Every historic building has a story to tell
I adore architecture, but I’m no builder. My forays into construction as an adult consist of assembling wooden trellises from scrap wood, and then painting the entire ramshackle affair bright colors. Fully cognizant of my lack of skill, I love seeing the houses that true builders construct for themselves. Last year, while winding my way (read more)
South of Flemingsburg, at the crossroads of two turnpike roads, lies “one of the prettiest towns in the state.”* I don’t think this 19th century utterance is hyperbolic – even now Poplar Plains, Kentucky, is an extraordinarily picturesque place. I can’t recall exactly how I stumbled upon Poplar Plains – coming or going from some other (read more)
Categories: Fleming County, Kentucky Places
Tags: #flemingcountyky, #kentuckyarchitecture, #poplarplains
As a frequent traveler along Interstate 64 eastbound, usually traveling to Virginia and points beyond, I’ve passed through Boyd County, Kentucky at least 100 times. But I’ve spent very little time in Ashland, its largest town, and the downtown streets are definitely worth wandering. Last fall, I played pedestrian for an hour or so in (read more)
Category: Boyd County
Tags: #ashlandky, #kentuckyarchitecture, #nationalregisterofhistoricplaces
I enjoy words – and the field of architectural history provides a plethora of interesting terminology and vocabulary to tickle my fancy. Although there are some terms that are set in stone (the classical order of columns, for example), there are so many regional variations – not the least being house types, forms, and plans. (read more)
In the first half of the 20th century, neon – a “dull and invisible gas until it’s trapped in a tube and zapped with electricity” changed the art of sign making. * Theater marquees glowed even more brightly with the addition of neon, and even prosaic, utilitarian building – like a utility company building – (read more)
Category: Graves County
Tags: #historicsigns, #kentuckyarchitecture, #mayfieldky, TVA
In 1935, the economy of Paducah, Kentucky, hummed along – and if there was a soundtrack playing in the background, it would have been the noise of train engines. The Illinois Central Railroad operated one of the nation’s largest locomotive repair shops in Paducah, spread out over 110 acres on the south side of Kentucky (read more)
I’ve been on the road quite a bit in the last two weeks, from Harlan County to McCracken County – and my blog has suffered as a result. Most of my posts require some bit of research, and even if I am able to accomplish that online, the time required to write something that satisfies (read more)
Categories: Kentucky architecture, Kentucky history
Tags: #kentuckyarchitecture, #topomaps, #USGS, #USGStopographicmaps
I pulled over when I first saw the store. The gravel parking lot into which I veered belonged to a very interesting 20th century church, and after getting out of the car, camera in hand, I noticed the school. It was gray day, threatening rain, but my temper soared like it was the sunniest of conditions. (read more)
Categories: Country Store, Crossroad communities, Kentucky Places, Schools, Wayne County
In 1774, Thomas Hanson, a member of land surveying party out of Virginia, wrote of his surroundings, “the land is so good I cannot give it due praise.”* The area that captivated Hanson was around the North Elkhorn Creek watershed in Scott County, and on a shimmeringly hot afternoon last week, I couldn’t help but (read more)
On Friday, March 1, 1907, a “disastrous fire” tore through the Lawrenceburg Hotel and the Saloon of Mr. S.R. Howser, located within the hotel. The two-story frame building, built in 1881, was destroyed by the blaze, causing more than $25,000 in losses. By 1908, however, a new, brick building, with stone accents, stood on the (read more)
Categories: Anderson County, Bourbon, Railroads
Tags: #bourbontrail, #kentuckyarchitecture, #lawrenceburghotel, #lawrenceburgky, #railroadhotel, #stanfordky
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