in Kentucky (1940s/50s era Ashland, themed on the red scare era) has been picked up by AMC. [Copious Notes/HL]

The Richmond Register will be an almost-daily, dropping Monday from its printing schedule [Richmond Register]

Coach ain't gonna put Richie in; fmr. Ag. Commish Richie Farmer indicted by federal grand jury [Herald-Leader]

The historic Roebling Bridge linking Covington to Cincinnati will be closed for a couple days this week. [RiverCityNews]

I (Peter) been picked up as a columnist for the weekly Jessamine Journal. My first column is an introduction of sorts. [Jessamine Journal]

Lina Tharsing is "Making a New Forest"

2013-04-25T06:42:00.000-04:00

Lina Tharsing "Making a New Forest Exhibit" at UK Hospital - Lexington, Ky.

The work of Kentucky artist Lina Tharsing is "driven by a profound sense of curiosity and a fascination with science, technology, and the natural world." Her recent works, as found in the exhibit at the Chandler Medical Center, contain filmstrip-colored imagery inspired from the archives of New York's Museum of Natural History.

The museum itself contains an amazing collection of dioramas portraying themselves wildlife in natural habitats. Many of these old dioramas can seem dated to museum-goers today, whose appreciation is for fast action. Though Tharsing does nothing to 'speed up' the dioramas, her unique interpretation of their creation itself resonates.

The paintings are described as seeking "a precise moment in both time and space when the lines of fiction and reality intersect." The fiction is the creation: there is no bison under the dioramist's arm as he carefully places his herd.

But to those who have constructed a school display or a volcano for a science fair, there is a connection to the real world. And yet, there is a connection to the divine as God found his creation "good" in Genesis. So, too, these dioramists and artists found their creation good. For decades, they have withstood time at the iconic New York institution.
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Oldest Disciples of Christ Church is Historic Central Christian Church in Lexington

2013-04-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is part 1 in a two part series on Central Christian Church. This installment discusses the building and the church itself with some interesting tidbits, while Part 2 examines the great art found at Central. An earlier post on this site commented on the prayer garden at the church.

Gathered on the Steps of Central Christian Church - Lexington, Ky.

In 1891, the Main Street Christian Church had an enrollment of 914. Too many for its space. A new location was found at the corner of Walnut and Short streets on the site of the derelict Masonic temple. The site was bought for $12,100 and the temple razed. At 5 p.m. on August 7, 1893, the cornerstone for the renamed Central Christian Church was laid atop the foundation of the old Masonic temple.

Central Christian Church, ca. 1898. Source: NRHP.

On July 22, 1894, the new church, constructed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, was dedicated. The photo, at right, is the earliest known photo of Central Christian Church. Taken in 1898, the photo shows the building's original entrance with an "elegant concrete walks and steps leading to and around the building [all] in bold relief." The paired steps along both Walnut and Short stand in contrast to the single set of steps now along only Short Street (the change being made due to a 1930s fire, discussed below).

According to the National Register Application, Central is Lexington's only major remaining Richardsonian Romanesque, describing the old courthouse as being stylistically provincial.

A Growing Church. Around 1911, the church began to find their space inadequate and enlargement was discussed. An education wing was formally dedicated in November 1915.

In 1933, a fire in the church caused significant damage to the sanctuary. The decision was made to reconfigure it to its present layout (save the chancel which was later enlarged); the new sanctuary was dedicated in September 1934. In the time between the fire and the dedication, the church found refuge for its weekly services at the Kentucky Theatre.
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This Just Happened, a weekly roundup (Preservation Kentucky Leader Awards edition)

2013-04-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Check out PK's 2013 Preservation Leader Award winners listed below!

Shameless plus: Some local history blogger got a write-up by Cheryl Truman as part of her UnCommonwealth series. [Herald-Leader]

Who didn't see this coming? The last block of Fourth Street (adjacent to the future BCTC site) is going two-way. More two ways are coming? [Herald-Leader]

The childhood home of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, located on Lexington's Main Street, will be featured Monday (4/22, 9:00 PM) on CSPAN's series, "First Ladies: Influence and Image." [KYForward]

A free tour of Louisville's segreated history will occur on Tuesday. [Courier-Journal]

Georgetown's Toyota plant will expand to begin production of a Lexus model [NYTimes]

And last night in Covington, Preservation Kentucky presented their 2013 Preservation Leader Awards to:

