The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation

Demolition Alert! Despite its rich history, the charming c. 1901 Queen Anne cottage at 5679 Briar Hill Road in the Avon settlement will soon meet its demise.

In the nineteenth century, Avon was the domain of the Weathers family of farmers. But by the 1890s, entrepreneurs were flocking to the area. Merchant Nathan G. McDonald likely built the T-plan house under examination while operating his McDonald & Bro. general store nearby. In that capacity, he catered to the local agricultural community, vouching for the efficacy of a “Bourbon hog cholera remedy” in the Herald. Meanwhile, wife Clara participated in auxiliaries like the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.

Nathan’s transfer of the house to Clara in 1903 likely foretold financial trouble, as his estate was put into receivership five years later to satisfy a $1,400 debt. This turn of fortune prompted a move to the city. In 1912, the McDonalds were residing at 430 N. Broadway, while Nathan worked as a salesman at the Woolcott Brothers flour mill.

From 1901-1920, John D. Marshall of the rival Marshall & Morton merchandising firm bought up portions of the McDonald’s Avon estate. These purchases came with caveats, as Marshall was forbidden from constructing any commercial structure that might compete with the McDonalds’ interests. In 1921, he sold his aggregated 7.47 acres to J. G. and Nancy Cable, the family for whom the Cable Subdivision is named. The establishment of the Blue Grass Army Depot in 1941 gave a further fillip to the area’s development and likely led Cortland E. Gibson to develop the Avon Acres community in 1956.

In April 2024, PSI KY Real Estate LLC purchased 5679 Briar Hill Road, which retains many original features such its pointed window casings and decorative gable pediment. It also appears to be structurally stable. There is no public information on this LLC, and its plans for the property are unknown; the 1-acre parcel is still zoned for business. Understudied and underappreciated, Fayette County’s rural hamlets and crossroads communities are particularly vulnerable to the pressures of encroaching development.

Sources
Fayette County land records
1911, 1912 Lexington city directories
1910 Federal Census
“City and Vicinity,” Lexington Leader, May 28, 1895
“Notice of Dissolution, Lexington Leader, January 2, 1896
No title, Lexington Herald, October 9, 1906
“Lexington Firms,” Lexington Leader, March 1, 1908
“W. C. T. U. Concludes Annual Convention,” Lexington Herald, August 22, 1908
“Business Place for Rent,” Lexington Herald, August 13, 1917
Phase III: A study of Fayette County’s Small Rural Settlements: Policy Recommendations for Avon Rural Service Center Settlement (2006)

Save the date for September 4th and explore Hanover Towers with the Blue Grass Trust deTour! Celebrate 60 years of this mid-century marvel in Ashland Park. Built in 1964, Hanover Towers received a BGT plaque on its 50th anniversary in 2014. This historic 10-story building, now part of Lexington’s Ashland Park Historic District, has housed notable residents and continues to be a community landmark. Enjoy refreshments, various apartment layouts, and the charm of this unique residence, starting with a spectacular view from the roof. Don’t miss this event! 🏢🍸

📅 Date: Wednesday, September 4th

⏰ Time: 6PM

📍Where: Hanover Towers | 101 S Hanover Ave, Lexington, KY 40502

To usher in a steamy weekend, today’s Forgotten Friday feature examines Lexington’s
refreshing industries of yesteryear.

In the late nineteenth century, the greater Lexington area contained a few malt houses and
distribution centers for out-of-state suppliers such as Cincinnati-based Jung Brewing, which
constructed a facility on Luigart Court. Yet it lacked a brewery of its own. This changed in 1897,
when a group of Chicago entrepreneurs acquired a sizable plot of land at the intersection of
Rose Street and E. Main from the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad.

The Chicago firm of Fred W. Wolf & Co, which specialized in brewery construction, designed a
massive facility for the Lexington Brewing Company in the eclectic Rundbogenstil (round-arch)
style. Consisting of a million bricks with 25-inch walls for temperature control, it featured a 158-
foot domed tower and a striking entry consisting of a Syrian arch with dressed voussoirs and a
monumental keystone. In 1908, a bottling works section was added to the east of the primary
building. The brewery initially produced three types of beer: Blue Grass Export, Standard Lager,
and Extra Pale.

