Wrecking Ball Watch: Meadowcrest, 2550 Winchester Road, Lexington, Kentucky (1932-2022)

Stories and the people who created them enliven the most basic of buildings. Sometimes, of course, stories of personal tragedy envelop a structure like a cloud, and that cloud overshadows the most elegant and masterful of designs. So it is with Meadowcrest, an imposing Neo-Georgian house designed by prominent local architect Robert McMeekin in 1931. Built for one of the heirs to the farm known as Hamburg Place, the three-story brick mansion will soon be demolished.*

Circa 1935 view of the house. Image from the Lafayette Studios Collection at the University of Kentucky.

Long before “Hamburg” was shorthand for shopping, it was a fabled early 20th century horse farm. The founder, John E. Madden, was a newcomer to the Bluegrass, arriving in Lexington in the last decade of the 19th century.

Undated postcard showing the original Hamburg Place house on Winchester Road (not Meadowcrest). Image from the Postcard Collection at the University of Kentucky.

His skill at training and selling horses for a considerable profit allowed him to purchase over 200 acres of land east of Lexington on the Winchester Road (US 60). That initial purchase grew to over 2,000 acres, and as the land that Hamburg Place occupied expanded, so did Madden’s fame and bank account.

The founder of Hamburg Place, John E. Madden, 1856-1929.

His personal life appears, through the eyes of a historian, less than stable and calm. I don’t want to speculate about someone else’s family – I certainly wouldn’t want folks dissecting the details of my ancestors, no matter how far removed I am from their existence. Even historic details still possess the power to wound. But the story of Meadowcrest can’t be entirely ignored nor completely separated from the house itself.

A rocky marriage, divorce (shocking in 1909!), and custody fights over his two sons (John Edward Madden, who went by Edward, and his younger brother, Joseph McKee Madden) possibly sowed the grounds for later tragedy in the family.

Front elevation as drawn by the architect Robert McMeekin.

The younger son, Joseph McKee Madden, attended boarding schools and graduated from Princeton in 1920. He and his brother did not follow their father into the horse industry, but instead helped develop the fledgling oil industry. Later, Joseph Madden invested in a corn products company in Iowa, and married a local girl. They had two sons while living in Iowa.

But despite leaving Kentucky, the press remained most interested in the two Madden sons. When their father died in 1929, he left Hamburg Place and a fortune to his sons.

A circa 1911 image of Edward and Joseph Madden.

Edward Madden moved into the original house at Hamburg Place after their father’s death. Joseph remained in Iowa.

In August 1931, the Lexington Herald announced (on the front page) that Joseph Madden was coming back to Lexington, and planned to build a “$400,000 mansion” on a part of Hamburg Place. The plans for the “palatial residence” were in the process of completion, and contracts for construction had been let.

Meadowcrest, January 2022.

The house as designed contained “five master bedrooms, four servants’ rooms, living room, library, dining room, service rooms, gymnasium, tap room, seven bathrooms and five lavatories. ” An eight-car garage was built to the rear of the house. The plan is fairly traditional, with a central hall and one room (more or less) to the side of the central hall. The main block of the house is only one room deep.

First floor plans of Meadowcrest.

The house was extolled as “fireproof!” and a two-story portico graces the facade. The portico shelters the main entry, which leads into the main hall, which runs the depth of the house and features a circular staircase. A living room extends to the right of the hallway, and the library and dining room are located to the left of the entry. A butler’s pantries, kitchen, lavatories, and service rooms are located in the ell that extends to the rear of the main block of the house.

The exterior is restrained yet stately, with a quiet elegance. Stone quoins detail the corners of the house, and the facade (nine bays wide) seems to stretch on for days.

Circa 1935 view of Meadowcrest. Image from the Lafayette Studios Collection at the University of Kentucky.

Winchester Road was a rural thoroughfare at the time. I imagine that the construction of such a large – and costly – house (most folks were still in the throes of the Great Depression) garnered much attention. The Madden sons were wealthy, privileged, good-looking, and seemed set for life.

The fireplace in the library at Meadowcrest, with a painting of Joseph M. Madden.
June 1938 image from the Lafayette Studios Collection at the University of Kentucky.

Joseph Madden never lived in Meadowcrest. On October 31, 1932, he committed suicide in a sporting goods store in New York. He left behind his wife, Ruth Rovane Madden, and two sons, ages three and eight months.

Suicide haunts the survivors. I know this from my own family experience. What happened to Joseph Madden – and later to his older brother – is devastatingly sad.

