No Destination: Farmington

Farmington, Louisville, Ky.

Inspired by the architectural designs of Thomas Jefferson, architect Paul Skidmore designed Farmington for John and Lucy Speed (John Speed was a seventh generation descendant of the English cartographer of the same name). The home was completed in 1816 and contains two 24-foot wide octagonal shaped rooms (unique to 19th century Kentucky and a common attribute of Jeffersonian architecture).

Farmington was the site of a 550-acre hemp plantation; there is a memorial on the site to the slaves who toiled here.

In 1841, Abraham Lincoln visited Farmington for a three-week period where he visited with his friend, Joshua Speed (the son of John and Lucy). Apparenly, Abe and Mary were having a little tiff in their courtship and the mental break of Farmington was just what Honest Abe needed in order to muster up the courage to ask Mary Todd for her hand.

Once elected President, Lincoln offered the position of Treasury Secretary to Joshua Speed. Speed declined as he had no political ambition, but brother James Speed (a Louisville attorney) accepted Lincoln's 1864 offer to become Attorney General.

The home was purchased in 1958 by the Historic Homes Foundation, a Louisville-based organization which owns, preserves and protects historic Louisville residences.

NoDestination: Oldest House in Cynthiana

Oldest House in Cynthiana, Ky.

This isn't just the oldest house in Cynthiana; it has served as so much more. So, Nate was right; I did really like the old log courthouse at Cynthiana's courthouse square. The historic marker 1539 reads:

Oldest house in Cynthiana, built 1790. Young Henry Clay practiced law here, 1806. In 1817, city's first newspaper, the Guardian of Liberty was printed by Adam Keenan, assisted by H. H. Kavanaugh, later a noted Bishop, and Dudley Mann, who became a diplomat to France. Guthrie's Arithmetic, first to be published west of Alleghenies, was also printed here.

The marker, however, misses so much of the tale. Built by Dr. James McPeters in 1790, the building also served as the county's first courthouse. [*] There, the county's first murder trial was heard. The accused, Adam House, was defended by Henry Clay. Here is some more background from Mrs. L. Boyd's Chronicles of Cynthiana (1894):



And, not surprisingly, the place is haunted.

Grayson County Courthouse - Leitchfield, Ky.

Grayson County has a pretty unique history according to the Kentucky Encyclopedia. The county was the fifty-fourth to be formed, and among the early landowners was George Washington himself. The county is actually named for an aide of Washington's Col. William Grayson. The county has several unique distinctions. It was the home of Grayson Springs, a summer resort community, and is the home of the Walter T. Kelley Bee Hive Factory, one of the largest manufacturers of beekeeping equipment in the country.
The courthouse above is the fourth built in Leitchfield, the first being burned in the Civil War, and two others after it having suffered the same fate. This Beaux Arts structure was built in 1938 with a PWA grant.
Here's the really strange thing about this courthouse. As I drove into town, I couldn't help but feel deja vu. It's impossible not to be reminded of Bardstown. The courthouse squares of both Grayson and Nelson counties are identical. The courthouses are different, but they have the same roundabout design with the courthouse in the middle. Weird...but it gets weirder in E-town.

Ohio County Courthouse - Hartford, Ky.

I think Hartford might be one of the few places in Kentucky that has a simple name based on its location. According to the Kentucky Encyclopedia, Hartford sits on the Rough River at a spot where deer (or Hart) would cross.
Ohio County is pretty old, being the thirty-fifth in order of formation. It got its name because it used to border the Ohio River to the North. The Kentucky Encyclopedia states that numerous burial mounds in the area indicate that the area was extensively populated by prehistoric people.
Ohio County's Courthouses have had a rough history. The first log courthouse was built in 1800, but it collapsed in 1813. What remained of it was later burned when some particularly excited townspeople got a little out of hand celebrating Oliver Perry's victory on Lake Erie. A brick courthouse built later was destroyed by Confederate soldiers. The third courthouse was demolished in 1940, when the courthouse above was built with PWA money.

NoDestination: Duncan Tavern

Anne Duncan House (l) and Duncan Tavern (r), Paris, Ky.

If you have been to historic Williamsburg, Va., you know the import of the local tavern in colonial America. I think of all the taverns near Virginia's colonial government seat, where our nation's founders would gather to discuss the issues of the day.

