Restored Parochial School on Lexington's Short Street is a New Testament to Adaptive Use

W. Short St. Campus, Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic School - Lexington, Ky.

Old meets new at the main campus of Sts. Peter & Paul School on Lexington's West Short Street. The two story school at Saunier Avenue (formerly Sycamore Street) first opened in 1915. For seventy-three years, the St. Paul School met educational needs of the parish. Shrinking attendance, however, forced the diocese to close the school in 1988. A few years ago, a resurgence in numbers and a major renovation/expansion of the campus brought new life to the beautiful, historic school.

Sanborn Map (1907); Source: KDL

This two story classical revival building on West Short Street first rose from the ground in 1913. The cornerstone was laid on December 14, 1913 in a ceremony presided over by the Bishop of Covington, Right Rev. C. P. MaesIts brick facade is set back from West Short Street, leaving westward pedestrians (and at one time automobiles) with an undisrupted visual approach to the St. Paul's church.

This visual approach was a positive change for the parish as the building previously had no set-back as can be seen on the 1907 Sanborn  insurance map of Lexington.

Columbia's Kaintuckeean Special: Chicken and Waffles, a Southern Delicacy

Chicken and Waffles @ Columbia's - Lexington, Ky.

Columbia's Menu Board, Jan. 30, 2012

(Photo: @managerflo)

The North Limestone Columbia's Steakhouse recently featured on its menu the Kaintuckeean Special. This storied Lexington establishment that already features some of the most traditional of Kentucky and southern fare will add to its menu (for a day, or longer likely depending on success!) the classic dish chicken and waffles. But why the hell is this the Kaintuckeean Special??

When I visited Columbia's a few trips ago, I had the lil' Kaintuckeean with me. Now three years old, he had his heart set on some chicken tenders. He ate them up, save one. The next morning, I obliged myself to his leftovers. He wanted a waffle and I thought: why not go for it! I immediately determined that Columbia's fried chicken tenders perfectly paired with a good waffle and sweet maple syrup. I tweeted @managerflo immediately.

ThenNow: Parking tickets now paid in the most important surviving building of Victorian period

Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building (2012)
Photo by Jason Sloan

Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building (1983)
Photo by Dick DeCamp

As might be guessed, 114 North Upper wasn't always the office of those who issue and process Lexington's parking tickets. At one time, you could walk out with more than just a receipt for a ticket. In the National Register nomination form for Lexington's Downtown Commercial District, preservationist Dick DeCamp called the Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building "one of Lexington's  most important surviving buildings of that period [Victorian]."

Lowe Brothers Company (1944); Photo: Robert J. Long

The building can be found in "Jordan's Row," which was named after early owner John Jordan, Jr. The Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building, situated at 114-116 North Upper, was designed by prolific architect Herman (H. L.) Rowe in the high Victorian Gothic Style. Construction commenced in 1885 by Lexington builder and stonemason G. D. Wilgus, one of the largest contractors in the area at the time.

Noticeably, much of the historic exterior integrity remains from the original build, while the interior underwent major renovations in the mid-1970s.

Lowe Brothers Company Interior (1944)
Photo by Robert J. Long

Originally, the building was constructed for the law firm Berkley, Guthrie & Watson. The firm owned the building until a series of events affecting the firm: John Berkley left; Henry Guthrie shot himself ("presumably to death," as DeCamp notes); and James Watson ultimately sold the building in 1916.  Since then, the building has been occupied by a diverse group of tenants. From 1925-1937, a furnishing and stationary store, Wrenn and King, occupied the site. Lowe Brothers' paint and wallpaper called 114-116 North Upper home from 1938 until the 1960s. By the 1960s/70s, the deteriorating structure had become known as the Lowe Building.

In 1975, Garvice  D. Kincaid bought the building and renovated both the exterior and interior. Lexington's Parking Authority's director Gary Means found the building perfect for his growing agency when it moved into the building in late 2008. LexPark has found an adaptive use that respects both the commercial history of the building, maintains the historic street view, and provides an attractive, effective work space for Lexington's parking ticket denizens.

