DYNAMIC ARCHITECTURE OF AN OHIO RIVER TOWN

OLD ROW HOUSES ALONG MARKET STREET
MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY 

Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, is a small town with a  large area of housing and commercial buildings that need to be seen to be appreciated. It is an old river town, along the Ohio River,  that had its beginning in the late 1700s.

Here is a town in situ (buildings not moved) that has remained viable for the folks that live in the area. There is a movement to upgrade sympathetically -- keeping the structure in line with its original design. 

I recently talked with Sara Swope from the Maysville Chamber of Commerce and Lynn David from the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center to ascertain the architectural history of their town. They were both very informative about the mindset of the folks that live there. They both said that the town had families going back several generations and were not anxious to change the architecture of the town. Many natives of the area owned the buildings and felt they should remain as they are.. With such citizens their buildings have become their architectural legacy to Kentucky. 

2ND STREET -- STREETSCAPE --  MAYSVILLE KENTUCKY

My trip to Maysville was a jaw-dropping experience. As I rode into town I was met by a commercial downtown that seems to have every historic type of style imaginable.. Known locally as Old Town, it reflected its economic pattern  by the types of buildings standing -- they were built from 1784 through the late 1800s. If you are a folklife or historic preservation student or layperson of architecture this is where you should visit, to not only see the structures but the connections that they have to the land and the social setting of the town, This is a real working and living town not a planned museum complex. 

OLD OPERA HOUSE -- 2ND STREET --  MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY

Unfortunately, my time was very limited in the town. I had my camera with me however, some turned out dark as the sun was going down. Given the wrong conditions for taking streetscapes, I still pointed the camera and clicked. I wanted to at least give you a small window of some of Maysville's streetscapes. I plan to revisit this place often as it holds threads to our present life -- such as art history, architectural history, settlement patterns, economies, and a cultural matrix of other realities. 

A couple thoughts stood out in my mind as I glanced at the buildings. First and foremost was that the town essentially resembled a time warp. not economically but through their buildings. If I were designing a mid- 1800s movie location, I would say that this town would be the perfect set.

EARLY 1930s SHERWIN WILLIAMS SIGN, 2ND STREET

Above is an Italianate building that housed the Hendrickson Paint Company beginning in 1908  through 2004. The Sherwin Williams sign was installed on its facade in the early 1930s. Its retail business was paint, wallpaper and home furnishing. This is just one of the many examples of the historic and cultural  elements of the town.

2ND STREET -- STREETSCAPE
MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY

More of  2nd Street. This street section appears to hold earlier buildings than the photo -- second one down from the top -- of this post.  Of course my fast glimpse of the town didn't allow time for close examination.

Ms Swope and Ms David provided quite a bit of detail of the Maysville area. Their generoisity and time was greatly appreciated. 

Now when I visit Maysville again (and again) I will allow plenty of time to take in the town.

VITALITY FOUND IN SMALL TOWN --Sunday Simplicities

FIDDLER AT THE CELTIC
FESTIVAL

I have written about the struggles that small towns have faced  trying to realize a viable commercial/retail main street. They face tough odds as box stores proliferate at the edges of their old commercial centers or perhaps businesses just up and leave altogether requiring a drive of several miles to buy even a common light bulb or similar small items. 

However, some small towns have found the magic key to staying alive and viable. One such town is Berea, Kentucky -- it has been able to maintain an energetic economy while retaining its old commercial centers. My photos in this post show some examples of attributes.

LANDSCAPE PODS ALONG MAIN STREET

After I took early retirement, I worked at different short term positions. One was helping small towns revitalize. I offered grant and historic preservation consulting. Working with these towns made me aware of the problems they were trying to head off. It seemed a no-win situation at times. I learned as much from the people of these towns as they learned from me. 

WELL MAINTAINED BUILDINGS
 ALONG WITH VIBRANT
 PLANT CONTAINERS ALONG
 MAIN STREET

What does Berea do that keeps the energy flowing, I'll mention what I have observed as a visitor to the town. They do have a few things in place that certainly helps the town stem the tide of gloom and doom of other small towns. One, they have Berea College, a nationally known liberal small college.Two, they established the area as a recognized arts community. Three, they maintain their physical assets such as commercial buildings, parking and streets. And four, they bring to the town on a very regular basis, lecturers, music, festivals, and other events that encourage citizen participation as well as tourists.

FULL TIME STAFFING
 TO MAINTAIN
 STREET PLANTINGS

Granted, not all small towns have the money or organization to bring their towns back from obscurity but perhaps taking it step by step in the right direction  can result in  being a viable town for the community. 

INVITING BACK SIDES OF
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Small town revitalization is a large issue that cannot be addressed in this small post but I believe it can be done over time with active town citizens

HOT DAYS!!

LANCASTER KENTUCKYCan you feel the heat in this photo of an old house and its streetscape in Lancaster, Kentucky. It brings remote thoughts of scenes from the movie, To Kill A Mockingbird, -- a slow hot southern summer. No one is out and about -- all in the cool of their AC or sitting in the shade somewhere. Too hot! The eastern part of the U.S. is under a hot spell and for some states it has been like this for not only days but for several weeks. Stay cool everyone.