The Preservation Rightsizing Network has caught on to a deep strain of interest to see reform from within the preservation movement. Their timing for this could not be better given it is the 50th anniversary year since the National Historic Preservation Act was passed by Congress and signed in to law by President Lyndon Johnson. … Read more
George Washington Pridemore House on North 25th St. We’re trying to identify as many bungalow properties in Middlesboro as we can. This will help us as we continue to restore our own house, the George Washington Pridemore House on North 25th Street. Kentucky provides tax credits for work on owner occupied residences. In order to … Read more
House shortly after we bought it in 2013. We moved from doing mostly indoor work to outdoors this year, when our front stoop was restored in August. Several of the riser bricks had fallen in and a stone step was cracked. The columns had several layers of paint on them from prior owners. They were … Read more
The Alexandria Room was intended for public assemblies and balls. The room was on the second floor of the City Hotel, built for John Wise in 1792 at the corner of Cameron and North Ryoal streets in Alexandria, Virginia. Today the building is open to the public as Gadsby’s Tavern. In this room in 1799, … Read more
On Halloween Day, 2015, Middlesboro made history by building the first protected bike lane in Kentucky. Volunteers were invited to help with building the first protected bike lane in Kentucky. Once the green lane was painted, the sharrow stencil and spraypaint finished the job. Volunteers headed back along the Canal Walk to join the main … Read more
Harrisonburg is the home of James Madison University. Due to that fact there is a nice mix of businesses, many of which appeal to the students, faculty, staff, and visitors. In 2015 I had an opportunity to get a tour from the outgoing Executive Director of the downtown organization. Near sunset I caught a glimpse … Read more
We were only in Richmond long enough to catch a hotel room for the night and to say hello to some new people the next morning. While visiting I did my best to see the sights and catch a few other quick observations. Waking up to the Virginia State Capitol across from my hotel was … Read more
The third and final stop for the day as I made my way to Richmond for the night was in South Boston. Arriving just before sunset, I only had time to quick glimpse of the town in full light. Handsome two-story brick buildings like these created a solid continuous building wall and a shoppable few … Read more
Hillsville is home of the handsome Carroll County Court House with an octagonal cupola and pedimented front. Set on a hill it further stands out from its surrounds. These two and three story buildings create a nice sense of enclosure and a building wall. Hillsville is a Preserve America community. The sign is on the … Read more
Prior to a house being constructed on this lot the entire block it was located on underwent an interesting series of transfers that reflect the unique development history of Middlesboro. The Middlesborough Town Company originally held title to all properties in town. The entire management resigned under pressure from shareholders in October 1891. The company … Read more