ADVOCACY
The Blue Grass Trust serves as the region’s leading advocacy organization for all preservation-related matters. Since the time of our formation, the Blue Grass Trust has endeavored to create public awareness of the benefits of historic preservation and we continue to provide education, support, and advocacy for the preservation of historic places in Central Kentucky.
Through our programs, events, and outreach efforts, we strive to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the region's cultural heritage and legacy for future generations. We are dedicated to advocating for policies, programs, and initiatives that protect and promote historic sites, buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes that are significant to our region's history and cultural heritage.
Preservation Awards
For over 30 years, the Preservation Awards have highlighted the positive, far-reaching impact that preservation plays in Central Kentucky.
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Barbara Hulette Award: For efforts in the preservation of Central Kentucky’s history, heritage, built environment, landscape, archaeological resources, sense of community, or significant endeavors.
Clay Lancaster Heritage Education Award: Given to an individual or group for service in researching and disseminating information about the Central Kentucky region.
Clyde Reynolds Carpenter Adaptive Reuse Award: Given to an individual or group for outstanding efforts towards the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of a building or buildings within Central Kentucky.
Community Preservation Award: Given to a non-governmental organization or individual for service to the preservation movement or to a specific project.
Dot Crutcher Award: Given to an exemplary member of the Blue Grass Trust.
Landscape Preservation Award: Given to an individual or group for the preservation, design, stewardship, restoration, or enhancement of a historic cultural landscape in the Bluegrass.
Lifetime Service to Preservation Award: Given to an individual for lifetime service to the preservation movement in Central Kentucky.
Lucy Graves Advocacy Award: Given to an individual or group that has exhibited advocacy leadership in supporting the historic preservation movement in Central Kentucky.
Lucy Shropshire Crump Volunteer Award: Given to an individual or group that has provided exemplary service to the Blue Grass Trust throughout the year.
Preservation Craftsman Award: Given to a building industry craftsman who has exhibited a strong commitment to quality craftsmanship for historic buildings.
Public Service to Preservation Award: Given to a government agency or official for service to preservation movement or to a specific project.
Yvonne Giles Award: Given to an individual, group or project for contributing to research on African American or other culturally inclusive history, advocacy of the understanding of that history, and education of the community regarding African American or other culturally inclusive history in the Bluegrass.
Supporting Sensible Development on E. Maxwell Street and Stone Avenue
All too often, developers are demolishing entire city blocks for large-scale, nondescript apartment complexes that are out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood. In so doing, they radically reshape Lexington's historic urban fabric and sacrifice properties that, with some architectural creativity, could be incorporated into the site plan.
A recent proposal calls for the demolition of at least 12 historic buildings dating from the 1880s to the 1920s. These are located in the Southeast Lexington Residential and Commercial District, which is listed on the National Register. They are thus eligible for state and federal historic tax credits for rehabilitation. Threatened properties include 201, 207, 209, 211, 215, 221, 225, 227, 231, and 235 E. Maxwell St., as well as 245, 247-49, and 251 Stone Ave.
How can you help prevent the irrevocable loss of these historic resources?
Sign our online petition.
Update: Thank you all for your continued support as we oppose the rezoning of E. Maxwell and Stone Avenue to prevent the destruction of 13 historic properties. The Urban County Council received over 200 pages of emails prior to its January meeting; the vast majority of this correspondence was critical of the rezoning. However, following the lead of the councilmember for District 3 – where this project is located – the majority of the Council voted to approve the rezoning without holding a public hearing. Shortly after that decision, the Blue Grass Trust attempted to negotiate with Stavroff Development to at least save the buildings that were not targeted for demolition in their initial site plan. Unfortunately, our overtures were rejected out of hand.
On February 21, the Blue Grass Trust filed an appeal with the Circuit Court to review the rezoning. We are asserting that this arbitrary and capricious action was ultimately in violation of the comprehensive plans. We also believe that the conduct of the Planning Department staff and the Council’s refusal to hold a hearing on the matter constituted a violation of our due process rights. Although we would have liked to avoid litigation, the actions of the Council and the developer did not leave us with any alternative remedies.
For further information on this redevelopment and our opposition to it, please visit the new blog section of this website and read the two op-eds written by our historic preservation manager, Dr. Zak Leonard.
Learn More About Our Direct Services
Preserving Palmer Pharmacy
Some stories are so central to a community’s self-identity that losing them would be a disservice to current and future generations. Such is the case with the life of Dr. Zirl A. Palmer, who was just the third African-American pharmacist to practice in Lexington and the first African American to serve on the University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees.
Dr. Palmer’s achievements, service, and triumphs over adversity are still largely unknown, but one of the last tangible reminders of his impact in the community — his former drug store at 400 E. Fifth Street — will now serve as an enduring testament to his legacy.
In October 2016, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government acquired Palmer Pharmacy from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, which used the building from 2000-2016 for its Catholic Action Center. Viewing the property as blighted and a liability, LFUCG issued a formal Request for Information in September 2017 but did not receive any proposals from prospective buyers. It therefore intended to demolish the building at a cost of $100,000.
However, many in the community, including the Blue Grass Trust, still believed the pharmacy could be saved. In December 2017, we organized the Palmer Pharmacy Consortium to explore the possibility of a rehabilitation by collaboratively identifying funding sources, persons or entities in need of such a space, and potential uses that would benefit the immediate neighborhood.
To finance this rehabilitation, the Blue Grass Trust secured a $50,000 matching grant from the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. While the LFUCG allocated around $300,000 for further stabilization, the Marksbury Family Foundation provided an additional $1,100,000 that catalyzed the building’s transformation into a United Way of the Bluegrass WayPoint Center. This facility, which Governor Andy Beshear and Mayor Linda Gorton opened to great fanfare on May 13, 2024, will offer health services, job placement assistance, and financial literacy education for residents of the historic East End neighborhood.
