Kentucky Tax Credits & Historic Preservation Are Subjects of Upcoming PEP/Talk

The Blue Grass Trust will launch its new* PEP/Talk series (Preserve, Educate, and Protect) on Tuesday, June 16 at 5:30 pm POSTPONED with a talk and panel discussion centered on Kentucky’s Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program.

Bob Griffith will talk about his award-winning restoration of the historic Clarkson House in Meade County, after which a panel discussion on Kentucky’s Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program will ensue.

Clarkson House, prior to restoration. 
Restored Clarkson House.

Clarkson House (also known as Clarkson Hill) is a circa 1802 Federal style building in Flaherty (Meade County), Kentucky. Due to neglect, the house was literally falling down when the restoration began. Mr. Griffith’s restoration was awarded the 2014 Ida Lee Willis Preservation Project Award by the Kentucky Heritage Council.

Panelists will include Bob Griffith, Scot Walters (Site Development Program Manager for the KY Heritage Council), Linda Carroll (former BGT Board President), and Dr. Thad Overmyer (buyer of the Willis Green House in Danville, KY); Jason Sloan (BGT Director of Preservation). BGT President Maureen Peters, principal architect at Pearson & Peters Architects, will moderate.

*This event is the BGT’s inaugural PEP/Talk, though the format and outline of the series were guided by two earlier events: my reading and ensuing panel on Lost Lexington and Sarah House Tate’s discussion and ensuing panel discussion on modern architecture in Lexington.

About PEP/Talks

PEP/Talks begin at 5:30 pm with a social half-hour. At 6 pm PEP/Talks, a topical presentation, begins, followed by panel discussion with leading professionals from 6:45 to 7:30 pm. PEPTalks are held at the Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan House Auditorium, 214 North Broadway, and are free and open to the public.

Brandenburg’s Meade County Courthouse Looks Like a Middle School

Meade County Courthouse – Brandenburg, Ky.
Brandenburg is another of those cities that you have to have a reason to go. Downtown Brandenburg is confusing from the moment you arrive. Homes and businesses seem spread out along a small valley, and as far as I could tell, there doesn’t appear to be a real main street area. As I pulled into town, there was a large empty lot along the main drag that had a historical marker – noting that the lot was the site of the third Meade County Courthouse. However, I didn’t find the current courthouse anywhere nearby. The Meade County Courthouse, pictured above, sits high on a hill, surrounded by a huge parking lot. Meade County’s current house is one of those courthouses built in the 1970s that, unfortunately, looks like a middle school. It’s pretty unfortunate. 

Since I was pretty confused about Brandenburg and its bizarre layout, so I decided to head to the internet to figure out what was going on. The layout of Brandenburg appears to have been caused by the famous April 1974 tornado outbreak. This “super tornado” outbreak hit 13 states, with 178 total tornadoes touching down. One of these tornadoes destroyed downtown Brandenburg and the third courthouse, and took 31 lives as well.

A quick drive out of Brandenburg gives you the amazing view of the Ohio River below.