Preservation SOS: Save Our Structures!

For 2009, the Trust has revisited our past lists to praise the efforts made to save properties and bring attention to those structures that remain in danger. In order to keep these threatened properties at the forefront all year long, we will maintain a running list of endangered properties on our website with regular updates. Each year, we will announce eleven properties that are in their eleventh hour and need our help immediately.  Download the 2009 list here.

The criterion used for selecting the properties includes historic significance, proximity to proposed or current development, lack of protection from demolition, condition of structure, or architectural significance. Those properties on the running list may be stabilized but not yet saved while those on the Eleventh Hour list are in threat of demolition or deterioration.

The Blue Grass Trust must work together as an organization to save these sites. Future generations of the Bluegrass are losing their heritage, one building at a time. It is our responsibility to preserve the past so that those who came before us will be remembered by those who will come after us.

Eleven in Their Eleventh Hour

• Molly Graves Farmstead, Scott County. For over one hundred years, the Molly Graves Farm was the largest- 4,561 acres- and the most valuable in all of Scott County. Today, as a result of sprawling development, this farm is a ghost of what it once was. The two farmhouses that remain are deteriorated and will soon be beyond repair.
• Cadentown Lodge, Lexington. Founded in 1867 and populated by former slaves and their descendants, Cadentown is representative of the twenty-five rural hamlets established in Fayette County after the Civil War. The Cadentown Lodge, or Town Hall, was the gathering place for community events, meetings, and rallies. Poor drainage at this site threatens to further deteriorate the structure.
• Willis Green House, Danville. The Willis Green House, known as Waveland, was built circa 1800 by Willis Green, a prominent early Kentucky settler. Waveland was the home of the Green family for over 130 years. The house is one of the few surviving Kentucky Georgian mansions but has fallen into disrepair. Without immediate maintenance, the building may be lost.
• Penn’s Store, Gravel Switch. Penn’s Store, owned by the Penn family since 1850, bears the unique distinction of being America’s oldest country store in continuous ownership and operation by the same family. Though still in limited operation, the store needs a complete restoration in order to be preserved for future generations.
• Lawrenceburg Hotel, Lawrenceburg. The Lawrenceburg Hotel was built in 1908. Situated near the Norfolk Southern Railroad crossing, the Opera House, and the Louisville Southern Depot, the Hotel was in a prime location for welcoming travelers throughout the first half of the 20th century. Unfortunately, over the years the commercial hub of the city moved from this location and the building has been converted into small shops and storage. While much of the building has been altered over the years, many original features remain intact.
• Shryock House, Lexington. The Frederick Shryock House, built in 1804, is an outstanding example of the skill and craftsmanship exhibited in stone construction. Frederick was the uncle of architect Gideon Shryock and this house exhibits the quality of construction appropriate for such a renowned family. Abandoned for many years, the building is now in disrepair and partially collapsed.
• Stephenson Homestead, Lincoln County. The Stephenson House dates to the earliest days of Kentucky’s founding and is believed to have been built by William Whitley around 1790. The Stephenson House was occupied for more than 150 years by generations of the Stephenson family, a family very influential in establishing the court system and roads in the area, and descendents of the original settler David Stephenson. Now owned by the Commonwealth, the house has been neglected for many years and deterioration and overgrowth threaten to destroy the structure.
• Mooreland House, Harrodsburg. This turn of the 20th century Romanesque mansion is exquisitely detailed and in fair condition. The property has been on the market for months but due to the high value of the buildings and 42 acres, it has yet to sell. Unlike most of our endangered properties, this house is not deteriorated and needs only minor repairs, comparatively. However, if a buyer is found that is not sensitive to the historic nature of the property, its integrity could be compromised by remodeling or even demolition if the acreage were to be developed.
• Joseph Fields Burgess House, Sadieville. In a rural location, this large house retains many original outbuildings including a stone kitchen and buggy house. Though many of the quaint details remain, much of the historic fabric is deteriorating and the stone kitchen is collapsing.
• Robert Sanders House, Scott County. Built in 1797, this exquisite Georgian house is considered the first brick house built in Scott County and may be the best one of its period in all of Central Kentucky. It was the home of Robert Sanders, an important early thoroughbred breeder, who was also the owner of Scott County’s first racetrack and the operator of a tavern. With its interior features mostly present and its exterior view shed much as it was in 1797, this property has the potential for full restoration.
• 412 West Third Street, Lexington. With its eclectic mixture of features, this house contributes to the historic streetscape of Third Street in downtown Lexington. On the market but neglected for many years, the property has been established as unfit for human habitation. Needing electric, plumbing, and bathroom and kitchen facilities, this house is in need of serious updates but is otherwise structurally sound.