Ruth Madden, most unexpectedly a young widow, moved into the house with her two young sons.  How could that not have been an emotional struggle? But she lived at Meadowcrest the rest of her life.

Ruth Rovane Madden with her two sons, December 1935. Image from the Lafayette Studios Collection at the University of Kentucky.

Her brother-in-law, Edward, bought most of the farm from her. Ruth Madden retained Meadowcrest and around 100 acres.

Meadowcrest is a beautiful house. Its interior, I am told, retains much of the elaborate detail that defined it when built. The design is superb, and the setting was exquisite. There’s not much better than a Bluegrass farm (I’m biased, since I live on one).

Entry hall. June 1938 image from the Lafayette Studios Collection at the University of Kentucky.

Ruth and Joseph’s two sons lived there intermittently (from what I can discern), and operated it as a horse farm. A fire in 1952 destroyed the library where Joseph Madden’s portrait hung over the fireplace.

A full-page ad from 1955 highlighting Meadowcrest.

But the rural nature of Fayette County was changing. The transportation industry, energized by the advances of technology, was chewing up and spitting out pastoral landscapes and neighborhoods across the country. In 1964, Ruth Madden Maxwell (one of her subsequent remarriages, and I hope a happy one) and her sons were awarded $40,000 for the damages caused by Interstate 75 splitting the farm in two.

Sadly, the foray of highways was just beginning. The “pleasant country” as the environs at Meadowcrest were described in a 1938 article was irrevocably changed. The coming decades would usher in more and larger roads, increased traffic, and the casual consumption and destruction of Bluegrass land. The very land that enriched the foals and horses that made Hamburg Place famous in the horse industry was suffocated by asphalt.

The sitting (living) room.
June 1938 image from the Lafayette Studios Collection at the University of Kentucky.

Meadowcrest stayed in the family until the end of the 20th century. The house was an icon for many – a movie was filmed there in the last decade. Rumors about the abandoned stately building circulated every so often. I admit I only listened with half of an ear – my taste runs to earlier forms of architecture, and this house never really interested me. And, without knowing the story behind its construction, I always thought it was a sad looking house.

I watched (with dread) the creep of pavement, shopping centers, vinyl clad houses and apartments all across Central Kentucky . Lots of money was being made, but at what cost?

A drawing by Robert McMeekin of the entrance gate.

My daughter asked me, as we drove by Meadowcrest yesterday, on our way home to our family farm and historic house (not palatial by any means), why the house had to be torn down. “The almighty dollar,” I replied, repeating a phrase my father used often to describe the loss of farmland and its development.

Rear and side views of Meadowcrest. June 1938 image from the Lafayette Studios Collection at the University of Kentucky.

There’s no silver lining in this story. A well-built, beautiful house will go the landfill. The farm will be paved over. The march of development will continue down Winchester Road, until it too is a route I hate to take. Rest in peace Meadowcrest. Both the beginning and the end of your story are not as they should be.

 

 

*A demolition permit has been filed with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government by the current owner. The property will be developed (I assume) when the house is razed. Building inspection records are available to the public online.

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Comments

  1. Kelly Scott Reed says:

    Fascinating, Janie-Rice.

    Many thanks (& for the copious illustrations).

    Kelly

  2. Patrick Thompson says:

    What a pointless waste. Sad.

  3. Patrick Thompson says:

    What a pointless waste.

  4. Sally says:

    I used to believe the Lexington urban-co government had improved the chances some of Fayette Co farmland would survive. Such stupidity.

    1. Kristin Clark says:

      I believe this is inside the Urban Services Boundry, which is the “line” for development.

      The Urban Service Boundry is up for debate this coming year, so if you have interest please contact your representative.

      1. Cheryl says:

        I think that ship has already sailed

      2. Hierl, Sue says:

        Bradford pkwy. is farther out & is in the urban services area.

    2. Susan Enlow says:

      Never have trust in government bureaucrats.

  5. Pat Rockas says:

    beautifully written — very moving!

    1. Kay says:

      Excellent read….. thanks for sharing g

  6. Jim Mckeighen says:

    Excellent!

  7. Bob Willcutt says:

    Very moving article with documentation and feeling.

  8. Sherry says:

    Great story! I could live there.

    1. Dinah says:

      Me too. How sad to destroy a beautifully good house.

    2. Rhonda Henson says:

      So could I. How could they demolish this beauty?

