VINTAGE ARCHITECTURAL NATIVE LIMESTONE ROCK

 Hand chiseled ends on large limestone stairs
 Lancaster, Kentucky

As one visits the towns and rural areas  of  central Kentucky you are likely to bypass many beautiful stairs that were designed for households and commercial establishments from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. More than likely you wouldn't notice them -- as stairs are just stairs -- right? 

However, the stairs that you see in my photos above and below all have a connection to the social and economic history of the area. I think a pretty interesting one.

Limestone steps to a historic home in Lancaster, Kentucky

The vintage stairs shown are made out of native limestone that  was found in either local rock outcroppings in fields, creek beds or in small quarries. 

Native limestone contributed an important and respectful architectural material to the area's settlement era.  One can still find an abundance of vintage limestone rock being used for walls, fences, chimneys, foundations, stairs,  housing, sidewalks and other building configurations.

It was a major building material in and around central Kentucky and to accomplish this certain social and economic factors came together.

One being immigration. During the 1800s stone masons,  mainly from Ireland, immigrated to the area to practice their homeland  trade of masonry. The Irish potato famine during the mid-1800s seemed to be one of the driving forces for immigration to the states. 

Secondly, prior to the civil war, black slaves were able to fill in as masonry assistants. After the civil war  black assistants became masons in their own right.  

Old limestone steps remaining from a buildings long gone.

Mt Vernon, Kentucky

Masonry during this time was slow work. The work was done by hand  -- having rock delivered to the work site and then carefully chiseled with special tools to fit the project at hand.   The rock was delivered by horse driven wagons.

If one studies the different old limestone masonry work around central Kentucky one will eventually recognize that each mason left his own individualized  imprint on his work.  Some very finely accomplished -- some rather naive. To be able to attach individual names to certain limestone projects is rare -- their names being lost to history. Basically masonry was a male trade during this era. 

So the interesting story is that it took blacks, immigrants and limestone coming together to leave not only a social impact on the area but an economic one that left architectural integrity on the built environment in central Kentucky. 

Reference used for this post:
My thanks to the authors Carolyn Murray-Wooley and Karl Raitz, authors of Rock Fences of the Bluegrass.Their book contains fascinating research on the limestone fences of central Kentucky. 

ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE TRADITION

ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE
October, 1940. Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration Photos

Mary Post Wolcott, Photographer

Tis the time for all young folks to parade back to school. There are different types of school choices today -- private, public or home schooling. 


Notice that none of these choices are the one room school house which used to dot our country's landscape during the latter part of the 19th century and into the earlier part of the 20th century. Primarily rural in nature -- they were located in the country and small towns. 

I have always appreciated the tradition of the one room school house. I thought it would be interesting to find some old photos of students attending one of these types of schools. Luckily the Library of Congress provided a couple from their archives.


As I am sure you know, the one room school usually held quite a few grades all taught in one room with one teacher. The usual school room scenario seemed to be first through eighth grade.

MOUNTAIN CHILDREN PLAYING
 MARBLES AFTER SCHOOL

October, 1940. Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration Photos

Mary Post Wolcott, Photographer

These schools had a traditional social culture where everyone knew each other and you didn't compete by wearing fashionable clothes. Children learned from the students as well as the teacher, and most students assisted those who needed help.

Also, you usually walked quite a distance to school, sometimes brought your homemade lunch in a tin lunch bucket  and got time off to help with work chores at home -- these activities would keep children healthy and strong.


It was a tight school community onto itself. It was self regulated in a sense.

Today young folks are attending large consolidated schools where they do not know all the teachers or other students. The idea of "school community" has become a loosely knit phrase.


My question is -- are we going in the right direction with our school culture today?