Tag: ThenNow

Phoenix Hotel, 1879 Clay Lancaster Collection

The theme “Then vs. Now” provides insight into Lexington’s past. Building by building, whether standing or demolished I’ll explore the structural influence on our city. Historic photographs, architectural evidence, and archival research all contribute to providing a narrative that illustrates each building’s evolution and, in turn, the influence of that structure on
Lexington’s history. Archival photographs juxtaposed with contemporary pictures help to give the clearest
glimpse into Lexington’s history when a building still stands.  In those cases where (lamentably) a building has been razed, one’s best sources are research of historic newspapers, books, photographs, and stories.

Phoenix Hotel, undated Frank C. Dunn

At the corner of Limestone and E. Main
stood what was possibly one of Lexington’s most architecturally and historically important buildings: the
Phoenix Hotel.  Constructed in 1897 on the footprint of no less than three taverns, the Phoenix
Hotel was established in 1820.  Its name was purportedly derived from the hotel surviving a fire in the 1820s.  

The Phoenix Hotel was the stop of at least six
presidents, the location of the Morgan’s Men Association’s inception (1868),
the Kiwanis Club of Lexington’s inception (1919), and the home of WVLK-AM for
33 years (1947-1980).

In a Phoenix Hotel ballroom, in 1902, Judge James H. Mulligan read his now infamous poem, In Kentucky.

Including the former
taverns (most famously, the Postlethwaite’s Tavern), the Phoenix was quite possibly the longest standing hostelry this side
of the Allegheny Mountains.  Its demolition in 1981 ended this reign, making room for the
World Coal Center.

Demolition of the Phoenix Hotel ca. 1981 (note the billboard) Kentuckiana Digital Library

Conceived by Wallace Wilkinson, later governor from 1987-1991, the World Coal Center (WCC) was to house the corporate headquarters of major coal companies.  Depending on the source and plan referenced, the tower was to be 50, 41, or 25 stories beginning with first floor retail space.  The demolition of the Phoenix Hotel jumpstarted a statewide discourse on politics,
coal, and preservation.

Despite Kentucky’s coalfields being found in the hills of eastern Kentucky, Wilkinson argued that Lexington was the center of commercial activity for the eastern portion of the state. Building his WCC in the coal fields was not viable.  In October 1981,
an op-ed in the Bowling Green Daily News belied Wilkinson’s defense of the coal center suggesting that the choice of location was just “another ‘slap in the face’ to coalfield residents” and that the project would only perpetuate the removal of resources from eastern Kentucky.

The WCC ultimately succumbed to lack of funding. Its shadow hangs over another project that has stumbled from lack of resources: Centrepointe. While the loss of the Phoenix Hotel is thirty years in the rearview of Lexington’s memory, the loss of Morton’s Row is much fresher in the mind of Lexingtonians. The excitement for the Jeanne Gang re-design (combined with disappointment of proceeding without her) and the close eye Lexington keeps on every development demonstrates that some lessons were learned from the loss of the Phoenix Hotel.

Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building (2012) Photo by Jason Sloan

Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building (1983) Photo by Dick DeCamp

As might be guessed, 114 North Upper wasn’t always the office of those who issue and process Lexington’s parking tickets. At one time, you could walk out with more than just a receipt for a ticket. In the National Register nomination form for Lexington’s Downtown Commercial District, preservationist Dick DeCamp called the Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building “one of Lexington’s  most important surviving buildings of that period [Victorian].”

Lowe Brothers Company (1944); Photo: Robert J. Long

The building can be found in “Jordan’s Row,” which was named after early owner John Jordan, Jr. The Berkley, Guthrie & Watson Building, situated at 114-116 North Upper, was designed by prolific architect Herman (H. L.) Rowe in the high Victorian Gothic Style. Construction commenced in 1885 by Lexington builder and stonemason G. D. Wilgus, one of the largest contractors in the area at the time.

Noticeably, much of the historic exterior integrity remains from the original build, while the interior underwent major renovations in the mid-1970s.

Lowe Brothers Company Interior (1944) Photo by Robert J. Long

Originally, the building was constructed for the law firm Berkley, Guthrie & Watson. The firm owned the building until a series of events affecting the firm: John Berkley left; Henry Guthrie shot himself (“presumably to death,” as DeCamp notes); and James Watson ultimately sold the building in 1916.  Since then, the building has been occupied by a diverse group of tenants. From 1925-1937, a furnishing and stationary store, Wrenn and King, occupied the site. Lowe Brothers’ paint and wallpaper called 114-116 North Upper home from 1938 until the 1960s. By the 1960s/70s, the deteriorating structure had become known as the Lowe Building.

In 1975, Garvice  D. Kincaid bought the building and renovated both the exterior and interior. Lexington’s Parking Authority’s director Gary Means found the building perfect for his growing agency when it moved into the building in late 2008. LexPark has found an adaptive use that respects both the commercial history of the building, maintains the historic street view, and provides an attractive, effective work space for Lexington’s parking ticket denizens.

For more information see:
National Register (Downtown Commercial District, 1983)
LexPark