  9. PGoble says:

    Why? Do I have to re read to make myself even madder. Are they taking the lamps and large fireplace mantles. Before they demolish this historic beauty. I would rebirth it. Shame on anyone for being so wasteful.

    1. Rita pirter says:

      I agree I hat for history to be erased.

    2. Michele says:

      I’m really hoping they take out items that can be used again. I would just love to have a few pieces of slate from the roof. Such a tragedy to see this historic home demolished. Shame on the greedy builders.

    3. Buddy Rogers says:

      I wonder why is was never placed on the Historical Register?

      I also wonder if any consideration was given to restoring it for use as a community center for the residents of the intended residential subdivision?

    4. Chris Weldon says:

      I’m sure they will strip all the architectural salvage before knocking it down. The mantles and doors and wood work etc

    5. Hierl, Sue says:

      I totally agree with you. It could have been treated as a historical site & treated like Waveland. Tours etc.

    6. Clyons says:

      I had the same thought. There are companies out there that would take out anything reusable. The staircase is gorgeous. The fireplaces could be saved. I bet the brick could be reused as well. This makes me so sad.

  10. Erica says:

    Thank you for sharing the history of this home. My family and I have always wondered what the story behind it was. We will be sad to see it demolished.

  11. Joseph Esenbock Jr says:

    Where are the Madden’s now?

    1. Kim says:

      It’s historical value is less than its monetary value,not old enough to be on historical register,nothing of any note happened there,so why save it? I hear this all the time and yes it’s a shame,but it’s the way things are now,nobody gives a hoot about anything but money now.oh and FYI even if a house is on the register it can be torn down,see it every day

      1. Tom Richardson says:

        You are exactly right! One of the finest and most historic old homes in Lexington was recently demolished The McMurtry house at the corner of Virginia Ave and South Broadway. Hardly a word was said about it and nary a whimper from the Bluegrass Trust. I guess their top priority these days are fabulous parties at the property behind the Hunt Morgan house It’s sickening the waste of materials the likes of which do not exist for use in buildings today. If not for this website I don’t know that anything would have been said at all about that terrible loss for downtown Lexington. This place was pretty but it was more like a small hotel than a home. Still a shame for so much fine craftsmanship to be trashed to be replaced with something that’ll be lucky to survive 50 years.

  12. Sandy says:

    So sad. I was in hopes the house would be saved. I believe Greyson on 27 in Jessamine County has the original house as the clubhouse. They kept the house! Brings to mind the song that says “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”. And years after the development of this area it will be deserted and they will move further down the road taking more land. My heart is breaking.

    1. Deloris Stone says:

      I so feel you!

  13. Kelley Brooks Orme-Beverley says:

    Thank you for this story. So sad.

  14. David Waldner says:

    Great article but very sad to see what the future holds for this stately property.

  15. Sally Poe says:

    This house could be redone to make a orphanage or something of some use. Please don’t tear it down make some use of it. It’s to beautiful to be torn down.

    1. Lori says:

      Or renovated and made into a Veterans Home. There are so many military veterans that are struggling or homeless. What a shame the answer is tear it down. Very sad.

    2. Mary Bowen says:

      I totally agree with you Sally. I see so many large homes sitting empty here in Lex. I’m always saying this could be used as a homeless shelter or a children’s home. I don’t understand why they just let them set empty for so long then they decide to destroy them. They could give the house away and I’m sure it could be moved to other land. It’s to beautiful to just be torn down. What a Shame !!

      1. Hierl, Sue says:

        The owner is only interested in monetary gain not the future loss of farm land.

  16. Holly Pevley says:

    Looks like the building would fall as some kind of national registry house with the fame/training it brought to the horse capitol of the world. So very sad that it has to be destroyed, when it could be used for the community good in some way.

  17. Joyce Lyons says:

    It is so sad to see horse farm country being extinguished for the almighty dollar. Much of the history of Fayette County horse farms has disappeared. How can one say it is for progress when the legacy of families are destroyed? I remember Winchester Road with all the stately homes and beautiful fenced farms that has turned into a fleeting memory.
    Your story of your family’s legacy was beautifully written. The illustrations and paintings are spectacular. I hope that your story will live on for other generations.

    1. Janie-Rice Brother says:

      Thank you for reading, but it’s not my family. The family for whom the house was built suffered a series of tragedies.

      1. Laura Ruberg says:

        So, so sad. I would love to see this article in the Herald Leader.

      2. Boo Cakes says:

        Thank you for this article. I’ve lived in Lexington for a long time and never knew about this home. I agree with others that this home could be used to help people such as orphans or veterans or our elderly people.