In 1919, the enactment of Prohibition dealt the Lexington Brewing Company a serious blow.
After experimenting with “near beer,” Director John Kloecker shuttered the operation; he then
organized the Dixie Ice Cream Company, which constructed a factory on the southeast corner of
the brewery parcel. In 1936, Dixie Realty and Products defaulted on its mortgages and forfeited
the property. It was then sold at auction to a John C. Bruckmann of Cincinnati, who attempted to
revive alcohol production on the site. To update the machinery, he applied for a $400,000 loan
from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in Washington D.C. but apparently was
unsuccessful.

After a stockholder accused Bruckmann of ineffective management, the new Lexington Brewing
Company was put into receivership. The Security Trust Company then intervened to protect
investors, which forced a sale of the brewery. It languished on the market and was eventually
demolished at some point between 1941 and 1950.

Addendum: Duhren-born Frederick W. Wolf led a most interesting life. Prior to immigrating to
America in 1867, he built a beet sugar processing factory in Russia and produced engines for
Italian warships. He thereafter introduced new refrigeration technologies to the United States,
gaining the right to manufacture Linde ice machines domestically. As a brewery architect, he
also opted for the Germanic Rundbogenstil style when designing the Minneapolis Brewing
Company Brew House (aka Grain Belt Brewery) that survives in that city. Incidentally, his son of
the same name invented the Dolmere, one of the first domestic refrigerators, in 1913.

Addendum: Duhren-born Frederick W. Wolf led a most interesting life. Prior to immigrating to America in 1867, he built a beet sugar processing factory in Russia and produced engines for Italian warships. He thereafter introduced new refrigeration technologies to the United States, gaining the right to manufacture Linde ice machines domestically. As a brewery architect, he also opted for the Germanic Rundbogenstil style when designing the Minneapolis Brewing Company Brew House (aka Grain Belt Brewery) that survives in that city. Incidentally, his son of the same name invented the Dolmere, one of the first domestic refrigerators, in 1913.

For seventy years, the Blue Grass Trust has thrived as a grassroots organization powered by a dedicated team of individuals. Your time, talent, and resources are essential in expanding our mission and preserving our community’s heritage.
Volunteering with us is simple. Complete the form on our website's Volunteer page https://www.bluegrasstrust.org/volunteer and share a bit about yourself, your interests, and your skills. We are looking for assistance with a variety of tasks including clerical work, event coordination, house and garden maintenance, and fundraising. Additionally, we invite you to participate in our long-running deTours program and contribute to our Preservation Matters magazine.
By joining our volunteer network, you’ll receive occasional emails about upcoming opportunities that match your preferences. Ready to make a difference and have fun while doing it? Fill out the volunteer form and start your journey with us today!

A new academic year is nearly upon us! Today’s Forgotten Friday feature therefore examines
the life and legacy of Professor John H. Neville, the father of Mary and Zelinda (whose property
at 517 S Upper we profiled on August 2).

Born in Christian County, Neville taught Greek and Latin at Eureka College in Illinois before
relocating to Harrodsburg and joining the faculty at Kentucky University. When this institution
amalgamated with Transylvania University, he moved to Lexington and remained at the school
until 1880. At that point, he began teaching at the new Agricultural and Mechanical College of
Kentucky (now the University of Kentucky) and was appointed vice-president in 1899. Neville
was reportedly a popular professor and his pedagogy, according to one colleague, was
“singularly free from the fads and vagaries of the so-called modern educational methods.” In
1901, the school reported a 200% increase in students studying the classics, which were
apparently more popular there “than at any similar college or university in the country.”

In 1918, the imposing New Dormitory was renamed Neville Hall in the professor’s honor.
Constructed in 1889, this was the fifth building to grace the University of Kentucky’s campus;
contractor William Farley supervised the $10,150 project, while everyone’s favorite mason – G.
D. Wilgus – oversaw the brick and stonework. It was converted into classrooms in 1919 and
thereafter housed the departments of hygiene and psychology.

In 1961, the building, which was suffering from deferred maintenance, caught alight after a fire
broke out in an unused elevator shaft. Although ten faculty members and seventy students
safely escaped, a great amount of their research was lost. The university tore down the
structurally compromised building shortly thereafter.