For more information see:
National Register (Downtown Commercial District, 1983)
LexPark

ky120: Jefferson County Courthouse (Louisville, Ky.)

Jefferson County Courthouse - Louisville, Ky.

The Jefferson County Courthouse in Louisville has probably one of the more interesting stories behind its construction. It's a bit of a Frankenstein's monster of historic buildings.

Shryock Design for Jefferson Courthouse
(Photo: Clay Lancaster Slide Collection; KDL)

Construction began on this building - Louisville's fourth courthouse - in 1837. The original architect was none other than Gideon Shryock, the notable architect profiled on this site a number of times. But Shryock's original design isn't really reflected in what you see above. The building was to have a six-column Doric portico, a cupola and additional porticos on the side.

Legend has it that the building was designed to draw the state capitol away from Frankfort, but such efforts were obviously unsuccessful. This movement's primary proponent was Senator James Guthrie. The ultimate failure of making the building the new state capitol led to the building being known as "Guthrie's Folly."

kernel: Use Your Car to Preserve Kentucky's History

Preservation Kentucky, a non-profit "organization devoted to preserving buildings, structures, and sites in every region and every town in the state" has started an initiative to get a special license plate in Kentucky for those wanting to support historic preservation.

The license plate features PK's logo - an ionic column capital - atop a black field with the words "preserve our heritage"across the bottom. The background is filled with grey script featuring the names of several historic sites across the Commonwealth, many of which I've profiled before:

Ashland - Waveland - Pope Villa - Shaker Village - Pisgah Pike - Farmington - Pauley Bridge - Whiskey Row - Wigman Village - Paris Pike - Mill Springs Battlefield - Hotel Metropolitan - My Old Kentucky Home - Main Street Kentucky - Camp Nelson - Wickliffe Mounds - Russell Theatre - Roebling Bridge - Cherokee State Park

NoD: Sen. Kathy Stein now represents these eight counties

Montgomery County stream - east of Mount Sterling, Kentucky

Late last week, the governor signed the state's new redistricting law (HB1) into effect which redrew the boundaries of state legislative districts. In a highly political process, many were directly affected. Politicos and pundits have had much to say, with the most contentious move being the transfer of Lexington's 13th Senate District to nor'eastern Kentucky taking with it Senator Kathy Stein. Lexington has gone all a'twitter and the folk at Barefoot & Progressive have led the charge. But this post isn't about politics.

(UPDATE 2-24-2012): The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that HB1 was unconstitutional and, as a result, this won't be Kathy's new district. She shall continue to repesent the people of Lexington. But keep reading about eight of our wonderful Kentucky counties!

While the Herald-Leader took the opportunity to introduce Lexington its new state senator who lives two-and-one-half hours away in Henderson, no one appears to have yet offered Sen. Stein a tour of her new, very rural district. Having formerly represented a small, compact, urban district, Stein now has a lot of acreage to cover in representing her new constituents in Bath, Fleming, Harrison, Lewis, Mason, Montgomery, Nicholas, and Robertson counties. Off to the new 13th...

ON STRIKE

NoD: Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Somerset

Below is a modified rerun of a 2010 post about my experience walking in Somerset's annual March to Remember Dr. King. This year, I won't be able to take off and explore and march. Across Kentucky - in small towns and large - we gather to pay homage to a great American who taught us so much.

Somerset, Kentucky

I celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Day 2010 by hopping in the car and driving to see more of Kentucky. As I drove into Somerset along Highway 80, I couldn't help but notice the flashing lights of a police car and a crowd of about sixty persons gathering in front of the old courthouse. I got out of the car and joined the group in prayer. A short march through downtown followed and I was immediately welcomed into this diverse crowd which was marching to remember the legacy of the slain civil rights leader. One of the marchers, Richard (below), invited me to join them for a meal which followed this annual walk. Unfortunately, I wanted to drive more and I declined the offer. I wish I had taken the opportunity to sit down and talk and learn.