        1. Frank S Webb says:

          Anyone signing petions or trying to get a stop order when is wrecking ball expected.

          1. Carol says:

            It has already begun. The garage was destroyed and they are starting on the house now. So very sad.

  18. JennyS says:

    Sad loss of beautiful architecture.

  19. Powell says:

    Another example of greed, ignorance and stupidity

  20. Kayleigh says:

    This is extremely disheartening. Makes me very sad, I hate to see every ounce of history destroyed.

  21. Michelle says:

    I wish we had a more European approach to restoring our beautiful old homes and buildings for future generations. America is all about the money.

  22. Karla Allison says:

    I too think you are so right. History being erased for the almighty dollar. This should be a museum, under the preservation of historical places; I can’t imagine it not qualifying. The Historical Society, where are these people? Tourism ?
    Such a loss… why isn’t someone who has some clout trying to save Meadowcrest?

  23. Jonette Brown says:

    Such a sad ending to such an amazing place.
    I don’t know who the current owners are but they are taking away some of the rich horse history in ky. I would hope they would reconsider demolishing and refubish it but that would ultimately take a lot of money and very little return. Just sad all the way around.

  24. JoAnna Hall says:

    I wish they would let people walk through the house before it was destroyed. I have always wanted to see this place 😥

    1. Karla Allison says:

      Responding to JoAnn Hall’s , I would love to see it as well. I’ve often wondered why the beautiful place was deserted. The article certainly was informative and disheartening.

  25. Vickie says:

    Can not see why they do leave and restore it back and work it into the new project for the area….

  26. Jenny Vinson says:

    So so sad😢😢 So right! The almighty dollar! Not like they’re pouring in money now from all the developmentof Hamburg! Take some of that money that’s been made off the development of Hamburg and bring this place back to it’s splendor!

  27. Leo says:

    Beautiful obituary for a wonderful piece of Kentucky history!

  28. Lori says:

    Instead of tearing it down, they could always use it for an event space. Similar to Bell House, they could place it into the care of the parks and Rec department and allow weddings and other events there.

  29. Karen Skidmore says:

    Please don’t do this. It’s a travesty to tear it down. There will never be another like it. Please save this beautiful piece of history!!!!

  30. Christin says:

    😢😢😢 This hurts my heart.

  31. Greg G. says:

    So very sad – such a beautiful and stately home with an interesting history. I’ve always been fascinated by it as I’ve driven by.

    I wish someone would save it and do something magnificent. Several have referenced the ‘almighty dollar’….and unfortunately, old homes like this, stately and beautiful, are in poor repair and require significant investment. While the emotional, sentimental parts of us want to ‘save’ it, once you see the price tag, the pragmatic and realistic part of you determines that it’s a losing venture.

    Alas, the fate of this beautiful place is to make money for someone, not lose it….

  32. Sharon Stafford says:

    I would hope they would preserve historical homes make it a tourist attraction or an event building so sad we have to demolish history and can’t keep the architectural alive that dated back in history.

  33. Sharon Stafford says:

    I would hope they would preserve historical homes make it a tourist attraction or an event building so sad we have to demolish history and can’t keep the architectural alive that dated back in history.

  34. D. says:

    Thanks for the history behind this home. I pass by it frequently in its solo state. I knew it was owned by the Maddens but didn’t know the depth of its history. What a wonderful story. It’s a shame instead of demolishing it that it couldn’t be incorporated in to whatever is to come in that area. I know the hospital being built will be close to its back doors – possibly a place for families to stay or something in that nature…But I’m just a passerby that will miss seeing it standing there in that open field. Thanks for sharing.

  35. Barbara Bowman says:

    I’ve always admired this beauty from a distance. What a shame it’s to be torn down. In hopes someone can save it.

  36. Barbara Rogers says:

    I wish they would get in touch with a salvage company such as Salvage Dawgs . They would go in and remove everything that’s worth removing and resale it. At least it would stay out of the landfill and could possibly live on

  37. Jacqueline says:

    So sad to hear of this. I remember my grandfather telling me of this mansion and always wanting ti see the inside of this beauty. Then I watched thr movie that was filmed there and I just knew I had to see it. So we drove up to the gate and I instantly fell in love with it and I too wish they’d let people do tours before just demolishing it.

