Every historic building has a story to tell
In my family lore, there is a not-so-mythical place known as “back seat land.” As a frequent occupant of this space, landscapes and buildings that filter through my memory are most often framed by the dimensions of the back seat car window, and many a long winding road trip was enlivened by peeks of historic (read more)
Ever since my first trip out west in 2008, when I tormented my family with requests to stop and photograph old motels, gas stations, and historic neon, I’ve been enamored of roadside architecture. I am far from the only fan, and numerous websites and apps will ply you with oddities and curiosities to see along (read more)
I never embraced cafeteria food during my primary and secondary school years (and was always baffled by the combination of square pizza slices, corn, and applesauce). But perhaps the problem was all in the setting – as I stood outside the S&W Cafeteria Building in downtown Asheville, North Carolina – I was quite sure I (read more)
The interstate highway system transformed America. I frequently bemoan the sterility of the interstate, but if I lacked this soulless and fast travel option, I would never get anywhere…because the side and back roads hold so much history and wonderful architecture (and I want to photograph all of it!). This past fall, I traveled through (read more)
Bourbon whiskey – “the sweetest of the brown liquors.” I heard that phrase often while in college and though my personal experience with bourbon was one of quantity rather than quality, I’ve watched with awe and pride over the last ten years as the bourbon industry has not only bolstered Kentucky’s economy, but become a (read more)
Categories: Anderson County, Architecture, Bluegrass, Bourbon, Historic Preservation, Kentucky, Kentucky architecture, Tourism, Vernacular
Tags: Bourbon, bourbon whiskey, distilling, Four Roses Distillery, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Lawrenceburg, McBrayer Distillery, Saffell Distillery, WB Saffell, Wild Turkey Distillery
Earlier this year, on a hot, hazy September afternoon, I walked a few blocks in downtown Hardinsburg, on my “way back” to Lexington. Rarely do I follow the logical, linear route that provides the quickest way home – and though the majority of my travels are far from leisurely, I would rather sample just a (read more)
Montpelier (Virginia) is best known as the historic home of our country’s fourth president, James Madison, the 20th century tenure of the wealthy du Pont family, and the 21st century restoration of the main house (an enormous undertaking, and one much debated by preservationists and historians). My favorite thing at Montpelier? The slightly forlorn train (read more)
Categories: Architecture, Historic Preservation, Other Places, Tourism, Vernacular, Virginia history
Tags: duPont, In the Time of Segregation, James Madison, Montpelier, Montpelier depot, Montpelier train station, Montpelier Virginia, National Trust for Historic Preservation, segregation, train depot
There is a small wooden chair in the front hall of my childhood home. Made of cherry or walnut, it is a nice little chair, but unremarkable except for its story. From an early age, I knew the chair traveled strapped to a horse through the Cumberland Gap in the 18th century. I fervently wanted (read more)
I’m a firm believer in the arts and literature as a necessary component of life. Although my artistic ability never quite manifested (even using rulers, I struggle to draw a straight line), I’ve read voraciously since an early age and books remain one of my chief passions. During a recent week of work in West (read more)
A vacation never really seems like a vacation to me unless it involves the ocean and a cocoon of soft, inviting beach. Perhaps it is growing up in a land-locked state that stimulates this desire to flee to the coast and water (yes, I know the Bluegrass has the greatest length of navigable waterways and (read more)
Categories: Architecture, Florida, Historic Preservation, Other Places, Tourism
Tags: #capestgeorgelighthouse, #lighthouses, HABS, reconstruction, stgeorgeislandfl
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