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If you enjoy Christmas shopping along one of Kentucky’s charming Main Streets, driving through our historic neighborhoods to view Holiday lights, and visiting our historic landmarks to celebrate the Season, then you know why historic preservation is valuable. Historic buildings, landscapes and sites contribute to our quality of life, vibrant communities and sense of place. They are our greatest amenities!

Historic preservation gives us great places in which to live, work and play. Historic places connect us to what’s important to us and define our heritage. They attract visitors from all over the world and appeal to those who enjoy an authentic experience, unique aesthetics and quality craftmanship. Repurposed properties also conserve building materials and are environmentally responsible, which appeal to a wide audience.

Historic preservation is smart growth and an important source of income. It is an effective, proven tool for a wide range of goals, including small business incubation, entrepreneurship, affordable housing, senior housing, sustainable development, neighborhood stabilization, jobs, heritage tourism and cultural arts. Historic areas attract investment, businesses, companies, tourists, residents and diverse demographics.

Historic preservation is tangible value, and we have the numbers to prove it. One of the differentials that sets Kentucky apart from other places is our historic sites. They are the tangible diversity, identity, character, individuality and authenticity that distinguish us. They represent investment dollars, tax revenues, jobs, community redevelopment, public-private partnerships, neighborhoods, downtowns, landscapes and landmarks – what we call Kentucky Preservation Proud.

As someone who appreciates our historic architecture, unique landmarks and special history, we hope you’ll help us keep yourKentucky. Our heritage and economy rely on it, but we need your support to do it: Our work is needed now more than ever before to advocate for historic preservation on the local, regional and state level, protect legislation that fosters preservation investment, and provide communities with the tools they need to preserve historic properties.

With continued support from people who believe in protecting our historic value, we can accomplish a great deal together!

Why Historic Preservation is Smart Business

Historic Preservation is a Proven Economic Driver and Critical Tool for Downtown and Neighborhood Revitalization

Preservation Kentucky led the charge in 2005 to establish a state historic preservation tax credit to incentivize the rehabilitation of historic commercial and residential buildings in all 120 counties. This credit has been responsible for saving hundreds of historic buildings, placing them into service and back on the tax rolls, and leveraging millions in private revitalization spending.

Since the Kentucky historic tax credit was signed into law:

738 buildings across the state have been rehabilitated
$433 million of private funds have been invested in historic buildings, leveraged through $33.2 million in credits
$1.2 million per commercial project has been invested, and $120,097 per residential project has been invested

Kentucky has the fourth highest number of National Register listings with more than 3,200 districts, sites and structures encompassing more than 42,000 historic features – a success managed by our state partner, the Kentucky Heritage Council, along with the Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory of more than 100,000 sites.

The economic and community impact of Kentucky’s Main Street Program has been effective, especially in rural and small towns. In 2016, Main Street communities contributed $100 million to our economy with more than $75 million in private investment, matched by $30.9 million in improvements. In 2016, they reported 1,452 new jobs, 234 new businesses, 81 new downtown housing unites, 198 building rehabilitation projects, and $51,433,241 in rehabilitation investment.

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit

Equally important is the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program. In Kentucky, between 2001-2016, the federal HTC:

facilitated 345 projects
generated more than $500 million in Kentucky development
created 9,583 jobs
generated $112,187,000 in taxes – $11,811,500 local; $15,982,100 state; and, $84,483,300 federal

Placemaking Kentucky: This Place Matters

by Betsy Hatfield, Executive Director, Preservation Kentucky

Placemaking – the management of our spaces, our inspirations and the assets that make our communities special and contribute to our health, happiness and well-being.

Kentucky’s historic architecture is as rich in diversity, style, form and function as the topography that has helped shape it. From the Appalachian Mountains, hilly Pennyroyal and Cumberland Plateau, to the Western Coal Fields, Jackson Purchase and the Bluegrass – the natural beauty of our mountains, meadows, forests, woodlands, waterways and geological formations have provided the setting for some of the country’s most beautiful, interesting and historic places.

Our communities are equally as diverse and tell our varied stories. River cities, coal mining camps, farmsteads, rural towns, hamlets, railroad villages, Main Streets, courthouse squares, urban neighborhoods and metropolitan downtowns – all with their own personality and sense of place.