  38. Joan MacDowell says:

    So sad, the beauty & history is being destroyed for what?…. More strip malls & parking lots which will also be torn down and abandoned when developers discover brick and mortar is giving way to online shopping. I am sure they’ll be subdivisions also in the plan and before you know it all it’s beauty and history will disappear.
    I agree, I don’t think I could drive down that road in the future without feeling sad.

  39. Mrs. Bluegrass-Babe says:

    What a loss of legacy for a family. Just like The SUMMIT that took the Fritz’s Family Farm. Lexington haals grown pretentious and losing its allure for me. Having been raised here, I can honestly say it has lost its homey feel. For what? Online shopping and work from home will leave all these office buildings and strip malls vacant

  40. Jody james says:

    They will build boring neighborhoods where all the houses look the same, sitting on top of each other, with trees all in a row. I hate those neighborhoods give me the original neighborhoods of Lexington where I don’t see my neighbor sitting on the “John” or hear them pass gas. Where are the people that gave some imagination when designing new neighborhoods. Oh yeah, I forgot. It’s all about the mighty dollar! Shame on you!

  41. R Berle Clay says:

    Thanks for a look at this house…always wondered what it looked like inside. My tangential association with the farm stems from swimming in the Polo Club pool in the 1950s…we were members. In the afternoons Mrs. Madden (or whatever her last name was then) was usually there….highball in hand. They put on nice suppers at the Polo Clubhouse, I remember each weekend. An early job I had with Tom Niles was cleaning out the pool when it was refilled.

    1. R Berle Clay says:

      I keep coming back to this house and, thanks again for featuring it, Janice. I have mixed feelings about what I call the “pleasure dome” houses of the ultra-rich scattered across the Bluegrass…the latest one is just a mile from my farm in Bourbon Co., larger than Meadowcrest…the owner went to prison for fraud…far as I am concerned his monstrosity should be torn down whatever its merits (?) as architecture. I gather this is early McMeekin? Too much is out of scale here, the portico is too small for the monstrous facade, why Greek Revival anyway? The interior shots show rooms that look like tunnels…he should at least have made the ceilings higher…the backside is a mess. Maybe he did not have much choice. The great house torn down at Elmendorf, to quote another example, was far better in proportion and detailing….but I don’t really even miss that one though the columns remain. McMeekin went on to produce very correct, archaeological examples of buildings, like Memorial Hall on Uk campus and several of his houses, though I can’t figure out what he was trying to do when he designed Keenland. Is there anything published on his work?

  42. Kayla says:

    Why do that to such a beautiful place? That is selfish as can be. Not just the house but the land as well. If it were me and going to do something so selfish, I’d at least have the house moved. Yes that is very possible. Expensive, but possible. Save some of this history…

  43. Mary says:

    Need 2 put a Bread and Breakfast
    In it…when the horse racing open people would love 2 stay in it.
    We syayed at a Bread and Breakfast place it was so nice and it was victory all through it and the rooms had names we stayed in a rose room

  44. Richard Turk says:

    Wasn’t Preston Madden part of this family?
    Did Preston and his wife Anita live in that house for a time?

    1. Charles stanfield says:

      That’s what I want to know what about Preston and Anita madden what about their house.

      1. Janie-Rice Brother says:

        This was a different branch of the family.

  45. Mary Hilen says:

    I appreciate you writing the story/history of beautiful Meadowcrest. I have driven past it many times and always thought it looked so lonely and sad. It made me very sad to hear it will be demolished. Why Couldn’t it be made into a Bed & Breakfast, or a venue for weddings for others to enjoy the beauty of this magnificent home.
    Again, so very sad for Lexington.

  46. Ann Duff says:

    No petitions? It would be a Beautiful venue for weddings and parties! When was this made public? I am not from Lexington, but this is so wrong, so sad.

  47. Gale M Wood says:

    Why demolish the building? Build around it and use it for tours for a price. Sell books about the history. Sell picture prints….. or could it become a golf course using the stately home as a club house or bed and breakfast, housing the employees for minimal rent. Throwing out some ideas to keep the place!

  48. rudolf b Clay says:

    Just out of curiosity, has anyone written anything on McMeekin’s work? This must be early McMeekin…and not one of the well- honed, archaeological designs that followed, like Memorial Hall and some of his houses. For me that sitting room seems devoid of charm…I think the ceilings should have been at least 2 feet higher. Perhaps it is the lack of furnishings. Again, thanks for posting these pictures.

  49. Suzanne Pick says:

    I too hate to see beautiful old houses torn down. It hurts my heart. Sad that it cannot be repurposed for something. I wonder who owns it now.

