I've missed writing and I'll be back soon. I promise. Problem is, there have been a few things that have gotten in the way. Early spring. Basketball. Family.

Yes, I confess. I cannot make the blog first in my life, but I'll get it back on the agenda. That's what April is for. Until then, love Kentucky and remember: Louisville Sucks.

Join Kaintuckee's Bracket Challenge!

Ready to bleed blue?  March Madness is upon us. Join the Kaintuckeean March Madness Bracket Challenge (for the pride of being the greatest Kaintuckeean since Ali) at ESPN by clicking here.

No cost. Just fun. And since we are Kaintuckeeans, we have a lot of fun basketball to watch! Remember:

One Commonwealth. One #1 in the Nation. Two Top 10s. Three Top 25s. Four Teams in the Tournament. The Fourth Team just played in front of the President and British Prime Minister in an awesome comeback. 

I love March! So join in on the fun with the Kaintuckeean Bracket Challenge!

ky360: First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary in Lexington

Last Wednesday, the Blue Grass Trust deTour to First Presbyterian Church revealed a beautiful sanctuary and other fascinating bits of history. I'll post soon, but check out this ky360 panorama taken from the rear of the sanctuary of the North Mill Street Church.

On another note, there is a tremendous amount going on right now so posting will be more sporadic and limited for the next few weeks. Blame me... and basketball!

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.

Paducah, Ky. Neighborhood, Wallace Park, Added to National Register

Tree-lined streets of Wallace Park Neighborhood Historic District
Photo: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application 

The National Park Service listed Paducah's Wallace Park Neighborhood Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 2012. The district was recommended by the Kentucky Heritage Council in December.

Development of Wallace Park began in 1923 as an affluent residential neighborhood and it thrived as a middle- and upper-class subdivision after incorporation into Paducah's city limits in 1926. The district consists if approximately 75 acres, including 154 of 159 structures being contributing.

Wallace House - 203 Cedar Lane - Paducah, Ky.
Photo: Ky. Heritage Soc., NRHP Application

The oldest structure, the Wallace House, was built ca. 1860 by Captain Phillip Wallace and his wife and is "the iconic symbol of Wallace Park." "The Greek Revival structure is a five- bay, central passage structure laid in seven-course, common-bond masonry and covered by a hip roof. The side and rear of the structure are enclosed with several additions." In 1890, Capt. Wallace sold his home and the surrounding acreage to the City Transit Company who developed the property into a recreational, family getaway (accessible, of course, by trolley).

Originally known as LaBelle Park, the site included a nine hole golf course, dance pavilion, lake, and a zoo. The park - then about a mile west of Paducah's city limits - also had a casino!!

Tornado Hits West Liberty, Kentucky: Before & After

Aerial from WKYT-TV

In 62 years, Morgan County experienced three tornados. But in the past three days, the same county has experienced two. * The tornadoes have been absolutely devastating with incredible property damage and, more importantly, loss of life. My heart aches as I lift up my prayers for all of those who were affected in West Liberty and beyond.

I was fortunate enough to visit West Liberty during the summer of 2011 and see part of this beautiful eastern Kentucky town. Following my visit, I profiled the Judge John E. Cooper House which was built in 1872/73 as well as the Millstone Monument on the Courthouse Lawn. Nate has also profiled the Morgan County Courthouse (1907).

For Jake of PageOneKentucky, it is particularly personal as he is a native of West Liberty. His immediate impression this morning, on the ground:

Is that it’s not just a few roofs ripped off. Telecommunications infrastructure is dead at the moment. There are maybe two buildings in town that are structurally sound. The rest are gone or just a few walls remain. Funeral homes are gone. Most pharmacies and stores are gone. Gas stations demolished. Flooding is separating part of the town. The hospital was severely damaged. Schools damaged.

We echo Jake's plea: If you have a dollar, DONATE IT HERE (RED CROSS).

For perspective, I've pulled some photographs that I took last summer with those now available.

West Liberty United Methodist Church

West Liberty United Methodist Church (July 2011)

West Liberty United Methodist Church (March 2, 2012)
Photo: Kristen Kennedy, WKYT-TV. Used with permission.

West Liberty United Methodist Church (March 3, 2012)
Photo: Ky. Nat'l Guard Public Affairs Office

Main Street - West Liberty
For perspective, look the awnings of the building at the far-left of each photo.

Main Street - West Liberty, Ky. (July 2011)

Main Street - West Liberty, Ky. (March 3, 2011)
Photo: Jason Coffee, from pageonekentucky

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.

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."