Practically every style of American architecture is represented in Kentucky’s built environment: Federal farmhouses, shotgun houses, Georgian and Greek Revival mansions, log cabins, stucco bungalows, cast iron and brick Victorian warehouses, colonial cottages, classical stone buildings – all visible reminders of what distinguishes us, shapes our history, influences our qualify of life and inspires our collective, community spaces.

How we protect our historic buildings, prehistoric places and landscapes is placemaking.

The National Trust’s This Place Matters campaign, created in 2008 as a way for people to shine a spotlight on the historic places that play a role in their lives, is especially meaningful as we’ve recorded more than 50 years of preservation progress since the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the milestone legislation that officially galvanized our country into action with national placemaking to legally, consciously and collectively preserve our historic places.

It’s also been more than 50 years since the formation of our state partner, the Kentucky Heritage Council, the government agency that has been statewide placemaking, assisting individuals, communities and local governments in making historic preservation an important component of comprehensive community planning.

Daniel Boone said ” Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place.” Jesse Stuart called Kentucky the heart of America. We call Kentucky home. All who live, work and visit here experience the treasures, the assets, the places we value, and the places that define us. Places that need protecting.

Placemaking Kentucky.

Learn more about the places and issues that matter to Kentucky on our YouTube channel and in these recently recorded webinars

Why We Preserve: Demystifying Historic Preservation, with Daniel Vivian, PhD, Public History Professor, University of Louisville

VIEW WEBINAR HERE

View Handouts Here

Why Preservation is Important for Economic Development, with Joseph Klare, MBA, Director of Real Estate Finance and Investment, The Catalytic Fund

VIEW WEBINAR HERE

How to Apply for a Kentucky Fund Grant, with Diana Maxwell, National Trust for Historic Preservation

VIEW WEBINAR HERE

Public History and Historic Preservation: A Growing Alliance? Daniel Vivian, PhD

in PK Publications

In recent years, public history has moved closer to the mainstream of the American historical profession and assumed a larger role in civic life. Meanwhile, historic preservation has struggled for direction. These trends are more closely related than they might first appear. Although there are many reasons for public history’s ascent, one of the most important is the desire for critical, well-informed histories with relevance for a pluralistic society. As fatigue with traditional modes of patriotism and celebratory narratives of American progress continues to grow, demand for histories that consider the experiences of historically marginalized groups increases.

For historic preservation, the corollary to these trends is growing attention to sites associated with particular communities and less enthusiasm for those seen as broadly representative. Democratization of history has proven something of a double-edge sword: beneficial in calling attention to underappreciated histories, but challenging in the new demands it has imposed on already overstretched programs. How advocates, activists, and professionals negotiate these tensions in the coming years will determine whether preservation finds new energy and focus or continues to wane.

This article by historian and professor Daniel Vivian, PhD, examines the relationship between public history and historic preservation, public history-based strategies, and how public history is revitalizing inner cities.

Photo: Shelby Park Carnegie Library, 600 East Oak, Louisville, Kentucky, is one of seven Louisville libraries endowed by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Designed by prominent Louisville architect Author Loomis and opened in 1911, the building is a refined and beautifully proportioned example of the Second Renaissance Revival style.

Historic Tax Credits

in Other Publications

Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits have successfully spurred the renovation of historic structures of every period, size, style and type. Available to projects with qualified rehab expenses, these tax credits have benefitted thousands of property owners across the country who have utilized these incentives to rehabilitate a variety of buildings for both income-producing and owner-occupied historic uses. Recognizing the importance of preserving our built heritage and the need to encourage the rehabilitation of deteriorated properties, Congress created federal tax incentives in 1976 to promote historic preservation and community revitalization. Kentucky’s State Rehabilitation Tax Credit was signed into law in 2005 as a provision of the Governor’s JOBS for Kentucky Tax Modernization Bill. Utilized separately or bundled together, tax credits are preserving our built heritage by adaptively reusing and repurposing historic buildings across the state, saving Kentucky’s historic architecture for current and future generations.

Download the flier > Historic Rehab Credits Flier 2023

Preservation Kentucky 2024 Excellence in Preservation Awards and Annual Meeting

in Events

Meet our 2024 Excellence In Preservation Award Recipients!

