As any student of historic preservation in America will tell you, the historic preservation movement began with a band of women determined to save the home of the nation’s first President. In the 170 years since the founding of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, many women – and men – have dedicated their time, talents, and energy to ensuring that the special historic places in our communities are saved, documented, and recognized. Kentucky recently lost two such vital people. While I am far from the right person to adequately recognize either of exemplary individuals, I can’t not try to express my appreciation for the work of Betsy Kuster of Bourbon County. Kentucky, and Richard “Dick” Holland of Paducah, Kentucky.
Historic downtown Paducah, Dick’s hometown and a place he worked tirelessly to save and celebrate.
Dick Holland and I met for the first time across the pond – in Oxford, England. A mutual friend (and another fabulous figure in the world of historic preservation, Richard Jett of Louisville), suggested we connect since we were both ardent Anglophiles, Kentuckians abroad, and fellow alums of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. And as soon as we introduced ourselves, surrounded by that most glorious of creations – an English garden in summer – I knew we were kindred spirits. Dick’s sense of fun was infectious, and his love of history and gardens was inspiring.
Dick, summer 2014, with a suitably verdant English background.
In 1982, not long removed from his college days, Dick successfully listed 20 blocks of commercial, residential, and warehouse buildings in downtown Paducah in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). At a time when many NRHP nominations ran the gamut of – let’s say – sparse on details and documentation – Dick’s work was thoughtful and thorough. And the photographs! It is a treasure to have those (almost 60) today.
Dick also listed the Lower Town District in the NRHP, and from that point, he was unstoppable. Paducah, which is a very cool river town, would not be where it is today (and I’m not being partial to say it is a bustling and happening place) had it not been for Dick Holland.
Detail of a storefront, Paducah, Kentucky. Circa 1982 photograph by Dick Holland.
I first met Betsy Kuster at the start of my career, and on American soil. She was on the council of the Kentucky Heritage Council, the State Historic Preservation Office, and I was a fresh-from-graduate school staff member. Betsy’s gracious, yet no-nonsense manner and our subsequent conversation about mutual acquaintances made me feel like I had known her forever. At that time, the study and recognition of agricultural resources was still developing, and even the term “historic farm” occasionally raised some eyebrows of the established members and patrons of historic preservation.
The 18th century Duncan Tavern, in Paris, Kentucky. Betsy Kuster served on the board and was Regent of the Jemima Johnson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Not Betsy. Like me, she too was a farm girl, and through her diligence, FIVE rural historic districts in Bourbon County were listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Her memory was prodigious. Not just of families, places, and buildings she knew, but the stories she was told as a girl stayed with her, and imbued her work with even more depth and meaning. Her passion for historic rural places made me feel like I wasn’t alone – and that my start in this field, fueled by the family stories of my farming family, had a worthwhile foundation.
Betsy Kuster. Image courtesy Hinton-Turner Funeral Home.
A few years ago, Betsy and I exchanged emails about historic barns, and at the end of a very helpful list of farms and barns in Bourbon County, she ended with “Also you once asked me about houses either with two doors or one double door? Are you still looking for that information on Bourbon County? I can multi task on that at the same time.”
I have no idea when I had asked her about two door houses – but Betsy remembered.
A historic barn in the Stoner Creek Rural Historic District in Bourbon County, Kentucky – one of the districts Betsy was instrumental in listing. Image from the NRHP files.
Beyond their service to their communities, Kentucky, and the never-ending crusade of historic preservation – Dick and Betsy were wonderful people. It is hard to believe they are gone. And while I can extol the valuable role each played, and the wealth of truly important work and documents they leave behind, it’s small comfort to grieving friends and family.
Eulogies and remembrances should really be delivered while the people at the heart of them are still with us to understand the impact of their life on the far-flung. Take a moment, then, to not only think about the loved ones that Betsy and Dick leave behind – but also convey to those people who matter to you how MUCH they matter. And always remember them – for as long as someone is remembered, a part of them is still here with us.
I appreciate you informing me of these two important people here in Kentucky. I have had opportunity to enjoy the towns of Paducah and Paris in my Ky travels
Thank you for sharing your eulogy for these two special preservationists and delightful people.