Linda Bruckheimer Award for Excellence in Rural Preservation: Jess and Angela Correll, Stanford
Edith Bingham Award for Excellence in Preservation Education: Northern Kentucky Restoration Weekend, Bellevue, Covington, and Newport
Christy and Owsley Brown Exemplary Public Service to Preservation: State Representative Arnold Simpson, Covington; County Judge James L. "Buddy" Gallenstein, Mason County; and State Representative Tanya Pullin, Greenup County
David L. Morgan State Historic Preservation Tax Credit: Whiskey Row Lofts, Louisville (Excellence in Commercial Rehabilitation); John David and Mary Helen Myles, Shelby County (Excellence in Residential Rehabilitation); and Beth Johnson, Covington (Excellence in Residential Rehabilitation)
Barbara Hulette Young Preservation Leader: Chad Needham, Lexington
Sutherland Award for Excellence in Environmental Preservation: Marksbury Farm, Garrard County; Gill Holland and Augusta Brown Holland for Nulu Business District, Louisville; and Tim Peters and Lois Mateus for Nulu Business District, Louisville
Helen Dedman Award for Excellence in Preservation Advocacy: Helen Dedman

Before the Vice-Presidency, Richard M. Johnson Started the Indian School at Great Crossing on his Scott County Farm

2013-04-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

During tonight's (April 19, 2013) Lexington Gallery Hop, the photography of Amy Palmer will be on display at the Susan Gilliam Gallery, 312 East High Street. Amy's photography focuses on nature, equine and architecture, including the below photograph of the historic Indian School at Great Crossing. Visit her tonight!

Remaining Stone Dormitory from the Indian School at Great Crossing - Georgetown, Ky.
Photo: Amy Palmer (2013)

To the west of Georgetown, near the banks of the North Elkhorn Creek stands the stone remains of last remaining structure from the old Indian school established in 1825 by then-Colonel (later Vice President) Richard M. Johnson. The Indian School at Great Crossing, today referred to as the Choctaw Indian Academy had five buildings, four of which were constructed of stone; it is believed that this remaining building was a dormitory.

Roadside Historic Marker

Built into a hillside, the dormitory faces northwest. Built on three levels, the lowest level and main floor both have fireplaces and there is an ‘accessible’ upper third level to the three-bay.

As part of America’s attempt to assimilate Native Americans into American culture, the school was founded with federal assistance going to Col. Johnson to the sum of approximately $6,000 per annum – funding agreed to by a treaty between the Americans and the Choctaw Nation for the education of Choctaw children “at some point distant from the nation.” Although we look back at this era in American history with regret as it removed young Native Americans from both their lands and their traditions, the immediate reaction to the Academy was favorable as young Indians returned to their tribes educated in a trade.

When the Marquis de Lafayette visited the Bluegrass in the same year as the school opened, a large barbeque was held in his honor with an estimated 5,000 attending.
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Welcome, Herald-Leader Readers!

2013-04-15T13:36:00.001-04:00

A big thanks to Cheryl Truman for a wonderful write-up on the Kaintuckeean in today's Lexington Herald-Leader. If you can, buy a print edition (not available online) and you'll get to see a photo of me when I was ten in the referenced Civil War-themed room!

A number of locales were mentioned in the article, and I wanted to create an easy place for you to find them! They're at the bottom of this post. Of course, don't stop by reading this handful of links -- be sure to read more! For ease of finding different posts from around the Commonwealth, you can utilize the tag cloud in the right sidebar which is organized by county. You can also subscribe via email and find links to social media

Finally, the Herald-Leader article mentioned my 'contributors'. At this time, there are three: Nate, Jason, and Chris. Jason and Chris have written on their own jaunts and their shared posts are excellent (in fact, it was Chris - not I - whose Saturday adventure included visiting an up-for-auction Mercer County mansion). But Nate has been part of the Kaintuckeean since its inception and has written a significant percentage of our posts; we've gone on several jaunts together and the Kaintuckeean is only what it is thanks to his help!

Posts mentioned in the Herald-Leader article, after the jump:
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This Just Happened, a weekly update (Louisville Cardinals edition)

2013-04-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I tried to stay out of it. But the NCAA Basketball Championship rightfully remains in Kentucky! Congratulations to the 2013 Louisville Cardinals!