  50. Carol Holmes says:

    Don’t destroy this beautiful historical home!! To much of this happens and when it’s done and over regret is what happens. Don’t do it. History is important to hold on too. I wish I had the money to stop it!!

  51. Sue says:

    I swam in the pool there in the early 80’s. A man by the name of Max lived there, he invited us out. We knew him from the Brass A in Lex.

  52. Sherri says:

    It should be preserved like all other historical sites in Lexington. Most houses in downtown cannot even be painted a different color without Bluegrass Historical Society permission.

  53. Sybil says:

    This would be a great place for women that’s being abused and their children or women that does not have a home to go to Fayette County build a place for men but there’s not one for women

  54. T. McKinley says:

    Would have been a spectacular Bed and Breakfast. All that beautiful history will be forever gone.

  55. I’ve passed this house many times threw the years . Be a shame ta see it go it’s a part of Lexingtons history. Cant someone stop it from being demolished. Be sutch a waist in history. Just fix it dont miss it.

  56. Regina Martin says:

    Anita Madden could of prevented this beautiful historic house from being torn down. She could’ve put a stipulation when selling the land to developers that the house has to stay and it would of been protected it from demolition. This shows that she had no sentimental value to the land or house. The historical society should step in and try to save this house.

  57. Steven Smith says:

    The Developer is Cowgill Properties and is known for hotels, restaurant, etc. They duped the LFUCG into a Development Plan that showed the house would be preserved as part of a high-end planned retirement community. This is a classic case of bait-and-switch once the zoning is passed and bad traffic designs are approved by the Planning Commission against ALL of the Planners and Engineers that work at LFUCG. I attended the Planning Commission hearing and the LFUCG staff insisted that the submitted Development Plan was a bad design and were clearly frustrated when they were ignored. The Planning Commission voted against LFUCG staff recommendations and went with a poorly designed plan submitted by the Developer. When the Developer and Planning Commission do not listen to staff, Lexingtonians are left to suffer and impossible situations with traffic, stormwater, pollution and lack of good planning are left to LFUCG staff to get blamed for.

  58. Eileen F STARR says:

    Queen said it best, “Another one bites the dust.” Recycling, reuse? Ridiculous say the powers that be. Between natural disasters and man-made stupidity, another one will be lost to the bulldozer.

  59. J. Michaels says:

    Bummer. On the bright side, Lexingrut will be home to another Starbucks and a few more mattress stores on that site. Progress

  60. Julie houp says:

    Can’t this house be protected bc it’s historic ??? Such a shame that Mansion needs to be left alone ….. 🥺

  61. Carl Burgess says:

    Georgetown was able to save Ward Hall and develop a subdivision on the original property. Why was this not possible in this situation? Or was it not even considered because the developers could not maximize their profits? This feels almost criminal.

  62. Matt Finley says:

    I wholeheartedly agree with all the other posters.. It is a travesty to tear down such a distinguished home to make room for strip malls and parking lots. We lose part of our city’s soul each time we allow something like this to happen.

  63. Barbara Welch says:

    Winchester Rd. was such a beautiful road when Anita and Preston were living and lived out there. Their son Patrick Madden should be around and be aware of this. The Maddens Derby Parties were like no other. I hated when they sold off and started building Hamburg area. I hated seeing that happen. Now this. We are losing our history of our city in different ways more every day. So sad.

  64. Don B Pratt says:

    May I join any and all wanting to stop the destruction of this property.
    Damn shame, so I’ve already complained to the developer and wonder if his mother and aunt are still living (if they are who I think he is) to get their opinion.
    To development@cowgill.com
    I think I met your mom and aunt.
    Did they own the property where Spaulding’s Bakery is located?
    And to you,
    Do you think we honor our past with historic destruction?
    Are your mother and aunt, I think, supporting this?
    Don Pratt
    This potential destruction should have been protected by historic protection, locally and by national groups. Maybe groups that can support local action!

  65. Margaret says:

    I just finished reading all the comments and by the time I got to the end my chuckle was entrenched. Yes, it is a sin to tear down such a house. Of course, some kind of use could be found for it. I have never been to it but for one thing it looks to be too far from town for most purposes. Another problem: the various codes and rules involved to make it work for the general public. Another: the price of insurance once the public is allowed to enter. The final two that come to mind, and they are huge: restoration carpenters and workmen with skills suited to this place and the final one….piles of money to pay them.