When Kentucky was divided by Virginia into three counties, one of these counties was Bourbon County. Its seat has always been Paris (originally chartered as Hopewell, Va. [*]). Thirty-three counties have been carved from Bourbon's original borders. Needless to say, people traveled long distances to visit the county seat of Paris. And these individuals needed a place to stay and to eat.

The Goddess of Liberty, the original name of the Duncan Tavern, was the gathering place for Kentucky's earliest leaders, including Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, Peter Houston and Michael Stoner. [*]

The three story tavern was constructed in 1788 by Maj. Joseph Duncan. According to the Kentucky Encyclopedia, the architecture is remarkable given that most structures of the day in Paris were log buildings. According to at least one account, the tavern towered over the 20' x 30' log courthouse below. [*] Duncan Tavern now houses the Kentucky Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution;the Anne Duncan House was erected in 1801 and now houses a genealogical library.

walkLEX: Carnegie Center

Carnegie Center in Lexington

With 400 books, Lexington began the first library in Kentucky in 1795. It was also the first library west of the Alleghenies. By 1898, the state legislature deemed Lexington large enough to warrant the creation of a free public library. So with a $60,000 gift from steel-magnate Andrew Carnegie, the City of Lexington constructed the Carnegie Library - the first Lexington Public Library.

The total cost to build was about $75,000 and it was completed in 1906. The neoclassical rests at the south end of Gratz Park and served as the city's main library branch until the late 1980s when a new, larger structure was built on Main Street. Today, the building serves as the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

McLean County Courthouse - Calhoun, Ky.

According to the Kentucky Almanac, this courthouse was built from 1904-08, and is in the Beaux-Arts style. Two other courthouses preceded it. Calhoun is an interesting little town, and was according to the Kentucky Almanac was once listed as "Calhoon" based upon a local spelling.
To me, the most interesting part of McLean County (outside of my wife's family farm), is the town of Livermore, which contains the bridge you see below


As noted by the historic marker at the south end of this bridge, the Livermore bridge is one of a kind. The bridge claims to be the only bridge in the world that crosses two rivers, begins in one county, crosses over another county and ends back in the same county again.
The bridge crosses both the Green and Rough River, and begins in McLean County, crosses over a section of Ohio County, and ends back in McLean County again.

walkLEX: Commonwealth Stadium

Commonwealth Stadium

I love football and have witnessed many amazing moments at Commonwealth Stadium, home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats. The stadium was first constructed in 1973 to seat about 57,800, but the endzones were enclosed and luxury boxes were added during a massive renovation in 1999 that increased overall oficial seating capacity to 67,606. Of course, crowds of over 71,000 have seen the Wildcats play here.

The picture above is from above the west endzone during the annual Blue-White (scrimmage) game which concludes spring training.

Some of those great (and the most disappointing) moments I've seen: (1) Most points scored at the Stadium (77) by UK against UTEP in 2002; (2) most overtimes (7, tied) in NCAA history in a 2003 loss to Arkansas; (3) the Bluegrass Miracle by LSU. There are other great memories and many disappointments. Still, it is a great place to watch a football game and Kentuckians know how to tailgate!

Muhlenberg County Courthouse - Greenville, Ky.

I attended a wedding this weekend in Hartford, Kentucky and decided to finally get some counties that are west of I-65. Being that some of my wife's family is from this area, I was pretty comfortable with the roads and decided to see how many counties I could check off. It was a pretty great afternoon, as my wife, her grandfather and I traveled through the Green River counties. I learned a whole lot about these counties, as my wife's grandfather told me all about the counties that he has lived in for more than 30 years.
Most people probably know about Muhlenberg County from the John Prine song "Paradise" which memorializes an old coal town that was torn down in the 60s. What I hadn't realized before this trip was how literal this song is. As we traveled through Muhlenberg County, my wife's Grandfather told me about the what at the time was the world's largest shovel, which was brought in to strip out the coal. He told me that the shovel, which could fit 3-4 trucks in the bucket, had to be placed on the coal bed itself, because if placed on the earth it would sink.
When you drive through Muhlenberg County, the thing you really begin to realize is that much of the county is a huge swamp. My wife's grandfather told me that years ago, after they built the major road through the county, it was discovered that the road went through a wetland, and the road construction had destroyed much of the habitat of local ducks. Dozens of ponds for ducks had to be built to rectify the problem.
The courthouse pictured above is striking and beautiful. As you can probably see, the windows and doors are boarded over. I hope that it is simply being restored in this picture, but I couldn't help but notice a new judicial center next door.

walkLEX: The Lexington Land Swap

UK giveth to Eastern State. Eastern State giveth to BCTC. BCTC giveth to UK. Albeit not entirely arms length nor transparent, this land swap will change the face of Lexington.

