BGT deTours

05/27/2026

Join us next Wednesday for our June deTour of Hotel Thoroughbred in Paris! We'll explore one of the region's most exciting recent adaptive reuse projects, housed in the historic 1891 Hinton Building on Main Street.

A longtime landmark of downtown Paris, standing directly across from Secretariat Park, the Hinton Building has been thoughtfully reimagined as a 19-room boutique hotel and event center steeped in Bourbon County history. See the entry wall built from original Claiborne Farm paddock fencing and the silver julep cups presented to Penny Chenery for Secretariat's Triple Crown. The historic grand staircase has been transformed into a three-story "walking gallery" of photographs from the Keeneland Library archives, including tributes to legendary Black jockeys and Bourbon County natives Isaac Burns Murphy and Isaac Lewis. Throughout the building, the work of local craftspeople anchors the design in the community it celebrates: Bourbon Millwork, Quillin Leather, potter Dennis Varney, and many others.

Adaptive reuse done well is one of preservation's most powerful tools, and Hotel Thoroughbred is a beautiful example of what happens when a historic building is entrusted to people who understand its value. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at this remarkable project!

HOTEL THOROUGHBRED 530 Main Street, Paris, KY Wednesday, June 3 6 PM

05/15/2026

05/13/2026

Advocacy Alert! Blue Grass Trust is continuing to partner with Aylesford Action to oppose the loss of historic housing on Rose and Maxwell. Although developer Core Spaces failed in their effort to rezone this block last fall, they are still intending to purchase the 12 National Register-listed buildings this summer and will likely demolish them soon after.

Join us for two events and help raise awareness about this serious threat to the fabric of the Aylesford neighborhood.

This Saturday morning (May 16), Aylesford Action will be hosting an informational meeting at 221 Stone Ave from 9 to 11. We'll discuss our advocacy strategy and identify community-oriented approaches to overdevelopment and displacement.

And mark your calendars: we are also organizing a neighborhood block party near the project area on June 13. More information on that event will be forthcoming!

05/07/2026

Tonight we kicked off Preservation Month with a special deTour at historic White Hall State Historic Site!

Tucked into the rolling farmland of northern Madison County, this sprawling 44-room mansion is best known as the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay — one of Kentucky’s most outspoken emancipationists, a fiery political figure, and U.S. Minister to Russia. Originally built in 1799 by his father, General Green Clay, as a modest seven-room home, White Hall was transformed over the decades into the grand, 10,000-plus-square-foot Italianate mansion we see today. His wife, Mary Jane Warfield Clay, oversaw its dramatic expansion while he served abroad, and their daughters — including Laura Clay — went on to play leading roles in the women’s suffrage movement. Few houses in Kentucky so powerfully reflect one family’s impact on the state’s political and social history.

And now, the announcement you’ve all been waiting for: White Hall reopens to the public in June! 🎉

Join us as we kick off Preservation Month with a special deTour at historic White Hall! Tucked into the rolling farmland of northern Madison County, this sp...

05/04/2026

Every day, someone reaches out to the Blue Grass Trust for help saving a historic place, and because of our supporters, we are able to say yes.

From old windows and historic tax credits to preservation advice and advocacy, this work happens one building and one conversation at a time, all across Central Kentucky.

As we celebrate National Historic Preservation Month and approach the end of our fiscal year, please consider making a gift to the Blue Grass Trust Annual Fund. Your support makes this work possible!

Click the link below to donate today!
https://www.bluegrasstrust.org/annual-fund?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn2HK0IjERy5xW4IoVRpD4j6NEb1CXbUHbPqm_vwJAQoIHcp3NDwLUmyGA2X4_aem_VP1ix2TqQ-mrG-cJGobu8g

04/29/2026

Join us as we kick off Preservation Month with a special deTour at historic White Hall—with a big announcement that night!

Tucked into the rolling farmland of northern Madison County, this sprawling 44-room mansion is best known as the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay — one of Kentucky’s most outspoken emancipationists, a fiery political figure, and U.S. Minister to Russia. Originally built in 1799 by his father, General Green Clay, as a modest seven-room home, White Hall was transformed over the decades into the grand, 10,000-plus-square-foot Italianate mansion we see today. His wife, Mary Jane Warfield Clay, oversaw its dramatic expansion while he served abroad, and their daughters — including Laura Clay — went on to play leading roles in the women’s suffrage movement. Few houses in Kentucky so powerfully reflect one family’s impact on the state’s political and social history. deTours are always free and open to the public!

White Hall
500 White Hall Shrine Road, Richmond, KY
Wednesday, May 6th
6:00 PM

04/27/2026

Celebrate Preservation Month and Bike Month with a fun, safe, and educational ride through Lexington’s most concentrated collection of Richard B. Isenhour designed homes! Active from the 1950s through the 1980s, Isenhour was a key figure in introducing mid-century modern residential design to Central Kentucky. His work often used natural materials like wood and local limestone alongside expansive windows that brought a strong connection between architecture and the landscape, resulting in homes that were both innovative and harmonious with their sites.
The route follows a safe, low-traffic loop through residential neighborhoods. This one-hour guided ride is open to cyclists of all experience levels. For safety, helmets are required. The event is free, but registration is required. Click the link below for the bike tour route and registration!

Mid-Century Modern Bike Tour
Meeting Point: UK Arboretum Water Tower
Friday, May 8th�11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

https://www.bluegrasstrust.org/mid-century-modern-bike-tour