Tag: Oldham

No Destination: Westport

The Old Courthouse in Westport is now Westport Methodist Church.

Along the Ohio River in Oldham County lies Westport. Westport’s layout and design are very unique as it is designed around a large commons – a grassy area reminiscent of colonial New England. In fact, I imagine that walking through Williamsburg, Virginia pre-Rockefeller’s restoration was similar to walking through Westport. I am not the only person who has experienced this kind of feeling after experiencing Westport.

The streets, the buildings, and even the trees themselves seem to cling proudly to the importance that was theirs in the time of flourishing river traffic. For it was the river that gave birth and life itself to the town.

–from “Westport” by Helen Fairleigh Giltner, 1947 [Source: Courier-Journal]

Today, the historic structures are in various states of repair/disrepair, but the Friends of Westport are working tirelessly to restore this little hamlet. Their current project is the Westport Schoolhouse.

Westport Schoolhouse

The Westport Schoolhouse, pictured at left, was erected in 1882 and is the only remaining one-room schoolhouse in the state that sits on a town square. The renovation, which is at risk due to state budgetary issues, would result in a community center for arts and education. [Source: WAVE3]

Baptist minister Elijah Craig, now of bourbon fame, received from Virginia a 300 acre land grant in 1780. His grant included Westport. When Oldham County was carved from Shelby County in 1823, this rivertown was named the county seat and served in that capacity until 1838 when the county seat was permanently moved to La Grange (with the exception of about a month in 1827 when La Grange was selected by voters as the county seat, but state officials soon thereafter returned Westport to the position of prominence under political pressure). When county governance left Westport for good in 1838, the courthouse (pictured at top of post) was deeded to the Baptist, Christian, Methodist and Presbyterian churches. The courthouse still stands today and is utilized by the town’s Methodist congregation.

No Destination: Kentucky’s Tallest Structure

WAVE-3 Tower

In Lexington, we have the Lexington Financial Center (410 ft). In Louisville, there is the AEGON Center (549 ft). These are the tallest buildings in Kentucky’s largest cities.

But in Oldham County stands the state’s tallest structure. The WAVE-3 broadcast tower, constructed in 1991, is the state’s tallest structure standing at 1,739 feet. For some perspective, the World Trade Center was 1,727 feet. Chicago’s Sears Tower (nka Willis Tower) is only 1,451 feet.

That’s right. There stands a structure in Oldham County, Kentucky that is taller than even the World Trade Center.

But it gets taller. The tallest broadcast tower is in Blanchard, South Dakota (KLVY tower, 2,063 ft). The tallest building/manmade structure is the Burj Dubai at 2,717 ft. Still, if you wanna see something crazy tall – come to Oldham County.

No Destination: State Reformatory

Administration Building of the Kentucky State Reformatory

Frankfort was once the home of Kentucky’s penitentiary, but it was moved to Eddyville in 1912. Left behind was what became the “state reformatory.” Overcrowding and a 1936 flood prompted Gov. Happy Chandler to seek the construction of a new Reformatory. Receiving $1 million from the state legislature and matching funds from the Public Works Administration, construction began on the La Grange facility in 1937. It opened in 1939.

The medium security facility houses about 2,000 inmates. The 12-story administration building is a great example of Depression Era, gothic-style architecture. According to the Oldham County Historical Society [PDF cite], the first ten stories housed offices and living quarters for staff, the eleventh floor housed elevator mechanics and the twelfth floor contained a now-unused 150,000 gallon water tank. (There is something quite illogical, however, of housing a water storage tank on top of mechanical/electrical systems.)

No Destination: Railroad in La Grange

Thirty trains travel each day down La Grange’s Main Street

For those of you who read Monday’s post, you were probably wondering why I didn’t mention the crazy railroad that goes down Main Street in La Grange. If you looked closely at the picture, you noticed what I am talking about.

With parking on both sides of Main Street, there is no “wiggle room” when the CSX train comes barreling down at a maximum 10 mph. Nate tells the tale of a woman who frantically called her husband to tell him she had been in a car accident. Asked what happened, she told her spouse that she had run into a train. Only in La Grange.

Embedded below is a YouTube video (not mine) of a train coming down Main Street La Grange:

I can assure you that it is a very strange feeling to walk right up to a moving train.

No Destination: Rob Morris House

Dr. Robert Morris House in La Grange, Kentucky

Almost every American community contains a site that involves the Freemasons. This is especially true in La Grange, Kentucky. La Grange was once home to a Masonic College (from 1844 to 1873) and was the home to Dr. Rob Morris from 1860 until his death in 1888.

Morris founded the Order of the Eastern Star (a sister organization to Freemasonry, believing that some of the benefits of the Freemasons should be available to the female relatives of Masons) and was named the Poet Laureate of Freemasonry in 1884.

His most famous poem, The Level and the Square, was written in 1854. Excerpts follow [full text here]:

We meet upon the level and we part upon the square;

There’s a world where all are equal we’re coming to it fast
We shall meet upon the level there when the days on earth are past
We shall stand before the altar and our Master will be there
To try the blocks we offer with his own unerring square
We shall meet upon the level there but never thence depart
There’s a Mansion—‘tis all ready for each trusting, faithful heart
There’s a Mansion and a welcome and a multitude is there
Who have met upon the level and been tried upon the square.

The home pictured above was Morris’ second home in La Grange. Morris’ first home was burned in 1861 due to the pro-Union stance taken by Dr. Morris; he moved to the pictured home in 1862. The residence was erected in 1840. Since 1918, the property has been owned by the Order of the Eastern Star as a shrine and museum.

No Destination: LaGrange

Main Street in historic La Grange, Kentucky

As Nate alluded to last week, we visited Oldham County’s seat a few weeks ago. Founded in 1827, this community community was not incorporated until 1840. Named for the home of General Lafayette (the Château de la Grange-Bléneau), some suggest that LaGrange is severely haunted and may be part of the so-called “Fayette Factor.” (An anomaly that I’ve discovered and intend on researching at length.).

DeHaven Baptist Church

I think what stands out about La Grange is that it remains a thriving community. Despite a population of less than 5,700 (2000 Census), La Grange’s downtown is filled with active and successful businesses. Remarkable for a town of its size, particularly in our current economic downturn. Pictured above is Main Street with several of the businesses visible: Karen’s Book Barn, the Red Pepper Deli and Cafe, the 1887 Corner Store. A great toy store. Unfortunately, we visited on a Sunday and many of the shops were closed.

Several of Kentucky’s towns emphasize history and La Grange certainly counts itself among this class. The Historical Society has preserved churches and other historical structures (its HQ consists of an entire city block!) One of the most architecturally impressive structures is the DeHaven Baptist Church (pictured at right).

Oldham County Courthouse – La Grange, Ky.

I love La Grange. I lived in downtown La Grange for three years, and La Grange is where I fell in love with small-town life. For those of you who have never been, you owe it to yourself to visit. Main Street La Grange is split by a train track that is still active – more than 30 trains run through La Grange every day. I used to do historic tours through La Grange, and you’d think I could remember more about this structure. If I remember correctly, this building was constructed in the mid 1870s, after a fire destroyed the previous courthouse in 1873. The circuit courtroom upstairs is a pretty amazing space. The county jail is connected to the courthouse just to the left of the picture, and the Oldham County History Center sits just across the street. Directly behind me in this picture is the old La Grange Opera House, which I’m hoping Peter blogs about later.
As an interesting aside, Peter and I were walking through La Grange when Kentucky pulled off its miracle comeback to beat Mississippi State in the SEC championship game. We watched the final two minutes of overtime in the La Grange McDonald’s.