UPDATE: apparently the “massive historic preservation” I spoke of in this post isn’t historic preservation at all. According to the Herald Leader’s recent courthouse series this building is being torn down and replaced. Really, really sad.
I apologize for my lack of any photo editing software to lighten this one up a bit (one thing I miss about working for the paper is the access to cool photo software) but I just had to choose this picture of the Mercer County Courthouse. Mercer is one of two courthouses I saw today that appears to be undergoing massive historic preservation, and the effect created by the absence of the clock in the clock tower was pretty cool.
I have to be honest here – Harrodsburg is one of my favorite little communities in central Kentucky, mostly because I spent some time here during an internship with the local paper during my senior year at Centre. Harrodsburg has a combination of all of my favorite elements – well-maintained buildings, tons of history and friendly people. In addition, Harrodsburg seems to have a very active historical society, judging from the wealth of historic markers and tour guideposts throughout. Anyway, the present courthouse is the fourth to occupy the spot, and it was built in 1928.
BONUS PIC FOR PETER – One thing that I hate to see in any downtown area is the giant hole that develops when a building is taken down in a row of buildings. With historic commercial blocks you always get that great line of buildings with different heights and styles, and when one gets knocked down, it tends to look like someone knocked out a tooth from a beautiful smile. These buildings usually make way for parking lots, and when one building comes down, sometimes the whole block starts to deteriorate – think Rosenburg Block in Lexington. Anyway, Harrodsburg’s got the right idea here. This park sits in the middle of a block between two buildings. Pretty cool.
Obviously, there is no historic quality to the block I'm thinking of – but along So. Limestone in Lexington there was an old bar that was torn down making a large patio area for Pazzo's.
I wonder what was in this lot?