The awards were held on Saturday, 26 October 2024 at the historic The Delegate Hotel in Frankfort to recognize Kentuckians for their exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation and interpretation of the Commonwealth’s historic places

Excellence Awards Demonstrate the Positive Economic and Social Impact of Historic Preservation

Each year thousands of Kentuckians work tirelessly to preserve Kentucky’s legacy reflected in our historic buildings, structures, landscapes and prehistoric sites. Preservation Kentucky established the Excellence in Preservation Awards in 2012 to recognize exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation and interpretation of our architectural and cultural heritage, and to distinguish best practices in the field. The awards feature people and projects from rural and urban communities throughout the state, and their stories are inspirational, encouraging reminders of how historic preservation strengthens communities, fosters economic development, maintains and creates jobs, and contributes to our quality of life. The wide range of recipients is a testament to our statewide reach and the preservation community. View the list of recipients since 2012 > Preservation Kentucky Excellence Award Recipients 2012-2023

Award Categories and 2024 Recipients

Preservation Kentucky’s Excellence in Preservation Awards are named after preservation trailblazers with a distinguished history of volunteer service and professional time devoted to preserving Kentucky’s architectural, cultural and prehistoric heritage,

The Discovering Unmarked African American Burials in Florence Cemetery Project, Burlington (Boone County)

Edith S. Bingham Excellence in Preservation Education

Pennyroyal Area Museum, Hopkinsville (Christian County)

Christy and Owsley Brown II Excellence in Public Service to Preservation

Wendell Berry, Newcastle (Henry County)

Linda Bruckheimer Excellence in Rural Preservation Award

Purchase of Development Rights Conservation Easement Program (Fayette County)

Helen Dedman Excellence in Preservation Advocacy

Dr. Phillip and Mrs, Trudy Tibbs, Lexington (Bourbon, Nicholas and Fayette Counties)

Barbara Hulette Excellence in Preservation Leadership

Russell Waddell, Dry Stone Conservancy (Statewide)

Patrick Kennedy Excellence in Preservation Craftsmanship

Bardstown Motor Lodge, Bardstown (Nelson County) and Myriad Hotel, Louisville (Jefferson County)

David L. Morgan Excellence in Kentucky Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit – Commercial

Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company’s Addiction Recovery Program, Hindman (Knott County)

Tim Peters and Lois Mateus Excellence in Making a Difference on Main Street

Bell Chapel African American Heritage Project, Belltown (Marion County)

Ann Early Sutherland Excellence in Environmental Preservation

Louisville Water Tower and Pumping Station No. 1, Louisville (Jefferson County)

Preservation Kentucky Excellence in Kentucky Cultural Heritage Tourism

Our 2024 Excellence Awards Hosts – Weyland Ventures & Common Bond Hotels

Bill Weyland, Weyland Ventures and Common Bond Hotel Collection

Award winning architect and real estate broker Bill Weyland has played a crucial role revitalizing Louisville and historic properties across the nation. In May of this year, he received the prestigious Ida Lee Willis Memorial Award for a lifetime of investment and redevelopment of some of Louisville’s most historic and iconic buildings. His portfolio represents hundreds of millions of investment dollars in projects that create jobs, provide housing, support high-profile businesses, and draw people from all over the world to Kentucky.

A self-described “serial user” of rehabilitation tax credits to make projects financially feasible, Bill leads a talented team of professionals at the multidisciplinary real estate firm, Weyland Ventures. Their expertise in historic tax credits, new market credits and other layered financial methods has earned them a national reputation as problem solvers skilled at tacking tough projects and repurposing old buildings for new uses. Common Bond Hotel Collection was founded as a sister company to Weyland Ventures in 2019 to operate the restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in Weyland-owned adaptive reuse projects, helping to preserve the architectural legacy of these buildings and keep them viable for current and future generations.

History of The Delegate Hotel, Frankfort

Known historically as the Jeremiah Weldon South warehouse, the impressive Italianate style, wedge-shaped building, situated along the steep incline of East Broadway, makes The Delegate an imposing contribution to two National Register Historic Districts: Frankfort Historic Commercial District, listed in 1979, and Central Frankfort Historic District, listed in 2009.

The warehouse was built in 1879 by Col. J.W. South, known as the “Father of Breathitt County.” A longtime Lessee of the Penitentiary, he was described in a Dept. of Justice prison history as an influential man. He died in 1880, and the name of his son, Samuel South, appeared on the 1886, 1890, and 1896 Sanborn fire insurance maps. Samuel died in 1889, and his widow sold her interest in the building around 1898. A portion of the warehouse was leased for the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Co. in 1883, as a whiskey warehouse and for cold rectifying. The Kentucky Buggy and Harness Company used the warehouse from 1891 until 1901. Others that operated there or used it for storage include Capital Printing (1890s); Ford & Johnson Chair Co. (early 1900s); Frankfort Broom Co. (1920s); and Hoge-Montgomery shoe warehouse (1930s).

