Every historic building has a story to tell
There are degrees of rural in Kentucky. My own experience, though it felt isolated at times (growing up on a farm does curb one’s teenage exploits), barely fulfills the definition as I see it in other areas of the Commonwealth. Despite the marked nuances of what rural means, certain themes defined the rural Kentucky lifestyle (read more)
A house is much more than just shelter. Historically, homes have functioned as symbols of expression, wealth, and power – for those who could afford such brick and mortar displays – and a house on a corner lot in town commanded maximum exposure. And in the frenzy of the late-19th century, when styles and materials (read more)
I’ve often found myself hiking along creeks for several miles to reach a historic house site, far removed from the current road network. Invariably, these hikes have been at the height of summer, with all the joy that entails in Kentucky’s humidity… My temporary discomfort, however, forces me to consider historic transportation routes, and how (read more)
Old photographs for sale in antique or second-hand stores always give me pause. I wonder about the unknown names associated with those forgotten faces, and also – who buys these photographs? Someone in search of insta-ancestor? Historic photographs not only provide a glimpse into the past at faces familiar and dear (and sometimes comical), but (read more)
The month of January found me suspended in a maelstrom of deadlines. The joy I typically find in my profession disintegrated into a frenzy of writing, severe brain strain, and a complete lack of appreciation for the fascinating buildings that were my subject. Then, one email broke through the fog of my stress, and everything (read more)
Change, I think, is one of the most difficult things to accept in life, yet it is a constant force (just like death and taxes). Change moves and works on the landscape around us like the tide, ceaselessly lapping and ever so slightly shifting, until one day – everything is completely different. In March 2015, (read more)
Categories: Architecture, Bluegrass, Historic Preservation, Kentucky, Kentucky architecture, Lexington, Lexington neighborhoods
Tags: American Foursquare, black rot, burley tobacco, demolition, Dr. Valleau, Man of the Year in Kentucky Agriculture, planning and development, plant pathology, Rodes Addition, South Limestone, University of Kentucky, William Dorney Valleau
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
One of the things I love most about England is the sense of timelessness you get when hiking somewhere like the Lake District. The landscape seems so permanent and stable, subject only to grazing sheep and the forces of nature. I feel the opposite in the tiny world that forms most of my Monday through (read more)
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)
Although 2015 will be a year where I’ve stayed firmly planted on this side of the Atlantic (barring any last-minute winning lottery tickets that come into my possession), I can’t seem to stop yammering on about the architecture of England and Kentucky. On Sunday, November 15, 2015, at 2 p.m. in the University of Louisville’s (read more)
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