Fayette National Bank commissioned the New York firm of
McKim, Mead and White, whose credits include Madison Square Garden among
others, to design the building. The building needed to reflect the bank’s prominence.
It was a classic skyscraper design of the time and had a three-story arched
windows at the top. It was home to several different banks and offices through
the years. 

Deborah Berke, the first female dean of the Yale School of
Architecture, did the design work on the hotel. The building which was the last
high-rise building built in the city before World War I, was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

The boutique hotel features permanent art collections and
traveling exhibitions. Each of the 88 guest rooms features original artwork. Visitors
to the hotel or the Lockbox restaurant can also expect to find art in
unexpected places. The hotel also hosts a variety of special events, such as
yoga with art, and is available for private events.

The First National Bank Building in downtown Lexington was the city's first skyscraper at 15 stories. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The First National Bank Building has been remodeled and is now the 21c Museum Hotel and features a restaurant, bar and lots of permanent and traveling art collections. 

Other

This building, formerly the First National Building, was Lexington’s first skyscraper at 15 stories. When it was built in 1913 it was the tallest building between Cincinnati and Atlanta. Built by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White, the building is seeing new life as the 21c Museum Hotel. It took four years to remodel and update the building into a modern hotel complete with restaurant, bar, art gallery and meeting spaces. 

First National Bank Building/21c Museum Hotel

This short walking tour includes several historic buildings, monuments, and Lexington landmarks as it winds along Main Street towards the Mary Todd Lincoln House where the tour concludes. 

In early American pioneer life, alcohol was the undisputed drink of choice. After relations with the rum-supplying British were cut off after the Revolutionary War, the new country looked to Kentucky and Ohio for liquor production.[2] It was said that by the 1830’s that people in the U.S. over the age of 15 were consuming more than seven gallons of alcohol a year.[3] For this reason we know that Postlethwait’s Tavern must have been a gathering place in which a myriad of Lexitonians frequented. In fact, Postlethwait’s personal daybook includes page after page of long bar tabs he kept for people who had to have been regulars.[4] Captain John Postlethwait saw his humble beginnings as a tavern owner originate in 1797 after serving as a former Revolutionary War officer.[1] Along with his brother, Captain Postlethwait, “built a low rambling log house,” which had very elegant taste.[2] His tavern served both common folk and also prominent citizens of his day. One of the brilliant features of Postlethwait’s Tavern that made it so popular was the fact that pools for horse-racing were sold inside.[2] Postlethwait’s legacy, however, did not just lie in this tavern. If this were so, it would have been tarnished in the fires that burnt it to the ground, twice, and then saw the ashes built over by what became the Phoenix Hotel.[1] Instead, Captain Postlethwait’s legacy was more diversified as he was noted as a, “pioneer hotel keeper, horseman, and public citizen.”[2] In Kentucky at this point horse racing was just beginning to come to prominence. Postlethwait's Tavern became a key cog in the gambling industry of horse racing. According to a piece composed by the Kentucky Writers' Project, Postlethwait's Tavern became a popular destination amongst, “early Kentucky horsemen.”[2] Postlethwait himself was one of the leading members of Kentucky's early racing industry. According to the same source, Postlethewait, along with statesman Henry Clay, were the leaders is establishing the "Kentucky Association for the Improvement of Breeds of Stock."[2] Furthermore, it was at Postlethwait's Tavern specifically that folks gathered, "and talked up the breeding of light horses."[1] It is apparent that Captain John Postlethwait and his tavern were more than just a business. Located between Water and Main streets, Postlethwait’s Tavern was at the center of the cholera epidemic in the Bluegrass.[5] With the Town Branch waterway located nearby, the water being used in the tavern was likely contaminated after all of the summer storms. This location’s death toll, in particular, became well known, as one physician pointed out that, “the fatality along Main and Water Streets was appalling.”[6] The coincidence that death tolls were so high near Postlethwait’s Tavern is no coincidence at all. The fact of the matter was the being so near to Town Branch and that the tavern was a very popular downtown destination led many who frequented the establishment, and its neighboring businesses, to becoming ill with cholera. The weather in Lexington was a large contributing factor to cholera’s outbreak in the summer of 1833.[5] According to reports, the beginning of the month of June that year saw Lexington experience several days of constant thunderstorms.[6] One Lexington physician claimed that more rain fell in just one day and night, “than is usually allotted to a month.”[6] In the 19th century, sewer systems were still not a part of most cities’ infrastructures, therefore common outhouses were still in existence. So, this abundance of rain eventually caused local waterways, such as nearby Town Branch, to overflow and cause shallow privies to, “spill their contents onto the ground.”[5] This combination of events did not bode well for the patrons of Postlethwait’s Tavern as the disease seized a great number of influential Lexington figures.[2] Captain John Postlethwait was one of many prominent people in Lexington who lost their lives at the outbreak of this disease.[7] The disease spared no one regardless of social status. Among the dead in Lexington were, “three physicians, a number of merchants and mechanics...and Mr. Postlethwait.”[7] Until put into the right context, it is difficult to observe how widespread and fervent cholera became in Lexington that dreadful summer. The first confirmed case of the disease occurred on June 3rd of that year, and just 6 days later on June 9th, “some physicians think 1,500, were ill of the disease.”[6] Postlethwait's Tavern will therefore go down in history as both a place that brought people together for enjoyable conversation and a place that a horrible disease had its roots in.