Weyland Ventures purchased the building in 2023. Their extensive experience with historic tax credits and design talent, and an injection of Kentucky Tourism tax credits are transforming the warehouse into a stylish 48-room boutique hotel and restaurant guaranteed to become a favorite travel destination and gathering place in the capital city.

*View the list of recipients since 2012 > Preservation Kentucky Excellence Award Recipients 2012-2023

Preservation How-To Technical Briefs

in Other Publications

The National Park Service has a helpful series of Technical Briefs on preserving, rehabilitating and restoring historic buildings. These publications help historic property owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to work, and recommend methods and approaches consistent with the historic character of buildings. They are especially useful to those who want to utilize Historic Preservation Tax Credits because they are consistent with the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation.

There are two ways to search:

1. Search by Comprehensive Alphabetized List of Topics from Abatement to Zinc > Preservation Briefs by Topic A through Z

2. Search by General Topics Listed Below > National Park Service Preservation Briefs

51. Secretary of Interior Standards for Preservation

52. Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation

53. Secretary of Interior Standards for Restoration

54. Secretary of Interior Standards for Reconstruction

55. Secretary of Interior Guidelines for Sustainability

Saving Kentucky’s Historic Courthouses

in Events, Homepage

Excerpt from “What Our Historic Courthouses Tell Us About Kentucky’s Story” by Elizabeth A. ‘Betsy’ Hatfield, published in History’s Footsteps, Sherry Jelsma, editor, a Shelby County Historical Society Publication, 2020.

One of the most endearing and defining characteristics of Kentucky courthouses is the courthouse square. Throughout the state, courthouse squares announce county seats and showcase the most recognizable architecture in town, the Courthouse. These picturesque places are the heart of every community. Each has a story to tell about Kentucky, from its formative years to its most recent.

Kentucky’s courthouses have endured moments of great discourse in American history, leaving some tattered in the wake. Others have faced controversy for simply being historic, but those that have endured are better for it. Their placement and role in our communities has made them the site of many noteworthy events and personal milestones. All are receptacles of our varied and diverse history.

Architecture tells our story. It is an outward expression of the life and times of our people—and the buildings we save tell us what stories we value. As canons of our heritage, Kentucky’s historic courthouses stand as our most important and prominent landmarks. They tell how we grew from a frontier settlement to the fifteenth state of the union to one of the most scenic and vibrant states in America. Geography, natural resources, craftsmanship, artistry and emerging technologies shaped our courthouses into the community landmarks that we enjoy today. Their beginnings were humble, but their path to monuments of justice was pure Kentucky ingenuity.

Photos: The historic Oldham County Courthouse in LaGrange was saved from demolition but not without sacrifice. Leaders stripped the historic fabric from its interior and moved its hollow shell threes times before repositioning it on the courthouse square to make way for a massive justice center to tower over the graceful building that once stood as the prominent, stately centerpiece of this charming downtown.

Photo taken between 1875 and 1920, looking southeast.

Circa 1920s photo, looking east, shows the historic addition that was demolished in the 1990s. The horse is tied to the fire bell.

1864 photo of the 1828 Courthouse taken by F. L. Craft, looking southwest. The cupola is barely visible.

1875 Courthouse with a limewash, looking southwest, shows the 1890 Victorian era house and jail, which were demolished in the 1990s.

Improvements to KY’s State Historic Preservation Tax Credit Make it More Accessible to More Communities!

in Events, Homepage, Uncategorized

Kentucky Legislators made significant improvements to make our state historic tax credit more functional and competitive with surrounding states, providing a much needed boost for Kentucky’s economy, local job market and state revenue.

THE NEW IMPROVEMENTS AND WHY THEY’RE IMPORTANT TO KENTUCKY

1. The maximum credit a taxpayer can claim for commercial, income-producing properties was increased from $400,000 to $10 Million

2. The maximum credit a taxpayer can claim for residential owner-occupied properties increased from $60,000 to $120,000

3. The transferability provision was reinstated to allow nonprofits to sell their credit to financial institutions taxed under the income tax statutes instead of the bank franchise tax, which expired in January 2020.