Bluegrass Community & Technical College 20 Year Plan

On May 14, Bluegrass Community and Technical College ("BCTC") unveiled its 20-year master plan highlighting its plans for the old Eastern State Hospital on Newtown Pike. Pictured above is a map of the several phases of construction to occur at BCTC with buildings in brown being historic hospital buildings that will be preserved and adaptively reused. The hospital is being relocated to a more modern, to-be-constructed facility on UK's Coldstream Campus (further out Newtown Pike). Construction is expected to begin on the new hospital later this month with an opening slated for 2012.

Meanwhile, the renaissance that will be brought to near-northeast Lexington will be underway. Beginning in March 2011, BCTC is expected to break ground at the 48-acre Newtown Pike campus with a $28.2 million dollar facility. The facility should be complete by the end of 2012 with students arriving for the spring semester of 2013.

A Now-n-Later of Fourth Street and Newtown Pike, Lexington

Ultimately, a revitalization can be expected along the Newtown Pike corridor near Fourth Street, Loudon Avenue and Georgetown Street. Pictured immediately above is a picture of the current and a rendering of the proposed intersection at Newtown and Fourth. This area is immediately adjacent to several historic areas of Lexington; hopefully, the renaissance will incorporate architecturally significant buildings with character to create a beautiful gateway into Lexington.

No Destination: Covington's First United Methodist Church

I wish I had more time to spend in Covington. I arrived a little early for a court hearing and I parked a few blocks away from the courthouse in a residential area (free parking, two hour limit). I drove around a little too and saw several things I would love to post about, but I unfortunately could not spend the day in Covington!

First United Methodist Church; Covington, Ky.

Around the corner from my parking spot was the First United Methodist Church. While not the most stunning church in town (there are many absolutely stunning churches), its beautiful red brick was an amazing contrast to its white trim and blue sky. Originally constructed in 1867, the church burned in 1947 before being rebuilt.

The congregation dates to 1805. Like so many historic churches in the region, however, it split over slavery in 1846. It was not until 1939 that the divided congregations were reunited. One of FUMC's most famous parishioners was Jesse Grant, the father of President Ulysses S. Grant. Jesse Grant passed away in 1873 and the President here attended his father's funeral. *

walkLEX: Adam Rankin House

Adam Rankin House

Erected in 1784, the Adam Rankin House is Lexington's oldest house (though it is no longer in its original location). The House stood at 215 West High Street from the time it was built until the early 1970s when space was needed for "urban renewal." The result of the "urban renewal" was the parking lot behind the PNC Bank (Gold Bank) building (another story).  Fortunately, a few wise minds prevailed (here and here) and the home was relocated to its present location on S. Mill Street.

This log house with clapboard siding was originally a two-story, three-bay home. The addition on what is now the home's east side (pictured at right) is an addition which was erected within ten years of the original structure. It was at that time that the log home was first covered by clapboard. There is a very good architectural write-up on the house in Antebellum Architecture of Kentucky by Clay Lancaster (Univ. of Ky. Press, 1991 e).

I've always loved this house. It seems to have plentiful natural light (look at all those windows) and I've always loved the shutters on one side. *

walkLEX: Fifth Third Bank Pavilion

The Fifth Third Bank Pavilion at Cheapside Park

Saturday was a beautiful day to be at the Lexington Farmer's Market. My son and I also ventured down to Mayfest in Gratz Park. Of course, Farmer's Market is vastly different as it now has a formal home in the Fifth Third Bank Pavilion. I've tried to follow the erection of the glass and steel structure in Cheapside Park, but I realize now that I haven't posted on the final product.