Captain John Postlethwait’s Tavern was one of Captain Postlethwait’s various business endeavors. In 1833, this site became host to the breakout of one of the most unforgiving and devastating events in Lexington history. After weeks of rainy and stormy weather, Postlethwait’s Tavern became the source that scholars track as the beginnings of the cholera outbreak in Lexington. Captain Postlethwait had his own life seized by the disease as well as nearly 500 other Lexingtonians of the day.[1] In its day, Postlethwait’s Tavern was a premier location for people of all different walks to gather and share the latest news and have a drink.[1]

Captain John Postlethwait's Tavern

Opened in 1797 as the Postlethwaite Tavern, the Phoenix Hotel (renamed in 1820) soon became one of the most famous hotels of its time. Throughout its 180 years, the hotel hosted many famous visitors and was the site in which several important organizations were formed.  The hotel became a famous site during the Civil War. After the Battle of Perryville, located south of Lexington, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his men retreated to the Phoenix. Whilst resting, they were surrounded by Union troops who were also stationed in the area. Later, upon his reinterment in April 1868, Morgan's soldiers formed the Morgan's Men Association as a tribute to their fallen leader. They created the society at the Phoenix Hotel under the oath that they would pledge "fidelity and affection for each other for as long as they lived'' and hold the "memory of our illustrious and beloved leader shall ever be as indelibly stamped upon the tablets of our hearts as his name is written on the undying page of history." Several other important organizations began at the hotel, such as the Alpha Theta chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity at Transylvania University, which was launched at the Phoenix on April 4th, 1891. Additionally, the Kiwanis Club of Lexington, an organization dedicated to serving the community, was founded at the hotel in 1919.  As the world moved into the twentieth century, the hotel was unfortunately still rooted in its Southern prejudices. The hotel became known for its discrimination of Black visitors. Before a pre-season game at Memorial Coliseum in October of 1961, African-American members of the Boston Celtics were refused service by the Phoenix Hotel. As a result, the players boycotted the game and left Lexington, taking a brave stand against this discrimination. In December of 1961, Louis Armstrong came to visit the hotel to perform for a private party. When he arrived, he was met by CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) protesters who were speaking out against the hotel's discriminatory policies. A young Lexington man named Calvert McCann was able to capture this historic moment on film. This was crucial because the Lexington Herald-Leader had refused to provide press coverage of the demonstration.  A historical marker was placed on the grounds of Phoenix Park in 2015 by the Kentucky Historical Society. The marker commemorates the significance of the Phoenix Hotel as the "oldest hostelry in the whole western country," as well as the centennial of the Rotary Club of Lexington which first began meeting at the famed hotel on June 23, 1915.

Opened in 1797 in what is now downtown Lexington, the Phoenix Hotel has a rather infamous history involving both the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Most notably, the hotel was the site of CORE protests in the 1960s, due to its owners’ discriminatory practices. The hotel was demolished in 1981 and replaced by Phoenix Park; today, a historical marker erected by the Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky Department of Highways and the Rotary Club of Lexington stands on the site.