KEY POINTS OF KENTUCKY’S IMPROVED HISTORIC TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

Kentucky’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program was increased from $5Million to $100Million in 2020, but without changes to the project caps. In 2021, legislators revised the statutes to align with the program, increased the project caps and reinstated a provision for nonprofits that expired with the Bank Franchise Tax in 2020.

These significant changes:

>Make Kentucky more competitive with bordering states, which until Kentucky’s was improved, had better state historic preservation tax credits programs attracting Kentucky developers away from our state and to theirs;

>Increase access to the credit so more people and communities can utilize and benefit from it;

>Reinstates the transferability provision so nonprofits can benefit from the credit, conserve funds and use donor dollars for other endeavors.

KENTUCKY’S HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

Historic tax credits are financial incentives to encourage private investment in historic buildings by giving building owners tax incentives that result in benefits to the public at large and communities of all sizes.

Kentucky’s HTC program has successfully incentivized private investment for decades, but until recently, we were still at a competitive disadvantage with surrounding states due to our current program restrictions. Meanwhile, competing states were enjoying substantially higher investments and stronger tax bases while luring investors away from Kentucky.

The 2021 legislation resolved these issues and leveled the playing field with a more functional and competitive program to revitalize our historic assets!

PROVEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT

>In 2021, $136,633,219 in private investment was approved pending completion of 98 projects – impressive data even in non-covid years.

>From 2005-2021, our state historic tax credit resulted in 1,166 buildings rehabilitated across Kentucky and $709 million of private funds investedin historic buildings, leveraged through $51.5 million in credits – an impressive ROI–Return on Investment

HOW KENTUCKY’S HTC PROGRAM HELPS STATE, LOCAL ECONOMY

1. Boosts tax revenues with new property, sales and payroll taxes

2. Returns more revenue to our state treasury than it costs

3. Stimulates local and state economies with income for improvements

4. Provides a credit for owner-occupied buildings, unlike the Federal HTC

5. Benefits the state immediately with tax revenue during construction

6. Returns vacant, underutilized and endangered buildings to tax rolls

7. Creates new and permanent jobs, maintains a strong workforce

8. Provides much-needed revenue and incentives for rural communities

9. Revitalizes neighborhoods, downtowns and Main Street communities

10. Reverses economic decline in central business districts

11. Spurs development in surrounding areas

12. Increases appeal to out-of-state developers and businesses

13. Acts as a catalyst for additional local investment

14. Encourages revitalization in blighted areas

15. Encourages adaptive reuse of buildings that risk demolition

16. Conserves building materials and craftsmanship

17. Supports sustainable green construction

18. Restores civic pride to communities

19. Enhances our visual environment and aesthetics

20. Preserves historic architecture, connects us to our heritage and enriches our quality of life

OVERVIEW OF KENTUCKY’S HTC PROGRAM

1. Enacted into law in 2005, a low risk-high return program

2. Available to all 120 counties and communities of all sizes

3. With 3,200 historic districts, sites and structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places encompassing more than 42,000 historic properties in all 120 counties, our HTC Program is a smart way to capitalize on valuable assets

4. Since 2005, has created more than 17,500 jobs and leveraged more than $1Billion value of investments in projects reviewed annually by the Kentucky Heritage Council, which administers the program

5. Can be utilized in tandem with the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit – a key provision that strengthens use and effectiveness for both programs.

>The Federal and State Historic Preservation Tax Credit Programs are administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet.

>Learn more about how tax credits help communities and how the application process works here.

The demand for Kentucky’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit has exceeded its resources since it was signed into law with the JOBS for KY Tax Modernization Bill in 2005. Kentucky’s HTC leverages millions in private capital that likely would not otherwise come to invest in our state, increases the property tax base for local governments, creating new local and state revenues, and restores historic downtowns—a key tourism draw, driving hotel stays, bringing out of state spending to Kentucky, providing jobs and building local pride.

Kentucky’s HTC starts reinvesting in communities throughout the Commonwealth immediately, from Paducah to Pikeville, in both rural and urban areas, by employing skilled labor, purchasing local goods and often putting vacant buildings back into use and on the tax rolls. It’s one of the best tools we have to protect our history while investing in it.
Kentucky’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit has been a vital economic development tool to revitalize neighborhoods, Main Streets and downtowns, put Kentuckians to work and keep them in the workforce, return once-vacant buildings to tax rolls, and generate income for community improvements.