Sources
“Quick Work. Lexington Contractors Beat the Record for Speedy Building,” Lexington Leader,
November 5, 1889
“Classical Course,” Lexington Herald, June 9, 1901
“Professor John Henry Neville Dies Suddenly,” Lexington Herald, September 29, 1908
“Prof. John Henry Neville is to be Buried Tomorrow,” Lexington Herald, September 30, 1908
Mike Wenninger, “Neville Hall Destroyed by Fire,” Kentucky Kernel, January 10, 1961
Whitney Hale, Sesquicentennial Stories: UK’s ‘New’ Dorm,
https://mcl.as.uky.edu/sesquicentennial-stories-uks-new-dorm

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Threatened Properties Alert! You may have read in the Herald-Leader that Subtext, a St. Louis-based developer specializing in student housing, is seeking to acquire the entire block between Cedar, Pine, N Upper, and Lawrence that borders Historic South Hill. The company has allegedly been harassing property owners and their tenants to expedite these sales.

Amongst the targeted houses is 517 S. Upper, a gablefront brick residence with Italianate elements that has a fascinating history. Definitely constructed by 1890, it may date far earlier. In 1835, a dwelling on this site was purchased by Rolla (aka Rolley) Blue, a free African American blacksmith, land speculator, and trustee of the African Baptist Church, whose own house still stands at 346 S. Upper. After his death, it was sold to Daniel McCarty Payne, one of the leading lawyers in the city. Intriguingly, Payne granted a life tenancy to a formerly enslaved couple – cart driver Peter Francis and his wife, Patience – in 1848. They continued to reside there until at least the 1860s.

Once the property reverted to the Payne family, it eventually passed to Daniel’s granddaughters, Mary and Zelinda (Linda) Neville, who rented the house out until 1929. Their father, Professor J. H. Neville, taught Greek and Latin at Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky, where he was appointed vice-president. The girls themselves were educated at Bryn Mawr and, upon their graduation, offered private instruction at the family home at 722 W. Main (the current site of the Salvation Army).

At the turn of the century, Zelinda became involved in a host of civic causes. She was soon presiding over the Fayette Equal Rights Association and serving on the Board of Education. A trip to Appalachia in 1908 awakened her to the plight of children suffering from eye disease. She therefore set up the Mountain Fund to sponsor rural trachoma clinics, as these services were largely privatized; this outreach led her to establish the Kentucky Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Thereafter, Zelinda held positions on the Kentucky Crippled Children’s Commission and the State Board of Charities and Corrections.





Sources:
Fayette County land records
1867 Lexington city directory
“Preparatory School,” Daily Leader, June 22, 1898
“Social and Personal,” Lexington Leader, September 24, 1902
“$136,190.23 Asked for the Schools for 1911,” Lexington Herald, January 27, 1911
C. Frank Dunn, “Viewpoints,” Lexington Leader, November 28, 1940
Randolph Hollingsworth, “Linda Neville – lifetime of successful activism rooted in networking and lobbyist skills learned in Lexington, Kentucky,” H-Kentucky, 2017
African American Presence: A Tour of Houses Built and Owned by Free Blacks Before the Civil War

Join us on August 7th for a special deTour of the Historic Palmer Pharmacy, a significant Civil Rights site in Lexington’s East End, once owned by Dr. Zirl Palmer. Built in 1961, it was the first Black-owned Rexall franchise in the U.S. and was a vital community hub. Dr. Palmer, a prominent civic leader, was involved with numerous local organizations and served on the University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees. Despite opening a second pharmacy in the West End, a racially motivated bombing in 1968 led to its closure. The original Palmer Pharmacy remains the last standing structure built, owned, and managed by an African American pharmacist from that era.

Thanks to the support and advocacy of the Blue Grass Trust and our community partners, we ensured the building was preserved and today serves as a WayPoint for the United Way, continuing Dr. Palmer’s legacy of civic engagement. We hope to see you at this exciting new deTour!

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, August 7th

⏰ Time: 6PM

📍Location: The Marksbury Family WayPoint Center at the Historic Palmer Pharmacy | 400 E Fifth St, Lexington, KY 40508

Today’s double feature explores two buildings designed by renowned architect Cincinnatus Shryock: the exuberant Dowden House at 429 N. Broadway and his own residence at 439 W. Fourth.

Born to Mathias Shryock, a builder from Maryland, Cincinnatus was the younger brother of esteemed architect Gideon Shryock, a key promoter of the Greek Revival style in the region. Cincinnatus was best known for his public buildings in downtown Lexington, which included the Romanesque post office and the old opera house (burned 1886), as well as for his ecclesiastical projects like the First Presbyterian Church, the Centenary Church (Heritage Antiques), and St. Paul (as consulting architect).