Phoenix Hotel Historical Marker

Mrs. Carol Mayfield, on her nomination form to The National Register of Historic Places, outlines the main significance of the McAdams and Morford Building as "its emulation in cast iron of the architectural designs of the Renaissance," noting the building's cast iron facade which was added sometime after 1857. Largely borrowing from Italian Renaissance architecture, the building features large windows, rounded arches, and intricate mouldings. At the time of its addition to the National Register in 1973, the building was believed to have remained largely unaltered, save for the replacement of a damaged roof, since the addition of the cast iron facade. In 2017, however, a vehicle damaged the building and during repairs it was discovered that previous remodeling efforts had covered arches which were part of the cast iron facade. It is unclear when exactly this remodel was made. The second floor of the building housed Melodeon Hall, a theater and gathering place which sat 300. The first performance in the Hall was held on January 1, 1850. Notable speakers include Dr. Robert Breckinridge on January 4, 1861, whose comments on the State of the Union address is credited with "saving Kentucky for the Union" (Mayfield). Later, Colonel Frank Wolford would speak out against Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in the theater on March 11, 1864. In addition to its place on The National Register of Historic Places, the McAdams and Morford Building is also included in the "Survey of Historic Sites in Kentucky" which was completed in 1971.

Named for pharmacists McAdams and Morford who occupied the corner space of the building from 1898-1994, the McAdams and Morford Building was constructed in 1849. The building was also known as Melodeon Hall when it was home to a theater and meeting space in which Robert Jefferson Breckinridge spoke to a crowd in 1861. Breckinridge ran as a compromise candidate in 1860, and his remarks helped build support for Kentucky's Unionists. The state remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War, although sentiment was not united and the state maintained separate Union and Confederate governments during the war.

McAdams and Morford Building

Context and History Nationwide, there are over 700
Confederate monuments and statues on public property such as courthouses and
other official buildings, as well as parks. Though some were erected
immediately following the American Civil War, there was a sharp increase in
public art dedicated to the Confederacy around 1900-1920, particularly in the
South. It was during this time, when states passed the oppressive,
segregationist Jim Crow laws and the white supremacist Ku Klux Clan (formed
immediately after the Civil War) revived, that Lexington's monument to
Confederate raider John Hunt Morgan was erected. The accompanying historical
marker was added in 1937, extolling Morgan's courage as a romantic symbol of
the "Lost Cause." 



Born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1825,
Morgan's family moved to Lexington in 1831. As the 1937 historical marker
notes, he attended Transylvania College in Lexington; what it fails to mention
is that he was expelled for dueling with a classmate. Morgan fought with the
1st Kentucky Cavalry under Zachary Taylor during the Mexican War, returning to
Kentucky to prosper as a hemp factory and wool mill owner, using slave labor in
his trade. He formed the Lexington Rifles Infantry in 1857 with his personal
funds, and despite the fact that Kentucky never seceded from the Union, Morgan
led the Rifles for the Confederacy. He was made colonel in 1862, fought at
Shiloh, and became part of General Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee. He and
his men began a series of raids in July of that year, destroying both civilian
and Union property as well as railroads and telegraph lines, taking prisoners
along the way and frequently targeting civilians in his attacks. Morgan avoided
open combat whenever possible, and was derisively nicknamed the "King of
the Horse Thieves" by the Union Army.



The raiders successfully disrupted
the Louisville and Nashville Railroad toward the end of 1862, but when Morgan
disobeyed explicit orders from General Bragg by crossing the Ohio River into
southern Indiana and Ohio in July of 1863, he was captured within weeks by men
under the command of Union General Edward H. Hobson. According to Ohio History
Central, "The Great Raid had as many negative effects as positive ones for
the Confederacy," since Morgan's Raiders suffered heavy casualties,
particularly veteran cavalrymen, without significantly disrupting Union logistics;
in addition, the raiders inspired in the civilian population not only fear, but
also determination to fight Confederate troops. Of the 2,400 men who rode with
him on the Great Raid, only 400 avoided death or capture. Morgan himself was
sent to the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus. He escaped in November of 1863
and returned to the South. In spite of his insubordination, he was allowed to
return to service. However, he was suspended from command in the summer of 1864
for the robbery and looting of civilian populations by Morgan and his Raiders;
a court inquiry was set for September 10 to address the charges. Morgan stayed
at the Dickson-Williams House in Greenville, Tennessee, where he planned to
attack the largely pro-Union city of Knoxville, Tennessee. Just six days before
his court date, Union troops arrived and Morgan, trying to escape, was shot by private
who had served under him in the Mexican War. Morgan was buried in Virginia, but
was disinterred by his brother Calvin in 1868 to be buried in Lexington Cemetery.



