Saving and Preserving Historic buildings.

I love the Gilmore Girls. Recently I have been thinking about the episode right after Lorelei bought the Dragonfly. She is feuding with Taylor about renovations the building needs. She wants to tear down the porch and replace it. The porch isn't original to the building, but Taylor doesn't care and makes a statement about how we won't have historic things if we tear them down when they are only a few years old. Yes I am going somewhere with this ramble. A feud is taking place in the next county over from the Wandering Wonderful Homestead. A year ago a historic 86 year old church that has been a landmark of this town was purchases with the intent on being made into the towns new library. The board paid over 470,000 for the building and lot. That may not be a lot of money where some of you come from (I watch house hunters) but here in the hills of Appalachia that is an astonishing amount of money. The board didn't see fit to have a building inspection before plunking down nearly half a million in tax payer and coal severance money. Always get an inspection, always. They are now behind schedule and have realized that the beautiful brick building will not work for their intended goals. Their plan now? Raze the build, and build a new, similar structure on the lot. Many people are outraged by this, you can watch the board meeting here and here and see the original idea for the library here The building is eligible for a place on the historic registry. 


 I love old buildings, on my travels I always seek out historic buildings that are available for tours, I love the creak of hard wood floors and banisters shined by a hundred years of hands. I love the worn charm of history. People around the state have been buying up historic buildings and converting them into works of beauty. Dr. John Pellegrini bought the old Whitesburg post office and plans to convert the space into a art gallery. Whitesburg is already home to the world famous Appal Shop, a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts and education center. 

Morehead State University's Folk Art Center is housed in a beautiful old store front that was

generously donated by  Lovena and William Richardson when they closed their business.