A valuable piece of Lexington history was lost earlier this year when 504 and 506 Euclid Avenue were demolished. I was able to photograph 506 Euclid (and its tiny addition, 506 1/2) before it was felled, but I have few photos of 504 Euclid Avenue, once home (from 1938-1991) to Brooking’s Restaurant, famed for their chili. That building suffered a fire in September 2020 (which I imagine impacted its neighbor at 506 Euclid) and was demolished in October 2021.
A 2017 streetview (thank you Google!) of the buildings.
One of these buildings was once “a shrine” to UK basketball, the other a family home built on the “rear part of Lot #1 of the Columbia Heights Subdivision.” There was a barber shop and a bookshop – but what else?
This parcel – and it was originally one parcel – extended from Woodland Avenue to the other side of 506 Euclid Avenue. The corner brick building (still there) was for many years a grocery, and the three other buildings (all built prior to 1931) were businesses, shops, and home to many.
The two-story frame house at 506 Euclid long fascinated me.
Even though I am an obsessive photographer – even I don’t get pictures of every historic building in Lexington. And sadly, none of these buildings was ever part of a historic survey or inventory, so there are no records to search through for older photos.
This little addition (with the wonderful pent tile roof) originally housed a barber shop (I think).
There are plenty of other records (thankfully), and I am making my way through them slowly – a chain of title (deeds), city directories, the wonderful digitized copies of the Lexington Leader, the Lexington Herald, and the Lexington Herald-Leader.
But I’d love to hear from Lexington folks who remember businesses other than Brooking’s*, and find some photos of these three buildings before fire and neglect ravaged their looks. You can reach me at gardens2gables@gmail.com, or comment on this post. Any submitted photographs will be credited to the original photographer.
*While I am not discounting the cultural icon status of Brooking’s, its history has been pretty well documented, and I plan to cover that in my follow-up post about the history of this parcel.
I remember walking past here going to Maxwell Elementary. It was in the early 1970s. Going toward Woodland I remember in this order a private residence and possibly it was a duplex; the tiled roof storefront had been a travel agency, and a small clothing store then Brookings(the yummy smells of hamburgers and chili) a beer joint and Charlies grocery store. The building closest to Woodland had living quarters upstairs. Presumably here as often the case the store proprietor lived over the store.
This is wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your memories.
Lived on Woodland for a number of years, and spent far too much time in the Fish Tank and Lynagh’s. I remember all of this well, and was also always fascinated with it. Vacant as far as I can remember. Best of luck!
I grew up in the 400 block of Woodland Ave. in a house purchased by my grandfather in 1911. The grocery on the corner of Woodland and Euclid was Lovings and Hume when I was a child. I’m 71 now. Between the grocery and Brookings was a restaurant called Shep’s. Shep and his wife Betty ran it. The Brookings lived in the first house facing Woodland next to the grocery. Charlie’s Market was the last grocery to occupy the space on the corner. My brother and his friend ran a bar in that space called The Walrus and the Carpenter. That was in the 70’s. I’m fuzzy about occupants after my brother and his friend closed the bar. My childhood memories of nickel ice cream cones at Brookings are still fond. Gus Collis worked for Mr. Brookings and always made sure our cones were filled over the top. That area of town was a wonderful place to grow up in. I hate to see the way it looks now.
…no mention of The Last Genuine Leather Co? We were there10>15 years sharing our aromas and a sealed doorway with Brookings ?
Thanks for your message! The reason I posted this article is to find out who occupied the buildings, since I don’t know. I didn’t live in Lexington until years and years after Brookings closed. Do you know the years that the LGLC operated in the building and do you have any photographs of the exterior of the building?
Also reach out to the owner he might know more
Hi Janie-Rice, the gray house, 506, held a tailoring business in the 90s. I think it was called Sew Fine. It was run by a really nice Indian woman who would tell me stories about her early days in Lexington as a young bride. I loved hearing her stories and always thought of her when I passed the building.
Thank you so much!
If my memory is correct it was the New Morning Coffeehouse for a couple years in the early mid 90s. A pretty funky place, it was an alternative space for performers, speakers etc. A hippy hangout … I remember one of the organizers, Bruce Smith-Peters. Did I get that right?
We support your efforts. You are seen and heard.
My best friend from Gaza graduated U.K. in the early 2000s living in the gray house 506A. I miss playing music on the porch summer nights. His brother graduated from U of L. He is the engineer who designed the drone copter flying on Mars. LOAY is his name. EL basyouni last name. I used to own the grocery store on Oldham and Columbia. So many fond memories of this dwelling. I’m glad it’s gone.