Lexington's memorial statue to John
H. Morgan stands on the old courthouse lawn, which was once the slave auction
block for the city. The Morgan monument was dedicated in 1911 and paid for by
the state of Kentucky, the Daughters of the Confederacy, and private donors.

In Lexington, Kentucky, two monuments to Confederate soldiers stand on the ground which was once the city's slave auction site. One is dedicated to John Hunt Morgan, the other to John C. Breckinridge. Following white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend of August 11-13, 2017, Lexington's mayor stated that both statues will be relocated. The statue of Morgan was erected in 1911, during the Jim Crow era and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Clan.

John Hunt Morgan Statue

Construction on the building began in 1898, and it
originally featured three floors and a rotunda. Kentucky limestone was used in the
exterior. Other features of the original building include a weathervane of a
copper horse, framing over some entrances that featured 12 male faces with
differing expressions and a bell at the top of the building. 

Renovations came in the 1960s and the rotunda was sealed
off. A fourth floor was added and the grand marble staircase was taken out. It
was put on the National Register in 1983. It was used by the court system until
2001. The Lexington History Museum was located there from 2003 until it closed
in 2012. To its west is Cheapside, a small park which was used for slave
auction, abolitionists’ speeches, horse sales and more. Also outside in the
courthouse square are statues of Confederate leaders General John Hunt Morgan
and John C. Breckinridge. 

Current renovations are scheduled to be complete in 2018.
The building will then include a restaurant, bar, event and office space and a
tourist attraction center. The project is being funded with a combination of
bond money and federal and state historic tax credits. Repairs include removing
the hazardous materials, a new roof, new masonry work and reopening the rotunda
among others.

This Romanesque-style building served as Fayette County’s fifth courthouse and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building held the Lexington History Center until 2012, when asbestos was discovered and the museums were forced to leave the building. The building is being renovated and will be home to a number of business when it is completed while the future of the museums are uncertain. Organized in 1999 and located at the former Fayette County Courthouse until 2012, the Lexington History Center offered a space for several museums under one roof until forced to vacate the building. The museum now offers pop-up exhibits and works to preserve their collections and offer online exhibits until the organization is once again able to offer a permanent exhibit space. The Center included the Lexington History Museum, the Public Safety Museum, the Pharmacy Museum, and the Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum. The Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum is now located in the Robert H. Williams Cultural Center. 

Old Fayette County Courthouse

Context and History

Nationwide, there are over 700
Confederate monuments and statues on public property such as courthouses and
other official buildings, as well as parks. Though some were erected
immediately following the American Civil War, there was a sharp increase in
public art dedicated to the Confederacy in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, particularly in the South. During this time, states were
enacting oppressive, segregationist Jim Crow laws while the Ku Klux Klan
(formed immediately after the Civil War) revived dramatically. In Kentucky, there
were 205 recorded lynchings of African Americans between 1882 and 1968. The
Confederate monuments at the historic Fayette County Courthouse in Lexington
were erected during this "Lost Cause" movement, which sought to
minimize the horror of slavery and the central role of slavery in the South's
attempt to secede.



One of the primary objections to the
Breckinridge monument is its particular location's history. These two
Confederate statues stand on the ground of what was once the Cheapside Slave Auction
Block. In 2015, a group called Take Back Cheapside formed to protest the
presence of the statues on the old slave grounds. The organization also seeks
to promote more accurate historic markers in the city, dealing with its status
as the "unofficial capitol of Kentucky's slave trade." In the decades
before the Civil War, Lexington was a central part of the slave trade of not
only the state, but the South in general; it was the second largest slave
auction site in the nation, and one quarter of the city's population in 1860
were slaves. Auctions were a part of daily life in Lexington, as was the
presence of slave traders and the prison pens in which they kept individuals
and families who were often forcibly and permanently separated from each other
as part of the auction process. A whipping post stood nearby for the punishment
of both enslaved and free Black Kentuckians. Though there were historical
markers relating the history of the auction block and the whipping post, they
and the statue of Breckinridge were moved in 2010 when the city constructed
Cheapside Pavilion. The markers, unlike the Confederate monument, have yet to
be replaced.&nbsp;