Richard

The prayer in front of the Pulaski County Courthouse reminded me of another prayer I shared with a diverse crowd the year before on January 20, 2009. Then, we were led by Rev. Rick Warren. He asked that we all join him in praying the Lord's Prayer at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

There, on Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue - surrounded by people various ages, races and backgrounds - so many voices prayed the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in Heaven... On that day, just over a year ago, it was truly about We the People.

walkLEX: Lexington's Oldest Restaurant Still Serves Great Food, History

Columbia's Steakhouse - Lexington, Kentucky

On a Friday evening, Lexington police raided a popular Lexington restaurant, arrested twenty-one people and charged the restaurant's owner with running a disorderly house. Things were no less "disorderly" two months later. Armed with reports of Sunday alcohol sales (in violation of state blue laws) and the sale of distilled spirits despite having only a beer license, the state alcoholic beverage control board yanked the beer license of Columbia's Steakhouse. It was the spring of 1952 and Frank and Ray Columbia's restaurant was in trouble. Opened in 1948, the steakhouse was already a Lexington institution.

The steakhouse was set up as a 'front' for the true operation: a gaming hall in the back room which was frequented by local officials and police. Today, that back room is referred to as "the Mafia Room." Yes, the lore behind Lexington's Columbia's Steakhouse is deep. Walking into its North Limestone location, one can easily imagine the many rooms being filled with smoke and deals being struck. Not a lot has changed since Columbia's first opened sixty-four years ago. There is no pretense. Just an old-school steakhouse.

kernel: Goodnight, Gatewood (1947-2012)

Throw Your Hat in the Ring at Gatewood's Public Memorial

At the Carnegie Center tonight, I had the opportunity to remember Gatewood Galbraith with those who loved him the most. My personal encounters with Gatewood were limited, but I know how much he meant to everyone he touched. His smile and love for life were infectious. And he truly did live his life to the fullest. As one of Gatewood's daughters said, recalling her boyfriend's description of the late legend: "He drove his body like a thief drives a used car."

Tributes by Mayor Gray and Ben Chandler reminded us Gatewood's political side. Ben Chandler pointed out that they both entered politics in the same year: 1991. Chandler ran for Auditor while Gatewood sought the Governor's Mansion. When Gatewood wanted to publicly advocate the legalization of marijuana, he consulted with Chandler's grandfather who told the then-young Gatewood that it sounded like "a good idea, but you've gotta tax the hell out of it."

A musical tribute by Rodney Hatfield left many emotional with his beautiful performance of My Old Kentucky Home on the harmonica.

But these words of Gatewood's, spoken less than a week before his passing, ring truest:

Another great day in all our lives. Call up someone you love, or would like to, and let them know it! Make a resolution to lift someone's spirit each day and follow through with it. It doesn't take much, a smile, a kind word (words are magic and can create reality) and a desire to be loved yourself because that it what will happen to you when you give your smile. Try it and see. God Bless You All!

 Below is a slideshow of all of my photos from this evening's memorial, which lasts until 8 p.m. (or later...)

You can also look at these photos directly on flickr.

kernel: Two Central Kentucky Historic Districts Now on National Register

On December 19, 2011, the Department of the Interior recognized and approved the nominations of two central Kentucky historic districts to the National Register of Historic Places. The first is in Harrodsburg (Mercer County); the second is in Springfield (Washington County).

Harrodsburg Post Office
(Photo from NRHP Application File)

In Harrodsburg, the North Main Street Historic District includes addresses at 105-414 N. Main St., 109 W. Lexington, 101 W. Broadway, and 163 E. Broadway. With twenty-three contributing buildings , the district encompasses a number of architectural styles with a period of incluence stretching from 1823 until 1949. The district is mixed-use and features commercial, residential, and civic structures. In this historic district, the development of Kentucky's oldest non-native settlement is readily visible. (NRHP# 11000796)

ThenNow: Historic Clark Hardware Store becoming Shakespeare & Co.

