NoD: Judge John E. Cooper House

Judge John E. Cooper House - West Liberty, Ky.

On Main Street, at the northern edge of Morgan County's seat, stands the Judge John E. Cooper House - the oldest extant house in West Liberty. Built in 1872/73, this two-story frame structure assumes no formal architectural design, but is representative of much of eastern Kentucky's mid-19th century architecture with one notable exception. The entire house was completed in one construction effort - this rapid build and the scale of the project would have made it a most-impressive structure for Morgan County in the 1870s. The National Register profile for the house makes careful note of this feat, pointing out that it would have been considered symbolic of Cooper's power and prestige, without being showy.

kernel: "I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag..."

American, Kentucky flags flying at Mill Creek Nat'l Cemetery

We all remember starting off our school days reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, but did you know that there is a pledge to Kentucky's flag as well? Enacted by the state legislature in 2000 as KRS 2.035, the pledge reads:

I pledge allegiance to the Kentucky flag, and to the Sovereign State for which it stands, one Commonwealth, blessed with diversity, natural wealth, beauty, and grace from on High.

NoD: Keith Whitley Tribute in Sandy Hook

Keith Whitley Tribute - Sandy Hook, Ky.

ESPN's Pat Forde described Elliott County as having, despite all its problems, a "surplus of pride." The same can be said for so many hamlets, burgs, and counties throughout the Commonwealth. Despite the pride, few historic references are visible to the Elliott County visitor. One source of pride, however, is country music star Keith Whitley.

Born in Ashland in 1954, Whitley's Elliott County roots reached back to the 1840s. In 1969, Whitley became friends with Ricky Skaggs and the two were soon discovered Ralph Stanley and J.D. Crowe. By the 1980s, Whitley would release five consecutive #1 singles including When You Say Nothing at All and I'm No Stranger to the Rain.

walkLEX: East Third Street deTour is August 3

Join the Blue Grass Trust deTours group of young professionals (and young at heart) as we discover Lexington's past. On August 3, 2011 at 5:30 p.m., we will gather outside Atomic Cafe (265 North Limestone) before exploring three East Third Street properties which are in various stages of restoration. RSVP on Facebook.

The majority of the properties to be explored on the August 3 deTour are located within Lexington's Constitution Historic District. This district encompasses several city blocks between North Limestone and Martin Luther King Blvd, stretching from the north side of East Third Street to the alley with three names (references have been found to Templeman Alley, Clark Street and Pleasant Stone Street). As with all historic neighborhoods surrounding Lexington's business core, Constitution has a checkered past -- as do the individual properties to be visited.

kernel: My Old Kentucky Road Trip

After profiling Kentucky for Kentucky, I wanted to draw attention to another new Kentucky promoter. These gals take awesome road trips much like my No Destinations, though they tend to be a little more focused when they set out... Check out their Cameron and Blair's recent treks to Maker's Mark in Loretto and Waverly Hills Sanitarium in Louisville (both are places I've yet to see). Check them out @MyOldKYRoadtrip or at www.myoldkentuckyroadtrip.com!

NoD: Bluegrass Army Depot

Bluegrass Army Depot - 

Occasionally, it makes the news because of a gas leak or new attempts at environmental remediation. But the Bluegrass Army Depot, which is little known to most Kentuckians, occupies a massive, secretive 15,000 acre tract in Madison County.

The Blue Grass Ordnance Depot in Madison County was announced by Washington in the summer of 1941 and, by early 1942, the government was filing condemnation actions against landowners who did not sell their land through private sale. In October 1942, the facility began storage of its first munitions. Even after World War II, the BGOD remained a critical facility.

In 1964, the role of the Lexington Army Depot (fka Lexington Signal Depot) at Avon was deminished and its operations were merged into the Madison County facility which was then-renamed the Lexington-Bluegrass Army Depot. In 1992, army reorganization caused the name to again be changed to simply the Bluegrass Army Depot. The old Lexington depot was formally BRAC'd in 1995; it has been converted to a light industrial park "Bluegrass Station" near I-64 and KY-859.

walkLEX: Centrepointe v. 4.0

I already told you about the meeting unveiling the new Centrepointe design. Today, I'll show you.

Fmr Vice Mayor Isabel Yates examines the proposal

NRK and I discussed the project before the unveiling on Thursday. NRK declared his immediate reaction was dislike followed by the knowledge that I would love it. He was right. And I think that came through in yesterday morning's post. NRK's biggest criticism was that he didn't feel that the project's featured tower was "sufficiently Kentucky." Gang discussed the poetic connection between Kentucky's equine-based economy and the limestone soil that provides calcium-rich bluegrass for strong horses. With limestone as her inspiration, she discussed the stalactites and stalagmites of Mammoth Cave and the outcroppings of limestone along the Kentucky River Palisades before discussing the microbiology of marine life in the limestone - all of this pointed to the tubes which comprise the main feature of the project.

kernel: Centrepointe update

Artist Rendering of the new "Centrepointe" Image: Studio Gang

Bounded by Main-Upper-Vine-Limestone, the Centrepointe block in downtown Lexington has been a lightning rod since demolition plans were announced a few years ago. Much has been written about the various incarnations of the Centrepointe tower proposal.

I've stayed away from the bru-ha-ha as much as possible, only making small reference to Centrepointe on this site. I've never been impressed with the designs as they all looked like something that would have emerged in one of the tall-building-clusters that ring Atlanta on I-285. And though I've grown quite fond of Centrepasture, it is not the best use for the site. 