John Cabell Breckinridge
(1821-1875) was born in Lexington, KY. He attended Centre College before going to Princeton to study law. He returned to Lexington to study at Transylvania University. He went to practice law in Iowa and Kentucky before&nbsp;serving in the Mexican War, though he never faced combat.&nbsp;He went on to serve&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Kentucky state house of representatives in 1849 to start his political career.&nbsp;As a cousin of Mary
Todd Lincoln, Breckinridge became friends with Abraham Lincoln in spite of
their political differences (including their differing positions regarding the
issue of slavery). Breckinridge supported allowing new states and territories
to hold slaves, though he was viewed as a moderate who, like his uncle Robert
Breckinridge, may have supported gradual emancipation. Part of this position
included the plan that emancipated African Americans would be deported and
resettled outside of the United States. Breckinridge, though he owned only a
few house slaves, staunchly defended slavery and the lifestyle it allowed white
Southerners to attain. He believed in the supremacy of the white race, in spite
of the criticism others in his time offered to the idea.



Nonetheless, his position was a
popular one, and his skill at public speaking helped him become James
Buchanan's Vice President at the age of 36, making him the youngest Vice
President in American history to date. After he lost the Presidential election of 1860
to Abraham Lincoln (he came in third in the popular vote behind Lincoln and Stephen Douglas), he was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Kentucky in 1861.While in office, he encouraged his state to secede, but following the state's choice to stay with the Union, he went south in fear of being arrested.&nbsp;The United States
Senate expelled him on the grounds of treason in 1861.&nbsp;Breckinridge was commissioned to command the "Orphan Brigade," a Kentucky unit whose troops felt betrayed by their home state. He commanded the Reserve Corps at the Battle of Shiloh. Shortly after, he was promoted to a major general. Some other famous battles Breckinridge played a part in were the Battles of Stones River, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga.In 1865, Confederate
president Jefferson Davis named Breckinridge secretary of war, but the army
surrendered soon afterward. Breckinridge opposed further guerilla action on the
part of the Confederacy, and fled the country, from Cuba to England to Canada.
President Andrew Johnson's blanket pardon in 1868 allowed Breckinridge to
return to Lexington, where he publicly denounced the Ku Klux Klan. Until his
death due to ill health in 1875, he practiced law and became president of the
Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy Railroad.

In Lexington, Kentucky, two monuments to Confederate soldiers stand on the ground which was once the city's slave auction site. One is dedicated to John Hunt Morgan, the other to former U.S. Vice President and Confederate Secretary of State John C. Breckinridge. Following white supremacist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend of August 11-13, 2017, Lexington's mayor proposed to move the statues to Lexington Cemetery, where both men are buried, a relocation with approval from many citizens on opposing sides of the issue. The statue of Breckinridge was erected in 1887 by the state of Kentucky, during the Jim Crow era and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.

Breckinridge Statue at Cheapside

Throughout the 20th century, there were several prominent African American doctors who came to the Lexington area to practice medicine and are remembered with a marker that sits just off the road at 118 North Broadway. These physicians went on to contribute to their profession and in the community. Obed Cooley, Joseph Laine, and John Hunter some that are mentioned on the marker. The marker commemorates the building that once housed their offices. These doctors occupied the offices from 1909 through 1930 practicing through WWI and the Great Depression. 

The marker was presented by Professor Doris Wilkinson, Historical Sociologist at the University of Kentucky. Doris Wilkinson was a member of the first class of African American students at the University of Kentucky in 1954. She became the director for the African American Trail Project, presenting Lexington with the African American Physicians marker.

Obed Cooley dedicated his life to serving Kentuckians in Lexington after becoming a doctor. His parents were free slaves from Virginia and were in the position to be able to send Obed to good schools and eventually medical school. He was able to attend college because his family pulled together and made donations. He came to Lexington, KY from the University of Michigan to practice medicine. He continued to practice in Lexington until his death in 1937.