When HB 659 passed, it:

Increased the maximum credit a taxpayer can claim for commercial, income-producing properties from $400,000 to $10 Million
Increased the maximum credit a taxpayer can claim for residential, owner-occupied properties from $60,000 to $120,000
Allowed the credit to be transferred to financial institutions that are now taxed under the income tax statutes instead of the bank franchise tax

Benefits to Kentucky:

Makes Kentucky more competitive with bordering states with better state historic preservation tax credit programs
Increases access to the credit so more people and communities can utilize and benefit from it
Reinstates the transferability provision so nonprofits can benefit from the credit
Allows more projects to benefit statewide
Helps more communities with revitalization incentives
Stimulates the economy with increased property, sales and payroll taxes
Increases appeal to out-of-state developers and businesses

The Staun Family used Kentucky’s state Historic Tax Credit for residential properties to renovate their home in Newport, Campbell Co., and received a Preservation Kentucky Excellence in Preservation Award in 2014.

Formerly Noonan’s Grocery in Frankfort, this mixed use building with first floor retail and second floor residential was saved from demolition by using Kentucky’s Historic Tax Credit. The Franklin Co. owners received a Preservation Kentucky Excellence in Preservation Award in 2014.

Paducah’s City Hall, a Mid-Century Modern building designed by internationally acclaimed architect Edward Durrell Stone in 1963, was saved from demolition utilizing Kentucky’s Historic Tax Credit. The City of Paducah, McCracken Co., received a Preservation Kentucky Excellence in Preservation Award in 2019 for preserving this important landmark.

Potter’s Castle in Bowling Green, Warren Co. utilized Kentucky’s state Historic Tax Credit for residential properties and received a Preservation Kentucky Excellence in Preservation Award in 2016.

Our state historic tax credit is important to Kentucky’s Main Street Program. In Whitley County, the tax credit is revitalizing Williamsburg, population 5,245.

Once a home, this 1908 Queen Anne style cottage in Lexington, Fayette Co., was renovated into a doctors’ office using Kentucky’s state Historic Tax Credit and received Preservation Kentucky’s Excellence in Preservation Award in 2015.

Preservation Kentucky’s Easement Program

in News

One of the best ways to protect and preserve historic properties is with a conservation easement. Placing a conservation / historic preservation easement on a building monitored by Preservation Kentucky ensures the preservation of the property in perpetuity. It may also qualify as a charitable donation, providing financial tax benefit to the owner.

A conservation easement is a legal tool used to preserve the integrity of a historic building, site, object or landscape. The legal structure of the easement agreement allows the owner to retain rights of ownership, while granting Preservation Kentucky the right to prevent current and future owners from making changes that would compromise the historic integrity of the resource. An executed easement agreement becomes part of the deed record and is binding in perpetuity. A conservation easement is the single best assurance an owner has that a building will be preserved, maintained and protected.

Congratulations to Our 2019 Excellence in Preservation Award Recipients!

in Events

Congratulations to our 2019 Excellence in Preservation Award Recipients!

Award Categories

Preservation Kentucky’s annual Excellence in Preservation leadership awards are named after Kentuckians who have a long service of dedicated volunteer and/or professional time devoted to preserving Kentucky’s architectural, cultural and prehistoric heritage, and underscore the economic development, aesthetic and quality of life benefits of historic preservation.

Tim Peters and Lois Mateus Making a Difference on Main Street – Inaugural Award

Kentucky Heritage Council

For individuals who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to historic preservation by restoring, rehabilitating and adaptively reusing a commercial or residential building(s) that has served as a catalyst for revitalizing a Main Street corridor. Special consideration will be given for individuals who have renovated a building in communities with a population of 75,000 or less.

Edith S. Bingham Excellence in Preservation Education

Northern Kentucky Restoration Weekend

For preservation educators, projects, or programs that have demonstrated excellence in traditional or nontraditional educational arenas.

Christy and Owsley Brown II Excellence in Public Service to Preservation

Clest Lanier, Founder, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage

For public officials or civil servants who have demonstrated leadership in preservation policy on the local, state and/or national level.

Linda Bruckheimer Excellence in Rural Preservation Award

Blue Wing Landing Farm, Doug and Kathleen Martin, Owen County

For those devoted to preserving Kentucky’s rural heritage with special consideration given to small towns with a population less than 10,000.

Helen Dedman Excellence in Preservation Advocacy

Tom Eblen, Photojournalist, Retired Columnist, Lexington

For advocates, volunteers and/or professionals who have shown great commitment of time and resources to furthering historic preservation across the state.