There are a number of hurdles yet to be accomplished, but a huge step forward was made when the developers hired Jeanne Gang's Studio Gang Architects out of Chicago. I missed the meeting earlier this summer when Gang came to the Lexington History Museum to share a number of visions. Now, the plan has been refined and the plans will be unveiled today at the Kentucky Theatre at 4 pm. I hope to attend and, if I do, I'll live-tweet the presentation @kaintuckeean.

From the two images we've seen so far, I like this new proposal. I love how the historical buildings are pictured above - the first skyscraper (Fayette National Bank Building) and the Old Courthouse - nestled between two modern structures as viewed from Vine Street, though I realize that the structures to be built on Main will obstruct this view.

Remember: Kentucky Theatre, today at 4 pm. Follow me on twitter @kaintuckeean. Oh... and can we PLEASE come up with a new name other than Centrepointe?

kernel: Dog on Mailbox (Street Art)

Graffiti & Street Art on North Limestone - Lexington, Ky.

I don't know how to classify this - is it graffiti? Is it street art? Obviously, I'd classify the orange/yellow lettering as graffiti... but the dog urinating on the mailbox seems more like art (though, it being doubtful that the US Postal Service authorized the dog to permanently piss on its box, is it technically graffiti?).  Either way, I thought it was funny.

UPDATE: A bit more was learned of the folk who make this graffiti/public art. They/he/she are Dronex. Check out another of their work here.

walkLEX: Old Morrison

Old Morrison (Transylvania University) - Lexington, Ky.

R. Owens Williams is the President of Transylvania University, but Old Morrison is its face. Mention Transylvania University to those familiar with this great institution, and it will conjure up an image of this impressive  building with its six massive Doric columns rising above the northern end of Gratz Park. Or at least it should... it is, after all, Transy's logo.

walkLEX: Lexington Opera House

The Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation hosts a monthly deTour to a local historic site that has been well-preserved and restored. Please join us on our next deTour - details on Facebook! You can also help us plan the September deTour by voting here! Our guides for the Opera House deTour were Opera House program director, Luanne Franklin, and technical director, Michael Lavin.

Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, the Lexington Opera House has a colorful past and a bright future. During its life, it has gone through a number of acts. In 1886, a fire destroyed the old opera house - seated at the southeast corner of Main and Broadway - and the following month a corporation was formed to raise funds for the present Opera House. What opened the following year was later described by the Lexington Leader as the "costliest, handsomest and most convenient Thespian temples in the South, an object of cherished pride in the city." Designed with both safety and comfort in mind, the Opera House pumped cold water from a nearby ice factory to cool the temperature of the orchestra level and the two balconies.

kernel: Kentucky for Kentucky

Check it out on Facebook and see a lot of Kentucky and how awesome it is. KY4KY is kick ass and they have a killer logo.

NoD: The Owings House

The Owings House - Owingsville, Ky.

The lore surrounding the Owings House in downtown Owingsville is epic.

In 1795, Colonel Thomas Dye Owings was sent from Maryland to Kentucky by his father to operate some of the first iron furnaces in the region. Within fifteen years, Owings had amassed a good deal of wealth and land. Along with Colonel Richard H. Menefee, Owings would found the community that took his name, Owingsville.

Owings and Menefee each owned significant parcels of land in what would become Owingsville. To select whose name the community would take, the two men wagered that the man who built the finer home the quickest would be the namesake of the town. For the sum of $60,000, Owings won the contest. (Menefee, a good politician and acclaimed orator - the "Patrick Henry of the West" - died a pauper, his greatest legacy being a Kentucky county which bears his misspelled name).

Although there is no concrete evidence, it is widely believed that the Maryland native retained Washington, D.C. architect Benjamin Latrobe to design the Owings House. Some features of the property remind the writer of Latrobe's work, including the Palladian window over the front door and the spiral staircase inside. In fact, the staircase was constructed in Baltimore and was carried overland by oxen before it was assembled and installed. The staircase alone was $10,000! The Owings House was completed in 1814 and soon was one of the destinations for Kentucky's political elite.

Another guest of the house, from July 17, 1814 through July 22, 1815, was the exiled Louis Philippe of France (King from 1830 - 1848). This, too, is disputed as some believe that the houseguest was an imposter posing as the young Frenchman. It is true, however, that Louis Philippe was in Kentucky decades earlier when he lodged at Bardstown's Talbott Tavern.

During the War of 1812, Owings raised a Kentucky regiment and was commissioned a colonel in the 28th U.S. Infantry. He also served in politics, as sheriff and as a judge. Ultimately, Owings' business success faltered and he declared bankruptcy before leaving for Texas where he would serve first for Stephen Austin in Texas' War of Independence before serving the U.S. in the Mexican War. Colonel Owings died and is buried in Texas.

In 1905, the east third of the Owings House was modified and adapted for use as a bank, the Owingsville Banking Company, which remains in operation today. All five bays pictured were part of Owings' original home which bested Menefee in competition.

Bibliography
Bath County Tourism
National Register of Historic Places.
"Thomas Dye Owings" by W. T. Block

Happy Birthday, America!

Fourth of July Fireworks, 2010 - Lexington, Ky.

I am taking the holiday weekend off to celebrate Our Independence from the tyranny of George III. There are a bunch of great things going on throughout the state - so celebrate. If you are in Lexington, I'll probably be there to because they really know how to celebrate the Fourth of July! Check out these pictures from last year's celebrations!