While Shryock often opted for the Italianate style, he designed a towered Second Empire residence for Major William W. and Hulda Dowden that was built c. 1868-70. Sporting a mansard roof consisting of polychrome slate, it was embellished with quatrefoil windows, vermiculated hood moulds, and cresting. Elected county sheriff in 1866, Dowden had previously served with the Lexington Old Infantry-Calvary, which Cassius Clay commanded during the Mexican-American War. By 1870, he was also “keeping” bonded whiskey while it matured without incurring taxes.

Later owners included Hayden Kendall, the longtime director of Lexington’s Phoenix National Bank who travelled widely to improve his ailing health during the 1890s. In more recent times, musician Eugene Gribbin resided there and operated an antiques and framing shop out of the premises. In 1986, he sold the property to the LFUCG with some stipulations: he would retain an apartment rent-free, while the building – renamed Aquarian Hall – would be used exclusively for educational or cultural purposes. Eight years later after Gribbin’s death, the LFUCG sold the Dowden House to Judge Charles Tackett and Harriet Allen, who converted it into a law office.

As for 439 W. Fourth, Shryock purchased the land in 1884 from Hulda, who had since remarried. He designed and lived in this restrained Italianate house with his wife, Olivia, until his death in 1888. Transylvania University’s public safety department currently occupies this plaque property.

Addendum: Some family gossip…Prior to his relationship with Hulda, William Dowden was married to her older sister, Fannie, who died in 1864. The sisters were born Shryocks, albeit of a different branch; like Mathias, their father, John, had formerly lived in Maryland. And now for some trivia…The Lego-like dots beneath the cornice of the Shryock House are called guttae and are a textbook feature of Classical architecture.

Sources
Fayette County land records
1870 Federal census
Robert Peter, History of Fayette County, Kentucky (1882)
“Personal Mention,” Kentucky Leader, June 11, 1890
No title, Morning Herald, January 25, 1903
“Mr. Hayden Kendall Dies at Age of 88,” Lexington Herald, August 2, 1912
Jay Jay, “Four Bits,” Herald-Leader, March 3, 1940
Ell Bee, “Four Bits,” Lexington Leader, September 28, 1943
J. Winston Coleman, “Historic Kentucky,” Herald-Leader, January 30, 1949
“Readers’ Letters to the Herald Editor,” Lexington Herald, April 9, 1955
“Gideon Shryock Won Fame as Greek Revival Architect of Middle West,” Lexington Herald, January 15, 1956
Clay Lancaster, Vestiges of the Venerable City (1978)
LFUCG Resolution No. 149-86
M. Anne Browne, “Kentucky Historic Resources Form: Dowden House,” 1987
Valarie Honeycutt, “Man giving city house full of history,” Herald-Leader, April 17, 1986
“Drummer, composer Eugene Gribbin, 94, dies,” Herald-Leader, January 5, 1990
Tom Eblen, “A landmark saved, a treasure likely lost,” Herald-Leader, April 15, 2015

Emphasizing the dramatic transformation of downtown Lexington in the twentieth
century, today’s Forgotten Friday post examines the longtime home of Barney Miller’s
AV store at 232 E. Main.

In the early 1920s, J. S. Garrison’s Economical Vulcanizing Works occupied a small
storefront on this site. By 1929, that edifice had been replaced by a two-story Deco
building with a glazed terracotta façade and fanciful parapet topped with concrete urns.
This was the location of leading department store Montgomery Ward, which rented out
the space until 1938.

The following year, building owner Dr. Waller O. Bullock, a former president of the city
board of health, renovated it and created two primary-level commercial units. Barney
Miller’s, which originally sold automotive accessories at 224 E. Main (the current
entrance to The Bar Complex), relocated to the 232 E. Main section; by this time, the
18-year-old firm had ventured into the radio market. Bullock also leased out the second
floor to Howard Ogilvie, who thereafter operated the eight-lane Congress Bowling Alleys
out of this space. In 1950, Barney Miller’s received a new “modernistic glass storefront”
that surely attracted passersby to the cutting-edge technologies within. The company
eventually bought the entirety of 232 E. Main in 1973.