Also in the 'ville: Louisville is negotiating the purchase of Colonial Gardens and will seek developers for the site which is a "dilapidated reminder of the South End's colorful past, historic value and uncertain future." [Courier-Journal]

Shades of Watergate? Sen. McConnell's campaign office was apparently bugged and senior campaign staff were caught making disparaging remarks about Ashley Judd's mental health, religion, and family values. Unknown if any 'Aqua Buddha' references were made. The FBI is investigating... what is apparently now referred to on twitter as #bluegrassgate [The Hill]

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray's proposed budget includes some funding for key projects of interest, including the Kentucky Theatre restoration and making critical repairs to the old courthouse. [BizLex]

Irish Americans in northern Kentucky are planning an Irish Memorial for Covington's Devou Park with the design being that of a dolmen, or portal grave. [RiverCityNews]

Also, Covington's downtown streetscape project is taking another step forward. [NKY.com]

Last week, I mentioned that historic markers were being stolen in Georgetown. Apparently this is a thing as Louisville's roadside markers are also being targeted [Courier-Journal]

Which means the new Shelby Park historic marker going up in Louisville had better watch out! [Courier-Journal]

And the Kaintuckeean has resumed its relationship with KYForward, so be sure to check out their website for great updates on Kentucky's history [KYForward]

First Lady Michelle Obama will speak at the commencement ceremonies at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond at 7:30 p.m., May 11. She'll also receive an honorary doctor of humane letters from EKU. [Richmond Register]

Rose-Daughtry Farmstead in Bowling Green Added to the National Register

2013-04-11T07:25:00.000-04:00

Rose-Daughtry Farmstead - Bowling Green, Ky.
Photo: Nat'l Reg. Application (KHC)

Northeast of Bowling Green on the Louisville Road sits the old community of Bristow. There stands the most recently listed Kentucky property on the National Register of Historic Places. The principal building on the Rose-Daughtry Farmstead, the residence, dates to circa 1880. Six other contributing structures are now included on the Register which exemplify the "overall character ... of a prosperous farmstead that had its origins in the late-nineteenth century."

Judge Rose's residence, ca. 1880, is T-shaped with both a front and back porch. Though architectural plans were widely available through catalogues of the day, Judge Rose clearly did not adopt this approach as the house is unique and avoids and specific traditional design. "The round-headed windows, brick arches and brackets are typical of Italianate style," but the "porch roof on the façade ... topped by a balustrade ... is not style-specific."
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Mid-century foresight preserved Jessamine County's Ebenezer Presbyterian Church

2013-04-09T10:41:00.000-04:00

Ebenezer Presbyterian Church - Jessamine Co., Kentucky

According to the Christian Scriptures, "Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, 'The Lord helped us to this very point.'" 1 Samuel 7:12 (CEB). It was a moment where the people of Israel turned from disobedience and found restoration from God.

The name Ebenezer is found in words of the traditional hymn penned by Robert Robinson, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (1758):

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

And Charles Dickens adopted the name for a character in his 1843 novel, A Christmas Story. True to the tale from the Bible, Ebenezer Scrooge turned from his greedy, tight-fisted ways as he begged for the opportunity to re-embrace life.

But a historic church in Jessamine County, Kentucky, also shares the name Ebenezer. Older than Dickens, but more recent than the words of the hymnist is the Ebenezer Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. True to its name, Ebenezer Church was once abandoned and in great disrepair, but a group of individuals in the mid-1900s brought restoration to this old house of God.
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This Just Happened, a weekly update

2013-04-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Colonel's Bucket may soon contain only boneless chicken.
Photo from the Patriotic Concert at Transy, 2010.

If true, the Colonel may be rolling over in his grave. KFC is considering not having bone-in chicken in their "restaurants." [HuffPost]

Plans are afoot for a rehabilitative reuse of Waverly Hill Sanitarium in Louisville as a hotel and conference center. I'd like to reserve my room at the bottom of the chute? [Bricks+Mortar]

You may have noticed I love historical markers because they share history. And were an old one offered to me, I'd gladly accept. But not if it were stolen. Stealing history is wrong, but someone is up to no good in Scott County. [News-Graphic]

On Wednesday, I looked out my office window and noticed a new red spire on the horizon. Turns out, a red-colored Churchill Downs-style roof has been added to the RJ Corman facility. [Herald-Leader]

Pulaski County could become third largest city in Kentucky? It could happen if a proposed merger between it and its four municipalities occurs. [Herald-Leader]

In a historic moment, Governor Beshear appointed Judge Michelle Keller to the seven-member Kentucky Supreme Court. For the first time in history, three Kentucky Supreme Court Justices are women. [Governor's Mansion Presser]

The Courthouse in Bloody Harlan, Kentucky

2013-04-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

WWI Doughboy Statue at the Harlan County Courthouse - Harlan, Ky.

