Every historic building has a story to tell
At the beginning of 2023, there 690 Dollar General Stores in Kentucky. In the spring of 2024, Dollar General announced plans to open around 800 new stores in the United States, even as other dollar stores faced hundreds of closures. Now, despite FIVE existing Dollar General stores in Mercer County, Kentucky, a historic 19th (read more)
Category: Mercer County
The two-story Isaac Hipple House is a restrained study of the Greek Revival style in Kentucky. Pilasters separate the bays on the facade of the brick dwelling, and a one-story porch extends across the entry door and two windows, hiding much of the first story. (The original porch was centered on the house, extending out (read more)
Category: Mercer County
Tags: #greekrevival, #harrodsburgky, #touristhome
Salvisa, Kentucky is a tiny town of just over 100 residents in northern Mercer County, Kentucky, named for the Salt and Kentucky Rivers (the latter was originally known as the “Levisa”). Since the mid-20th century, school consolidation, new roads bypassing Main Street (and bisecting the town), and the decline of the farming economy and a (read more)
Categories: Historic Bank Buildings, Mercer County
Tags: #historicbanks, #kentuckyarchitecture, #salvisaky, banks
What’s the best thing for historic houses? To be a home, to be occupied, to be a place of life and energy. For that to happen, houses that may need a little love and affection must be purchased by someone who loves old houses. Here are some listings for historic houses for under $100,000 that (read more)
One of the thrills of my profession and avocation is when someone decides to save a historic building. Last week, I received an email from the new owners of the wonderful historic filling station on US 68 in Mercer County, Kentucky – and they want to restore it! I may have squealed a bit and (read more)
Categories: Filling stations, Mercer County
Tags: filling stations, historic gas stations, roadside architecture
For as long as I can remember, a dry sink in the corner of the den of my childhood home has held stacks and stacks of photograph albums. As a little girl, I delighted in rifling through them, asking questions, peering into the faces of long-gone relatives, and excitedly pointing out sights I could identify. (read more)
The Moore family of Mercer County, described in a historic account as an “influential Southern family,” left behind many examples of their prominent roles in business, banking, law, medicine, and farming in Kentucky – including a street named after the family and some lovely dwellings. Mooreland captured the hearts of many in its gut wrenching (read more)
Categories: Demolition, Mercer County
Although I grew up traveling frequently to Mercer County, Kentucky, to visit my grandparents and other family members, it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I first rode on US 68. My mother, a native of Harrodsburg, was in a wreck on the twisting, winding road when she was in high school, and (read more)
Urban chicken-keeping has been a trending topic for several years now, but the hipsters tending their leghorns and Rhode Island Reds are merely part of a cycle. Chicken houses were once a ubiquitous sight not just on farmsteads, abut also in towns. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may even spot some historic (over 50 (read more)
A recent article on Facebook listing 12 beautiful barns in the Bluegrass caught my eye the other day. Excited, I clicked, scrolled, and then I sighed. While I am always happy to see articles extolling Kentucky’s amazing buildings, I didn’t think this list was…all that great. I am in a different position than many when (read more)
Categories: Barns, Farming, Historic Preservation, Kentucky architecture, Log construction, Mercer County, Vernacular
Tags: barns, farming, Kentucky barns, Log construction
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