John Hunter was from Virginia, too. Upon coming to Lexington, KY, he became the first African-American surgeon at St. Joseph's Hospital. He is remembered for helping found Lexington’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. The Hunter Foundation for Healthcare later called Healthcare of the Bluegrass was named after John and his son Bush, for the combined 113 years of service to the area.

Joseph Laine is mentioned because of his work in Lexington and Louisville. Unlike Cooley and Hunter, he was a native of Kentucky. He was able to attend Berea College and then medical school at the Meharry Medical College. Laine practiced medicine in both Lexington and Louisville throughout his life. The Laine Medical Clinic is a project that he is best known for founding.

The doctors on the marker are significant because they survived a time when African Americans weren’t given the same opportunities as other white men. Despite not having equal conditions they went on to contribute to the area more than just practicing medicine. These doctors were able to provide for the community with clinics, schools, and foundations.

This historical marker is a part of the African American Trail in Lexington and reveals information about some of the early doctors that established practices in Lexington. The marker includes the first African American surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital, John Hunter. The other doctors mentioned on the marker not only practiced medicine despite facing discrimination but were also important leaders in the African American community.

African American Physicians of Kentucky Historical Marker, Lexington

The Opera House, which opened in 1850, was one of many theatres around Broadway and Main Streets in Lexington, but it quickly surpassed the others in popularity. Though it was a simple structure, the theater occasionally attracted nationally-renowned acts like Edwin Booth and Buffalo Bill as well as hordes of tourists. However, a fire on January 15, 1886 destroyed the building and nearby stables, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. Construction on a new theater on the same site began just five months later. Architect Oscar Cobb of Chicago came up with a grand vision for the new theater. Every seat was cushioned, and some were upholstered in morocco leather or velvet. The walls were adorned with frescoes, which were lit by over two-hundred gaslights. New plumbing ensured that the theater could be quickly flooded in case of another fire and helped to keep the building cool, as the water came from a nearby ice factory.

The Opera House reopened on July 19, 1887 with a concert by the Cincinnati Symphony. One month later, Our Angel became the first play performed in the new theater. Being situated between major theater circuits in Louisville and Cincinnati, the Lexington Opera House became a convenient stop for traveling shows. One of the most memorable was Henry Regatta in 1890, for which the entire stage was flooded since most of the performance took place in rowboats. Three years later, A Country Circus graced the stage with a mile-long parade and over about one-hundred animals. In 1904, the stage had to be partially remodeled to accommodate the on-stage chariot race in Ben Hur. Over the next few years, other big acts, like Will Rogers, Mae West, and the Marx Brothers, would also come to the Opera House.

However, with the entrance into the twentieth century came the popularity of a new medium: motion pictures. Between competition from radio and movie theaters, the Opera House had no choice but to adapt. It closed for a brief time in the 1920s while it was converted into a movie house; part of the remodel requiring a false ceiling to be constructed. Still, some big names did perform at the theater during the next few years, including Lillian Russell, Harry Houdini, Sarah Bernhardt, W. C. Fields, Helen Hayes, and the Barrymore family. The last live performance at the Lexington Opera House was of The Arabian on October 1, 1926. Afterward, the theater continued to operate successfully as a movie palace despite the arrival of sound films and the Great Depression.

Price Coomer, who began working at the Opera House in 1930, later became its owner in 1955, buying it from the previous owner Harry Schwartz. Coomer remodeled the theater several times over the years, helping it keep up with the times. In 1961, the Opera House and the adjacent building, Peerless Laundry, were slated for demolition. Peerless Laundry was razed, but the Opera House was saved when abnormally strong winds pushed against the theater in 1968 or 1973 (sources differ). With no building next door to take the brunt of the wind, the Opera House was damaged as winds caused part of the false ceiling to fall. This damage brought the theater to the attention of local preservations, who began restoring it soon after. The Lexington Opera House officially reopened in 1976 as a performing arts venue.

The original Lexington Opera House burned down in 1886, and this successor was completed just over a year later. Situated near a major railroad and between popular circuits, the Opera House became an essential stop for many traveling acts. When films eclipsed live performances in popularity in the early twentieth century, the Opera House kept up with the times by converting to a movie theater in the 1920s. Hard times came during the Great Depression, but the Opera House managed to stay open, though it became a second-run movie theater by the late 1960s. With the rise of multiplexes and malls in the 1970s, it was feared that the Opera House would be torn down. However, local efforts led to the restoration of the theater and its reopening as a performing arts venue in 1976.