    Some of these are why I sold my Kentucky farm. I am the last one in my family and we live four hours from it. We were worn out from the monthly trip down the Interstate on a weekend to see how it was holding up. We did it over 20 years. It is a simple frame farmhouse which took two years to restore. I suffered and also enjoyed every minute of it but the restoration carpenter who lived close by died and I knew that was the signal to turn loose. I hated to do it but we are not getting any younger. As it is now the house stands empty. The farmer who farmed for me was able to buy 2/3 of the farm and a developer from town got the other portion. It still is being farmed just like it was, house just empty. Very expensive to run and maintain. Road widening project coming to take some of the front yard. (I told this already…sorry). I don’t see myself driving past it anytime soon….it is too raw. I miss it but a huge weight has been lifted.

  66. Michael says:

    Lexington is losing what little character it has. Why would anyone want to visit here? UK Basketball and horse race gambling. Dead characteristics of a dead town.

  67. Michael says:

    Lexington is losing what little character it has. Why would anyone want to visit here? UK Basketball and horse race gambling. Dead characteristics of a dead town. I came from outside of Kentucky. People here don’t care for anything but their SUVs and liberal agenda.

  68. Enola says:

    What happen to the house that Edward lived in was?

    1. Janie-Rice Brother says:

      The original Hamburg Place house is located on the west side of Sir Barton Way off of US 60. It is still standing.

      1. Heather says:

        Is the original Hamburg home protected from destruction ?

        1. Janie-Rice Brother says:

          It is privately owned, and as such, the owners can do whatever they wish with the property.

  69. Chris Weldon says:

    Wish they could save it… with about 5 acres… they can develop the other 81 acres.. I thought a bed and breakfast, Bluegrass museum, retirement home… the inside must be in bad shape, maybe it can’t be saved structurly…

  70. Big picture bluegrass says:

    The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a number of financial incentives to help with restoring historic properties & the State has a historic property tax credit. P3? The Kentucky Heritage Council in Frankfort keeps a list of Craftsmen that specialize in historic work and plenty are available for several states around. Adaptive reuse is very rewarding personally and financially. This property would make a great clubhouse, wedding venue, gathering space, pool club, spa, etc. Shame on Baptist Health frankly for not being a better neighbor, not having an appropriate new build site design, the current construction blasting methods, failing to incorporate the existing landscape, keeping historic structures like this next door, lighting to come, building noise, etc. That’s the real issue here. Usurping.

  71. This is such a sadness in my heart, I live in Maysville, Kentucky but as my time has gone on I moved south and have often passed this place and always dreamed of owning something like that I never could have imagined what it would look like inside, just the fairy tale of it, I think that is a real shame to have something like this torn down. But no one care’s about history any more. Because if they did, this could be stopped. Such a sadness in my heart ❤️

  72. Debbie says:

    Fortunately the Historical Society seriously reviews applications for demo. I suspect the request to demolish this beauty will be denied. I appreciate your passion, Ms Brother, and I hope you will keep an eye on this application and report the outcome.

    1. Janie-Rice Brother says:

      Unfortunately, the demolition cannot be denied by the LFUCG Division of Historic Preservation.

  73. So sad says:

    Why can’t it be a museum of famous horses from Lexington and built shopping centers around it

  74. Ronda says:

    Thank you for this article!! My daughters and I came across this one by way of the Facebook group “Abandoned Kentucky” a few years ago, and I’ve tried desperately to find some info. I think I’d found everything you mention here, but I had NOT seen the photos!! Do you happen to know if there are more in that collection? If so, I may try to see if there’s a way to see them!

  75. Brad Waters says:

    Somebody high up the food chain needs to step in quickly to make a large offer for the house and maybe 10 acres. That combined with enough outrage and a heartfelt plan for the house’s future may be enough to keep this piece of history from disappearing. Time for someone to step up.

  76. Norene Ward says:

    Hope this doesn’t happen. Wish they would offer tours, there would be a charge of course. Many of us never get the chance to see a large mansion.

  77. Abby says:

    What became of Edward Madden? And of Ruth’s two sons? Why did they not seek to maximize the historic value of the property by selling to an investor who would at least incorporate the house into a profitable development beneficial to the community?