As for Montgomery Ward, it relocated to a purpose-built, Colonial Revival store at the
southwest corner of W. Main and Mill in 1938. This building, which lay on the
approximate site of Lexington’s 1779 blockhouse, was demolished in 1981 for the Webb
Companies’ concrete-slab Vine Center tower. Fascinatingly, that excavation unearthed
log water mains that likely dated to the early nineteenth century.

Do you have memories of bowling or shopping at these premises? If so, share them in
the comments!

Sources
“Here We Are Again,” Lexington Leader, September 28, 1922
“Montgomery Ward Store to Reopen in New Building,” Lexington Herald, October 18,
1938
“Bowling Hall Taking Shape,” Lexington Leader, August 2, 1939
“Barney Miller and Glenn Firms Will Occupy New Locations,” Herald-Leader, July 30,
1939
“Barney Miller Remodels Store, Adds Modernistic Glass Front,” Lexington Leader,
September 30, 1950
Gail Green, “Bowling: the passing years have taken it out of the gutter,” Lexington
Leader, January 15, 1981
“Modern Earth-Moving Equipment Uncovers Part of Lexington’s Past,” Lexington
Herald, April 14, 1981
University of Kentucky Special Collections: Asa C. Chinn Downtown Lexington,
Kentucky Photographic Collection, 1920-1921

Downtown Georgetown boasts numerous notable buildings, but the plaque property at 531 E. Main Street is a particularly eye-catching specimen!

The original, west portion of this house was constructed for saddle-maker William Henry Moody around 1846-1848. Period Greek Revival details from this era likely include the window crowns with dentil mouldings that are echoed in the entry door surround. Moody reportedly struggled to maintain possession of the house and was finally forced to sell it after a disastrous fire decimated his nearby store in 1876.

In 1881, the property was purchased by Abner H. Sinclair, a Confederate veteran who had served in Col. W. C. P. Breckinridge’s calvary unit. Having worked in the state government’s public accounts division during the 1870s, he later established the Deposit Bank and Trust Company and remained its cashier until his retirement. Meanwhile, Sinclair’s wife apparently operated a school on the second floor of their house that relatives of later residents recalled attending.

Upon acquiring the Moody House, Sinclair added a two-bay east section. Italianate embellishments such as the cornice brackets, central double window, and hood moulds on the west elevation also date to this renovation. Because of these changes, the building’s façade is not exactly symmetrical. Italianate embellishments such as the cornice brackets, central double window, and hood moulds on the west elevation date to this renovation.

Despite his Democratic leanings, Sinclair triumphed in Georgetown’s 1902 mayoral race on the Republican ticket. Shortly after this victory, he sold the house to farmer George Ware, whose descendants continued to inhabit it until at least the 1980s.

Sources
1870 Federal Census
“Directory: Principal Officers of the State,” Tri-Weekly Kentucky Yeoman, August 7, 1873
“Colonel Abner H. Sinclair Answers Final Roll Call,” Lexington Herald, March 26, 1908
Ann Bolton Bevins, A History of Scott County as Told by Selected Buildings (1981)

Here at the Blue Grass Trust, we are always keen to spread word of our preservation efforts beyond the borders of Kentucky.

Dr. Zak Leonard, our historic preservation manager, recently returned to Ithaca, New York to deliver a presentation at Cornell University’s Historic Preservation Planning Alumni Symposium. His talk, entitled “Evolving Nonprofits: Reconsidering Historic Property Ownership in 2024,” provided an in-depth account of our Hopemont rehabilitation, explaining design decisions and addressing the challenges that the project posed. Dr. Leonard also spoke to our ongoing efforts to identify a new steward for Latrobe’s Pope Villa who has the capacity to carry out a full interior rehabilitation.

Event attendees were certainly intrigued by these transformational campaigns and suggested that our approach to historic property ownership might furnish a model for similar organizations. They were also eager to read the latest edition of our Preservation Matters magazine, which Dr. Leonard provided.

The conference itself offered a rich array of presentations on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s new policy statements, the history of a 1970s gay commune in Upstate New York, and conservation issues at the Lahore Museum in Pakistan, as well as a panel discussion with ‘2003 program graduates who are working in regulatory agencies at the state and federal levels.


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This BGT plaque property at 356 Corral Street in Lexington’s East End has a rich history associated with the Reconstruction era – and is currently for sale!