Lexington Opera House

This house was constructed in Lexington between 1803 and 1806. Before President Abraham Lincoln’s future wife lived there, the building served as a public inn known as “The Sign of the Green Tree.” In 1832, Robert Todd, a politician and businessman, turned the inn into a home for his family which at that time included his 3-year-old daughter Mary. The house was located in the heart of growing community which was sometimes compared to neighborhoods in Philadelphia and Boston given the wealth of area land-owning residents. Because Robert Todd was a wealthier and more prominent man, he was able to provide his family with a prestigious social standing along with extravagant possessions. Her grandfather was Levi Todd, one of the founders of the city Lexington. Mary Todd received a high-quality education and became extremely well-versed in many subjects including politics.

The large house on Main Street was maintained by household slaves. Because of her father’s wealth and status, young Mary Todd would have met many influential guests to the home including fellow Kentuckian Henry Clay. At the time, Clay was an ambitious leader of the young Whig party and he would later become a three-time presidential candidate. Clay was a family friend and assured Mary she would be among the first guests in Washington should he become president. She made it to the White House, but it was not through Clay.&nbsp;After her sister Elizabeth Todd married the former governor of Illinois. Mary later followed her to Springfield in 1839. While in Springfield she attracted several admirers, including Stephan Douglas and her eventual husband. It was not long after she moved when she attended a dance where she met her future husband and future 16th President. At first, her family did not approve of the marriage, for Lincoln had very little formal education and grew up poor.&nbsp;Lincoln proposed, but then broke off the engagement due to having cold feet. Eighteen months later, the two rekindled and got married the next day in 1842. Five years later, Lincoln and Todd visited Lexington for three weeks on their way to Washington for the beginnings of Lincoln’s political career.Mary had given up her luxurious life for Lincoln while maintaining their household in Springfield. She was reportedly "worn" but not displeased with this role. Both through marriage and her advice and support, Mary helped Lincoln advance his political career. As he gained popularity and a reputation for thoughtful speeches, Lincoln began his rise to prominence. In 1860, he became the nation’s first Republican President. When Mary moved into the White House there was major controversy surrounding it.&nbsp;As the nation headed toward disunion, many thought Lincoln's marriage might be problematic as his wife was a product of a slave-holding Kentucky family with Confederate sympathies. Some even accused her of being a Confederate spy. Others disagreed, claiming her partnership with Lincoln as proof of her rejection of her Southern roots.&nbsp;This and events in their lives caused Mary to live uncomfortably in the White House for the entirety of the Lincoln presidency. Her breaking point was the loss of her child and the assassination of her husband at Ford's Theater in 1865. Some historians suggest she was driven insane by political stresses, scandals, and the pressures of the job, not to mention great personal loss. She was admitted to an asylum, never to return to her beautiful southern style home.

Mary's father passed away in 1849 and left behind an unclear will. With no clear beneficiary, the state sold this house and its contents at auction.&nbsp;In time, collectors and preservationists were able to acquire many of the original items from the house. Today the luxurious brick house at 528 Main Street includes 14 rooms that contain exhibits related to the Todd family including family portraits and furnishings from the Todds along with a few items that belonged to President Lincoln. Visitors can tour the original and separate slave quarters, outdoor kitchen, washhouse, smokehouse, and carriage house that were all hallmarks of status in the period. A garden was recently added to reflect the charm of the original.Although Mary Todd Lincoln’s life was tragic, she still enjoyed the trappings of her southern background usually surrounded by elites and wealth. In part because of her spending and contributions to the White House, Todd-Lincoln was designated as the first First Lady to have a historic site restored in her honor.

The Mary Todd-Lincoln House opened to the public in 1977. One of the most influential presidential spouses in American history, Mary Todd-Lincoln also became the first of America's "First Ladies" to have a historic site dedicated in her honor. The house is located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky where she spent most of her adolescent years. She married 16th President Abraham Lincoln who visited the house along with the Todd family during his presidency. The house museum offers exhibits about the Todd and Lincoln families and other wealthier families along the Kentucky frontier.

Main Street Lexington Walking Tour

First National Bank Building/21c Museum Hotel

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information