One of the many delights of historic architecture is that a utilitarian use for a building does not mean that building must be devoid of character, charm, or style. Take, for instance, this striking front gable building, built around 1880 as storage for the James M. Thomas Lumber Company. Although modified over the years, there is no mistaking the appeal of the corbelled stair-step cornice, the cornice returns, arched attic vents, and the cast-iron storefront.
Imagine! A storage building that isn’t a soulless exercise in assembled materials!
Facade of the former lumber company storage building.
The building fronts on Main Street, and was diagonally across from the actual lumber yard. Thomas’ own house, a two-story brick building shown on the map below, was directly across from the new storage building. Sadly, that dwelling has long vanished from the landscape, and the former large parcel the Thomas House occupied is now filled with a former (and empty) Save A Lot grocery store, a car wash, and a surface parking lot.
Section of the 1886 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, showing the storage building (blue arrow).
There are four windows on the second story of the facade of the lumber storage building, and segmentally arched windows on the second story of the side (north) elevation. The upper story appears to now be residential, which is great. That side of the building also bears a ghost sign that I can’t quite make out – I think perhaps “gum” is one of the words?
Side (north) elevation of the Thomas storage building.
The signage dates from later 20th century commercial use of the building. I know that his lumber yard on the east side of Main Street was taken over by Bourbon Lumber Company in 1907, but the storage building became home to a grocery and sausage factory run by Boone and Grover Baldwin. While the storefront is still mainly intact, with cast-iron pilasters, large display windows and transoms, it doesn’t appear to be occupied.
From the June 1, 1907 edition of The Kentuckian Citizen,.
In the 1930s, the building was home to the Mountain Dew Coal Company, and (possibly) the R.L. Filer Service Garage. I don’t know any subsequent tenants of the building (though city directories would reveal that information).
From the December 18, 1936 edition of The Kentuckian Citizen.
James Mason Thomas was quite the mover and shaker in Bourbon County in the late 19th century. From his beginnings on a farm at Flat Rock, he moved to the Cane Ridge area upon his marriage in 1853 to Annie E. Rogers (who was my great-great grandmother’s aunt!). He then served in the Civil War for two years and then mustered out of the service, and journeyed to Canada. He returned to Paris a much wealthier man and opened his lumber yard and planing mill.
James Mason Thomas, perhaps 1870s? Image from the James M. Thomas Photographic Collection at the University of Kentucky., Box 1, item 1. https://exploreuk.uky.edu/fa/findingaid/?id=xt776h4cp361#fa-heading-descriptive-summary
Numerous business interests prompted him to promote the Kentucky Union Railroad, designed to reach into the rich coal and lumber lands of Eastern Kentucky. While that railroad failed, Thomas “amassed a fortune in the lumber business…he acquired many acres of fine timber in mining land in Eastern Kentucky.”* He also served as state senator for the 28th district from 1898-1902, which included Montgomery, Clark, and Bourbon Counties.**
From the March 23, 1870 issue of The Kentuckian Citizen
When Thomas died in 1905, his obituary stated that he “leaves a large estate as the result of his great industry.”* I am glad that this striking building remains standing as part of that legacy. From my brief newspaper search, I do believe there are other buildings around Bourbon County that Thomas may have financed or had built (he also apparently paid for the construction of some schools in Eastern Kentucky), but that’s a rabbit hole for another day.
*”Captain Thomas Dead.” The Kentuckian Citizen, June 17, 1905, page 2.
**His successor in that senate seat was my great-great grandfather, Caswell Prewitt, himself married to a Bourbon County native by the name of Anne Kenney.
Janie-Rice, I love the family history that you included!
The gable front building is rather decorative for a warehouse! All those architectural details seem unusual. Your documentation makes this article really interesting. Thanks!
Did you want a 1937 gas refrigerator? Not sure I would. So enjoy your posts!
Janice-Rice, my father, Henry L. Williams, ran his business, Williams Radio, TV Sales and Service from that building from the 1960’s-1980’s. The front was designated for appliance display with a repair shop and office near the back door which led to the large garage in the back. My dad had his repair trucks and fishing boat stored there. The rafters above the garage held boxes/crates. (My dad was robbed a couple of times with persons entering the garage unnoticed and hiding in the rafters until my dad locked the building for the evening. ) The building makes sense to me now knowing that it was a lumber store. The back garage, with its rafters, was once filled with lumber! The upstairs apartment had long since been abandoned and was quite rundown. But more importantly, at night one could hear footsteps from below walking across the floors. More than once my dad would head upstairs looking for an intruder—once I was with him. Perhaps a haunting? We had fun with that. Trust me I never went upstairs by myself. My dad was proud of his business and the building he bought after coming home from service in WWII. Thank you for a history I never knew. The building currently looks fabulous. ♥️
Thank you so much for sharing your memories of the building! Do you have any photographs of the building from that time period?