Around 1870, Harrison Hibler built this three-bay, one-room-deep “I house” on land purchased from farmer Winn Gunn, who had subdivided his expansive holdings to create the largely African-American enclave of Gunntown. The name Gunn may be familiar, as we examined the history of his own house at 340 E. Third in our February 13 post. Listed in the city directory as a field laborer, Hibler was formerly enslaved by Elizabeth Clay of Bourbon County; in 1864, he enlisted with the 123rd U.S. Colored Infantry at Camp Nelson. After Harrison lost possession of the house in 1875, Gunn obtained it at public auction and resold it to carpenter Peter Hibler.

In 1882, Georgiana Dandridge bought the property from wealthy banker E. D. Sayre, who was likely renting it out. She died in 1922 and was buried in African Cemetery No. 2; her daughter, Sydney Samuels, inherited it and added the front porch in 1924. Later residents of the house included the Young family, who owned it for two generations until 2019, when former BGT president and esteemed volunteer Bill Johnston acquired it and began an intensive rehabilitation.

This project required dismantling the rotted-out rear extension and creating a new framed section that harmonizes with the massing of the original house and does not compromise its integrity. Period features like fireplace mantles, trim, and wood flooring have been sensitively retained. Talk about a preservation success story!

Sources
Fayette County land records
1867, 1877 city directories
1870,1880 Federal censuses
“Building Permits,” Lexington Herald, June 3, 1924

🎉 We did it! Thanks to your incredible generosity and support, we've met our Annual Fund Matching Grant! Your contributions have doubled in impact, enabling us to continue preserving the historic treasures of Central Kentucky.

From all of us at the Blue Grass Trust, THANK YOU for helping us protect our shared heritage. Let's keep the momentum going as we work together to celebrate and safeguard our community's history.

Mark your calendars for July 3rd as we take a special deTour of Bluegrass Distillers at Elkwood Farm in Midway, Kentucky! Originally built in the mid-1830s, this historic farm has been transformed into a distillery and visitors center, offering a unique grain-to-glass experience utilizing the surrounding farmland. During our July deTour, we’ll explore the beautiful historic grounds and enjoy a bonus bourbon tasting. 🥃 Don’t miss out on this exclusive sneak peek!

📅 Date: Wednesday, July 3rd
⏰ Time: 6PM
📍Where: Bluegrass Distillers at Elkwood Farm

The third and final post in our series on architect N. Warfield Gratz highlights two striking and
rather dissimilar projects: The Windermere apartments at 215 Ridgeway Road and the Milward
Funeral Directors building at 159 N. Broadway.

Completed in 1937 for client John C. Parres, the Art Deco Windermere was a departure from
Gratz’s Colonial Revival norm. Brick belt courses accentuate its horizontality; in a possible nod
to regional Italianate architecture, Gratz also included metal grilles and corbelling at the attic
level. Upon completion, The Windermere was advertised as “the most comfortable and
desirable residence in Central Kentucky.” Despite the addition of a contemporary porch, it still
stands proudly as one of the city’s few Deco gems.

Lexington’s oldest continually operating business, Milward Funeral Directors traces its origins to
1825. That year, Baltimore-born Joseph Milward, who had worked as an apprentice for cabinet-
maker and jailor Thomas Megowan, established his own furniture warehouse. In 1887, son
Colonel William Rice Milward placed the funeral-directing wing of this enterprise on an
independent footing. It was based at various locations downtown until 1905, when Milward
erected a purpose-built, Beaux-Arts facility on the site of a N. Broadway livery stable. This
property bordered a Second Empire house belonging to William’s son, Stanley; that residence
was later incorporated as a “drawing room chapel,” and its north elevation is still visible today. In
1942, Gratz was commissioned to create the 105-foot-long Colonial Revival façade that
integrates the two buildings.

Incidentally, Warfield Gratz’s son of the same name also trained as an architect. In 1950, he
relocated to Miami to join the firm of T. Hunter Henderson, one of the premier advocates of
Deco design in that city.

Join us next Tuesday when we explore a recently renovated, c. 1870 BGT plaque property in
the East End…that is also for sale!

Sources
1880 Federal Census
“Windermere Apartment Completed,” Lexington Leader, June 20, 1937
“Warfield Gratz Jr. Joins Architect Firm,” Lexington Herald, October 1, 1950
Lexington Legacies (1975)
Bettye Lee Mastin, “City’s oldest firm has grown and grown,” Herald-Leader, August 2, 2000


Revival