A lot of areas in Kentucky can be described as being remote. But Harlan County is about the most remote county in the state. Its located in the far southeastern corner of the state, high up in the mountains. Driving into Harlan, you immediately notice the tall flood wall along the Martin's Fork River, which was constructed back in the 1990s in response to flooding problems back in the late 1970s.

This beautiful courthouse sits in the center of town, which is surprisingly large. Based on historic population figures, Harlan County now has less than a third of the population that it had back in the 1930s. This large and beautiful courthouse was built during this boom time in Harlan, from 1918 through 1922. It is a two story Beaux-Arts style structure built of stone. It is actually the fifth courthouse constructed in Harlan, and the second on this site.
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Freemasonry in Kentucky and Lexington Lodge #1

2013-04-02T07:53:00.002-04:00

The location of Central Christian Church - Short and MLK (nee Walnut) streets - was the site of the first Masonic activities in Kentucky. On April 3, at 5:30 p.m., the historic late 19th century Central Christian Church will be opened for the Blue Grass Trust deTour. More information is available on Facebook. Learn about the location's history before it was a church below.

Old Masonic Hall - Lexington, Ky.
Source: KDL

After the fear of Indian attacks was diminished, Lexington began to grow as a community. Soon, the city contained more than pioneering woodsmen but craftsmen and tradesmen. Too came Virginians and others with land grants for their service during the Revolution. With them, came freemasonry. The Masons are a fraternal order which originated in Europe in the late 16th century and the earliest lodges were already operating in Pennsylvania by 1730. And the earliest names associated with Lexington were freemasons: Levi Todd. Robert Patterson. John Maxwell.

Seals of the Lexington Lodge and the
Grand Lodge of Kentucky. Source: Lex. Lodge 1

A short collection of Masons assembled in Lexington sought to have a lodge of their order in a location more convenient than across the mountains in the older portion of Virginia. On November 17, 1788, the Grand Lodge of Virginia issued a new charter "at the town of Lexington, district of Kentucke ... to Richard Clough Anderson, John Fowler, Green Clay and others to hold regular lodge Free Masons at the town of Lexington, by the name, title and description of the Lexington Lodge No. 25." It was the first lodge located west of the mountains.

In 1794, a primitive log masonic temple was erected. It was replaced in 1796 by a greater, two-story brick structure at the same site. Soon, the distance from Richmond, Va. again became an issue of impracticality. Though Kentucky achieved statehood eight years earlier, the Lexington Lodge #25 and other regional lodges continued to meet under their Virginia charters. And so in the autumn of 1800, representatives from the various lodges in Kentucky met at the Lexington temple and organized the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. A plaque marks this occasion on the exterior of Lexington's Central Christian Church.

The old Lexington Lodge #25 was rechartered under the Grand Lodge of Kentucky as Lexington Lodge #1 in recognition of it being the oldest lodge in Kentucky.
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This Just Happened, a weekly roundup (Easter Edition)

2013-03-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Easter Decorations on Old Georgetown St. - Lexington, Ky.

Oops. We missed a week. Here goes:

First, it is Easter Sunday. He is Risen! And you know the decorated house on Old Georgetown Street knows how to celebrate any holiday! [flickr]

Efforts are underway to save a 300 year old Bur Oak in Lexington [H-L]

Need a drink on election day? You'll now be able to get one in Kentucky, leaving only South Carolina in the 'dry ages.' [WKYT]

And there'll be another new place to grab a drink, or chicken n' waffles downtown; local restaurant Saul Good is opening a location in Victorian Square. [BizLex]

The Thursday Night Live Schedule has been released. Fun times and good music will soon fill the air at the Fifth Third Pavilion at Cheapside Park. [Copious Notes]

Even though not much makes it through the General Assembly in Frankfort, the hemp bill passed. Now we just need Washington to allow it. [KY Forward]

Significant changes are coming to the way we register our vehicles in Kentucky. The plates will stay with the person, not the car. [Ashland Independent]

A new elementary school in Jessamine County gets a historic name: Red Oak. Read the article: it's local politics at its 'finest'. [Jessamine Journal]

Great write up on the Riordan Glass Company of Cincinnati - the oldest stained glassworks in America. Works include the stained glass of Lexington's St. Paul's Catholic Church [Cincinnati.com]

But the Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville is trying to demolish some of their buildings. [Louisville Courant]