Barbara Hulette Excellence as Young Preservationist

Brittney Adams, Warrenwood Manor, Danville

For those under the age of 40 who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in historic preservation endeavors.

Patrick Kennedy Excellence in Preservation Craftsmanship

Eddie Black, Central Kentucky

For craftsmen and craftswomen who have demonstrated exceptional skills and restoration techniques.

David L. Morgan Excellence in Kentucky Historic Preservation Tax Credit

Paducah City Hall, McCracken County

East Broadway Shotgun Houses, Vital Sites, Louisville

For commercial and residential projects that have demonstrated excellence in rehabilitation using Kentucky’s State Historic Preservation Tax Credit.

Ann Early Sutherland Excellence in Environmental Preservation

American Life Building, Louisville

For leaders who have made a strong connection between the preservation of historic places and environmental concerns, and understand the relationship between the preservation of our built environment and our natural environment.

Preservation Kentucky Excellence in Kentucky Cultural Heritage

111 Whiskey Row, Louisville

For an organization, site or attraction that has preserved and advanced Kentucky’s architectural, cultural and social history through dynamic interpretation and the promotion of historic resources that contribute significantly to our tourism industry and the preservation of our heritage.

Thank You to Preservationist and

Philanthropist Christy Brown for

Hosting Us at Her Beautiful

Home on Saturday, October 19!

Tim Peters and Lois Mateus Making a Difference on Main Street – Inaugural Award

New to Preservation Kentucky’s annual Excellence in Preservation Awards in 2019 is a category in honor of Tim Peters and Lois Mateus, historic preservation champions whose projects have been a catalyst for revitalization along Harrodsburg’s Main Street. The purpose of their award is to recognize individuals who have invested in communities where others have been hesitant to take the risk and do the work.

Recipients of this year’s award were recognized at Preservation Kentucky’s Annual Meeting and Excellence in Preservation Awards on Saturday, October 19, in Jefferson County.

Both long-time preservationists, Tim and Lois have an impressive history of taking on risky projects and seeing them to successful completion. To date, they have renovated eight buildings in Harrodsburg, numerous 19^thcentury buildings in Louisville, and some of the oldest structures in Kentucky on their historic Mercer County farm.

Together, they have received many awards and recognitions, including the prestigious Ida Lee Willis Community Preservation Award, River Field’s Land Hero Award for farmland preservation, and the Preservation Kentucky-Linda Bruckheimer Excellence in Rural Preservation and Preservation Kentucky-Ann Early Sutherland Excellence in Environmental Preservation Awards. Among their ongoing efforts: Tim serves on the Kentucky Heritage Council, an appointment from Governor Matt Bevin, and Lois is a member of the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation and co-chair of Harrodsburg’s 250^thCelebration in 2024.

The Tim Peters and Lois Mateus Excellence in Making a Difference on Main Street Award will recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to historic preservation by restoring, rehabilitating and adaptively reusing a commercial or residential building(s) that has served as a catalyst for revitalizing a Main Street corridor. Special consideration will be given for individuals who have renovated a building in communities with a population of 75,000 or less.

“Keeping Main Street alive is the primary motivation for Tim and me,” Mateus says. “Restored antique shops, restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques not only improve and enhance the built environment, they bring life to the human environment as people shop, mix and mingle together.”

Peters adds, “Recognizing the shared history, connection, and social dialogue that communities lose when retailers disappear from Main Street, we have put emphasis on commercial tenants at the street level, but also on attractive living spaces on the upper levels. Our experiences in both Harrodsburg, a small town, and in the NuLu district on East Market Street in Louisville prove that people are eager to live downtown.”

Lois and Tim’s dedication to historic preservation and land conservation is reflected in their work on their Tallgrass Farm in Mercer County. The property features 1,000 acres of farmland and trails, a log homestead, original stone foundations, dry stack stone walls made from stone of the farm and five tobacco Barns. Tim and Lois’ efforts include the preservation of a rare 1802 stone and timber barn, one of only two remaining Pennsylvania bank barns still standing in Kentucky. In 2004, they founded the Tallgrass Farm Foundation, an educational and culturally sustainable resource model that teaches students stewardship of natural and agricultural resources.