While certainly not architecturally significant, it works and it provides a wonderful venue in central Lexington for events like the market and Thursday Night Live. Check out my older posts on the construction of the Pavilion:

• from October 16 - the proposal
• from January 26 - the Breckinridge statue is moved!
• from February 6 - Breckinridge statue captured in film by Jamie Millard
• from March 22 - the structure takes its form

Bicentennial Post

This is it... our 200th post! Celebrate! During the past 200 posts, we've explored many of Kentucky's sites, its courthouses and its storied past. I'm looking forward to exploring more of Kentucky.

I remember shortly after moving to Kentucky, the Commonwealth celebrated her bicentennial. It is hard to believe that this was nearly 18 years ago! Last year, we celebrated the bicentennial of the birth of Kentucky's favorite son, Abraham Lincoln. While this blog certainly doesn't match up to those celebrations - we are pretty excited.

To celebrate, I've decided to update the map again. Not the most exciting thing in the world, but it is fun to see where we've been:

A couple facts to glean from the map:

• Nate's Kentucky 120 Project still leads the county-count; he's been to 41 of Kentucky's 120 counties. That's 34%! There are 49 posts tagged as "Kentucky120"
• I've been on No Destination in 31.7%, or 38, of Kentucky's counties. I've tagged "NoDestination" on 115 posts.
• There are 25 counties that we've both been to, so Nate has 16 unique counties and I have 13.
• And don't forget about Lexington - there are 25 posts tagged "walkLEX."
• We have 243 Facebook fans. Since our first post on 5/27/09, there have been 4.625 page views through 2,693 visits. Visitors hail from 48 countries and 45 of the 50 states+DC.
• No one from Vermont, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska or Iowa has ever visited this blog. Hopefully, by mentioning these states we might get a visitor
• Most of our visitors come from Kentucky. But people from Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia and California also frequent our site.

No Destination: First Courthouse

Replica of Kentucky's original Courthouse

In Danville's Constitution Square State Park sits a replica (erected 1942) of the original log courthouse for Virginia's District of Kentucky. In the original, which was built c. 1784/85, the Constitutional Convention was held. This meeting led to the formation of Kentucky as an independent Commonwealth and a state of the Union, effective June 1, 1792.

The marker in front of this replica incorrectly states that the structure also housed the Supreme Court of Kentucky. In an attempt to see if people actually read my blog, please leave a comment to tell me why the marker is incorrect.

UPDATE (May 15, 2010): The marker is not entirely incorrect. The Supreme Court for the District of Kentucky was the appellate court for the District of Kentucky (part of Virginia) from 1785 until Kentucky became a state in 1792. And no one reads my blog as  evidenced by the lack of commenting...

No Destination: Hampton House

The Hampton House in Frankfort

Located at 101 West Main Street in Frankfort sits the Hampton House which is the city's oldest surviving stone house in the city. It was built sometime before 1840 by John Hampton; the Walking Tour of Frankfort points to the erection of the home to be in 1815.  It is made of "patterned river limestone with jack arches over both the windows and doors."

Hampton and his family operated a number of taverns in the area, receiving their first licenses around 1818. The home was enlarged around 1840 and was used as a boarding house in the 1850s.

In 1879, the Franklin County sheriff, Col. H.P. Williams, lived here and on at least one occasion entertained Judge John Elliot of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Col. Buford of Henry County stopped by during this visit and invited J. Elliott to go hunting with him. The Judge declined the invitation. Buford then invited the Judge for a drink; the judge again declined.

So Col. Buford shot and killed Judge Elliott. Buford later said that he shot the Judge because of a decision rendered by J. Elliott against Buford's sister in the amount of $20,000. Buford was tried in Owen County, but was acquitted following an insanity plea. Held in Anchorage, Ky., Buford escaped to Indiana and could not be extradited due to weak extradition laws at the time.

No Destination: Pleasureville

Pleasureville Christian Church. Irony in the name? Perhaps.

Straddling the line of Henry and Shelby counties is the community of Pleasureville. The community first began under the name Bantaville when the area was settled by Dutch Huguenot families, including that of Abraham Banta, leaving Mercer County.

The source of the current name, Pleasureville, is believed to come from the presence of the community's popular bordello (a source of pleasure, and likely of disease, for many).

I saw Pleasureville on the map and had to stop. Not since Preachersville have I found the name of a Kentucky community so unique. And obviously for quite different reasons!