  78. Love Our Lexington says:

    It is such a shame that this historic property will be torn down for development. I definitely can see both sides as it is a tremendous amount of expense over many years. However, there should be some sort of higher initiative to keep it standing. The city of course wants more taxes, the owner wants more money and the developers, well same…. In the meantime this is destroying what makes Lexington, Kentucky our beautiful bluegrass landscape. I may in a minority of a Realtor wanting less development, but it is sad that the greed and politics of some developers getting what they want in stacking houses on top of each other and blacktop strip malls to ruin our beautiful green. Some of those developers (ie: Ball Homes, etc.) have over the top properties they could never envision postage stamp lots happening to their property. However, they keep their politics in check for zoning hierarchy and keep doiling out the money…. It is sad that the public does not see behind the scene….

  79. Lee says:

    Cowgill, what would Paris Pike look like with the development of Leestown Road, etc. ? Uphold the Madden family legacy and do something great here. Not just about $$

  80. Margaret says:

    I’m back, sorry. A short distance from the bucolic (barely) atmosphere of my former farm (and there could be mistakes in this) a big plot of land came on the market. In farm country yet busy road…hwy 31. It was to be developed into a neighborhood of homes. The people around made sure that did not happen, wanting to keep it as tillable land, so it has ended up as a park. What is wrong with that? Well…it is now covered up with baseball diamonds, buildings where people play basketball, parking lots, streams of cars turning in and out when tournaments take place and massive stadium lights that sometimes shine all night. My farmer lives one whole road back behind it and they shine into his house…several miles away. At my house my contractor left the door open one summer day when he went in and upstairs to do a check on the plumbing. He told us later he heard people talking and it unnerved him, thinking they had walked into the house behind him. He retraced his steps, working his way down the stairs toward the open door and saw no one. What was the source of the voices? The public address system at the park, calling the action at a softball game.

    And in the front yard you cannot think for the noise of semis driving by and they will get closer when the road gets an extra lane. There are so many things that impact the changes that take place these days. Those things I just mentioned you cannot prevent. You endure it or turn it over to somebody else. Up the road near town a farm twice our size sold because the family’s only child and family lived far away with no intention of being farmers. They were in medicine. The house might have been built probably in the ‘30’s but what is squeezed up against it now, after somebody tried to make an air b&b work and I think failed? A chain discount store. If my father were alive he would have said, “that’s progress.” They were probably offered much more for it to turn it into what it is now than almost anything else.

  81. patricia clark says:

    every time i see that horrid mall, which i try not to do, it makes me sad for the loss of, not only the home, but the land itself.

  82. Lisa Sarrett says:

    Janie-Rice Brother – Thank you for this article. I have been curious about this property for years. I drive by it every day and am always hopeful that someone will restore it. I’m sad to hear that won’t be the case. I watched the scary movie that was filmed there, just to have a peek inside. It would be great if an architectural salvage sale would be had before destruction. It sounds like many would be interested in maintaining a piece of this home.

  83. Ann Emmerson says:

    At least do architectural salvage on the home. You cannot find real wood doors, mantels and other items like chandeliers. You cannot find this kind of real craftsmanship anymore. Damn shame.

  84. Lisa Pettrey says:

    America will never hold the beauty of Europe because we destroy everything. Definitely a sad decision.

  85. Katie Wagner says:

    Such a shame. Could it not be turned into a grand hotel and save the building? We have become such a “throw away” society.

  86. Frank Webb says:

    Please someone stop this can it not be blocked someway can another buyer purchase it and stop it take him to court how about a stop order a protest outside the house anything to stop it.

  87. Anne Sparks says:

    Thanks for this article about the house I have wondered about the house’s history. Lexington should not allow such a beautiful piece of history to be torn down. They should be forced to build around it and leave it be enjoyed by everyone.

  88. W. Stevens says:

    I agree with others who stated that it is shameful to destroy all the old homes that have made the landscape of Kentucky so beautiful and intriguing . I and family members have traveled to a number of locations in Europe and are so in awe of the ancient buildings that have withstood centuries and here at home we tear down instead of preserving which makes it impossible to ever have that kind of history – as much as I would like to see this house preserved – judging by the way that other historic architecture has been demolished here , I think it is inevitable that it will be demolished

  89. CHARLES says:

    ANOTHER EMBARRASSEMENT SHOWING THE LAMENESS OFTHE BLUEGRASS TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE LEXINGTON URBAN CO. GOV. OUR BEAUTIFUL REGION FALLS AGAIN TO UNINTERRUPTED SPRAWAL

  90. Mary Schanen says:

    One only need to look at existing Cowgirl properties to see the future of this once scenic property. It will be full of apartments with zero atheistic characteristics. Planning and zoning really dropped the ball on this permit. I guess once again if you want to see beautiful architecture go to Europe.

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