Lois grew up in the 1830 Nathaniel Burrus House in Harrodsburg. A co-founder of the Kentucky Museum of Arts and Crafts and retired Brown-Forman executive who oversaw the restoration of Woodford Reserve Distillery and the company’s historic properties, Lois’ career reflects her passion for the arts, historic preservation, culture and community service. Tim, who was Louisville’s first LEED Platinum Builder with The Green Building on East Market Street, has owned and operated a general contracting company for 42 years and earned a reputation for championing adaptive reuse of historic buildings throughout the state. Both have extensive experience as nonprofit board members, community leaders and philanthropists. More information about the couple’s careers, community service and historic farmland can be viewed here – http://www.tallgrassfarmfoundation.org/whoweare.html.

“We are so honored to have Lois and Tim’s sponsorship for a Main Street award,” said Preservation Kentucky executive director Betsy Hatfield. “Our Main Street communities are the heart of Kentucky, and this is a wonderful opportunity to recognize those who are preserving endangered buildings in communities where an investor is needed to spark and lead revitalization efforts. Tim and Lois have been active preservationists for many years. Their leadership in Harrodsburg invigorated an important historic community and inspired others to do so same.”

“Tim and Lois have been stellar preservationists and advocates for Kentucky’s heritage,” said Preservation Kentucky board chair Grady Walter. “Their preservation successes are inspirational in their own right and remind us that historic Preservation strengthens communities.”

Photo left to right: Tim Peters, Augusta Brown Holland and Lois Mateus receiving the Preservation Kentucky-Ann Early Sutherland Excellence in Environmental Preservation Award for Louisville’s NuLu Business District on April 20, 2013, at the Artisan Enterprise Center in Covington. Photo Credit: Becky Gorman.

Historic Tax Credits: Significant, Positive Impact of Federal Historic Tax Credit in Kentucky

in Uncategorized

The Federal Historic Preservation Rehabilitation Tax Credit (Federal HTC) is a critical economic development tool with a proven track record that generates economic growth, jobs and revitalization. It is the single most important incentive to encourage the redevelopment and reuse of our nation’s historic and culturally significant properties.

For more than 40 years, the United States tax code has included this provision for the rehabilitation of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, resulting in tens of thousands of historic properties being saved, repurposed and brought back to life in cities, towns and rural areas across our country.

This flier details the key facts and impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit in Kentucky

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Photo: Historic First Christian Church now Immanuel Baptist Church, 850 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Jefferson County – recipient of Preservation Kentucky’s 2018 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award for Federal and Kentucky Historic Tax Credits.

Rosenwald Schools in Kentucky

in Other Publications

The Rosenwald School building program of the early 20th century grew out of a vision for educational reform for African Americans initiated by Booker T. Washington, principal of the Tuskeegee University in Alabama. Washington developed a plan to educate African Americans in the south as part of his educational philosophy of advancing education for blacks across the country. Through his partnership with Julius Rosenwald, the CEO of Sears, Roebuck & Co., Washington developed a plan to fund and build schools in rural southern communities.

Rosenwald partially funded the construction of schools in these communities by matching funds raised by the communities themselves. The program resulted in the construction of more than 3,500 schools across 15 southern and southwestern states from 1906 to 1932. In Kentucky, 158 Rosenwald Schools and related educational buildings were constructed in the state, including 12 training schools, between 1917 and 1932.

Kentucky’s Rosenwald schools are an important legacy and their presence on our landscape reminds us of the African American experience in Kentucky, the universal quest for education and the strength and perseverance of African Americans during a time blighted by the socioeconomic framework of the post-Civil War segregation period.

This study by by Alicestyne Turley-Adams with the Kentucky Heritage Council discusses the importance of Rosenwald Schools and catalogs the Rosenwald Schools in Kentucky

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Preservation Kentucky 2024 Excellence in Preservation Awards and Annual Meeting

Meet our 2024 Excellence In Preservation Award Recipients!

The awards were held on Saturday, 26 October 2024 at the historic The Delegate Hotel in Frankfort to recognize Kentuckians for their exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation and interpretation of the Commonwealth’s historic places

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Kentucky Legislators made significant improvements to make our state historic tax credit more functional and competitive with surrounding states, providing a much needed boost for Kentucky’s economy, local job market and state revenue.

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Congratulations to Our 2019 Excellence in Preservation Award Recipients!

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Historic Tax Credits: Significant, Positive Impact of Federal Historic Tax Credit in Kentucky

Rosenwald Schools in Kentucky

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