 

 

367-369 West Short Street (Dec. 2011)

Photo by Jason E. Sloan

367-369 West Short St. (ca. 1939)
Photo by Robert J. Long

Spring 2012 will welcome a new restaurant to downtown Lexington: Shakespeare and Company.  A chain based in the United Arab Emirate of Dubai, Shakespeare and Co. aims to "provide a cozy, chic ambiance reminiscent of Victorian elegance" with a menu that includes English, American and Lebanese food.  Their choice of the circa 1870 Clark Hardware Building is not only a prominent location at the intersection of West Short and Broadway, but an apt one to represent the Victorian Era.

walkLEX: Dewitt Godfrey Work will Transform East Main Rooftop

Early Rendering of "Lex" atop the Downtown Arts Center - Lexington, Ky.

Scaled Back Design of "Lex"

Sculptor Dewitt Godfrey of upstate New York has designed Lex - a fixture of various shapes and sizes of steel tubes to be stacked atop the Lexington Laundry Company building at 141 East Main Street. Godfrey is well-known for his abstract designs featuring weathered steel tubes. His work is being brought to Lexington as a commissioned work by LexArts and Leadership Lexington's 2010 Class.

The original design, pictured above, would have spanned both Laundry Building and its neighbor, 137 East Main (the Fayette Cigar Store). Without the support of all involved, the project was scaled back and will only rest atop Lexington Laundry.

kernel: Remembering Gatewood Galbraith (1947-2012)

Gatewood Galbraith (1947 - 2012)

The candidacies of Gatewood Galbraith were legendary. Many Kentuckians – especially those in Lexington – remember Gatewood standing at a corner in his ubiquitous hat, sportcoat, and tie waving to the honks, cheers, and sometimes jeers of his fellow citizenry. If you never witnessed Gatewood's friendly smile,was usually visible in the fall of an election year somewhere near Commonwealth Stadium just before a UK kickoff.

A "People's candidate," Galbraith long believed that a government which governs best, governs least. Applying this principle to both social and fiscal issues, Gatewood famously said during his 1995 bid for governor that the government needs to stay out of "our bedrooms, our bloodstreams, our bladders, our brains, our businesses and our back-pockets." His views were even more fully expressed in his book, The Last Free Man in America.

NoD: Fort Vancouver was Short-Lived Settlement at what is present day Louisa

Vancouver's Fort Monument - Louisa, Ky.

Seven hundred feet east of the Lawrence County courthouse lawn was established in 1789 the "first settlement in this section." Called Vancouver's Fort (or the Big Sandy Blockhouse), the establishment survived only a year. It would take two more attempts before the lands could be permanently settled in what would become Louisa.

One of Vancouver's Land Grants

Charles Vancouver, originally of London, England, acquired two land grants for a combined 15,000 acres along the Big Big Sandy River where the Tug and Levisa forks meet. At the time, this "section" was the easternmost reaches of Fayette County, Virginia - part of Virginia's Kentucky District.  The lands are reputed to have been surveyed by George Washington himself. With his grants, Vancouver sought to secure the men necessary to establish a fort through advertisements in the Kentucky Gazette. Little record of Fort Vancouver existed for several years after the advertisements ceased.

NoD: Odd Fellows Still Active in Paintsville

Lodge #288 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows -  Paintsville, Ky.

Following the Civil War and until FDR's New Deal, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows grew in numbers during an era known as the "Golden Age of Fraternalism." Over time, however, these numbers withered away. Today, Freemasonry is the best known of the active, classic fraternal orders, but the Odd Fellows were at one time, the largest fraternity in the world. The organization is based on the three principles of Friendship, Love and Truth symbolized always by three interlocking rings. This symbol is visible on the headstones of deceased Odd Fellows and on the IOOF lodges.

Across America, beautiful lodges were constructed in large cities and small towns alike during the heyday of IOOF fraternalism. We've already profiled the beautiful lodge in Lexington that was designed by Cincinnatus Shryock - a lodge that closed many years ago. And though the presence of the Odd Fellow has waned from central Kentucky, it remains present in a few pockets of the Commonwealth.