Log House

Dear Editor, I was very glad to see Julie Wagner and The Heart of Danville step up to try to raise funds for the dismantling, etc., of the log house. That is exactly what should happen, if there are a few folks that think it's that important, then they should fund it, with help from state and federal grants. It is not the best idea to use (local) tax dollars for this project, especially when both city and county funds are short. There are to many projects that need to be done before we spend tax dollars on this, as was pointed out by the mayor - water plant, fire truck, raises for employees, etc. The cost went from $20,000 to more than $200,000 for the entire project in less than a month.

After months of taking a wait-and-see approach, Danville City Commission on Monday finally joined efforts to preserve an historic log house discovered on Third Street last year. In a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed to contribute $5,000 toward moving the home, believed to date back to Danville's settlement by John Crow in the late 18th Century, safely into storage so it can be reassembled for public display at a later date. "I really think the city ought to contribute to this," Mayor Hugh Coomer said.

A log structure set to be dismantled on North Third Street could be one of Danville's first houses. Carolyn Crabtree, a local genealogist and historian, has learned that the house was built on land once owned by Kentucky pioneer John Crow, who went to Virginia in 1787 to ask permission for the town to be incorporated. "I think it's important to our community to keep the building here," said Crabtree, who is trying to get the city and county to team up with the state and rebuild the logs at Constitution Square State Historic Site.

Public meeting set to discuss log house A meeting is scheduled 7 p.m. Thursday to discuss the fate of a log house on North Third Street. The session will be at Community Arts Center, Fourth and Main streets. Adam Johnson, executive director of the Danville/Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau, will have charge of the session. City and county officials along with experts who dismantle and rebuild historic structures are expected to give their views on the two-story log house.

A new roadside historical marker will be unveiled and dedicated at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 19 near the Willis Russell House, on West Martin Luther King Boulevard. D. Laurence Rogers of Bay City, Mich., author of a new book about the James Birney family, will be speaker for the marker dedication. Also, Rogers will speak at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 during the Boyle County Genealogical Association's meeting at Boyle County Public Library. Visitors are welcome. The  roadside marker will be at the site of the first school for African-American children in early Danville.  Boyle Landmark Trust has owned the Willis Russell House since 1984.

Dear Editor: We wish to thank The Advocate-Messenger for its coverage of the Planning and Zoning meeting Aug. 17, at which a proposed housing development off of Buster Pike and Shakertown Road (Ky. 33) was discussed. At the meeting, we stated that a pioneer cemetery once existed on the property. We would like to clarify one issue concerning tombstones in this cemetery. A statement was made that no tombstones were found in the stone fence that was recently removed from the property.

Plans are being finalized to dismantle a two-story log structure on North Third Street and move it to Constitution Square State Historic Site. The Heart of Danville has agreed to set up a fund for donations to help defray the cost of the project, which will require the removal of the logs and reconstructing it at Constitution Square, according to Caroyln Crabtree. "We're in the process of getting information on costs to get the log house taken down, the logs marked, preserve it and rebuilt the structure," said Crabtree, who has researched the structure and has encouraged the community to save one of the oldest buildings in Danville.

A community in northeastern Boyle County off Kemper Lane probably was established in the late 1800s by several black families after the Civil War. There is only one dwelling standing in the once-thriving community that had a church, general store and several residences until the 1970s. A couple of dug wells, one lined with fieldstone and another with brick, several limestone foundations and rock fences are the only reminders of the community. Few reminders There are no signs to indicate the large cemetery existed where many of the families were buried.

Boyle Landmark Trust will host an open house 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Willis Russell House on East Walnut Street.    Information will be available about Russell, who opened the first school in the early 1800s for black children in Danville. Charles Gray of Danville, who has been researching the life of Professor John Bate, will talk about Bate's life as an educator.  Other history and exhibits of the period will be on display, said Barbara Hulette, president of the Landmark Trust, which owns the Russell House.

Experts have different theories about when the log house was built. Bill Macintire, survey coordinator with the Kentucky Heritage Council, believes the log portion was built between 1820-1840 while Clay Kelly of Clay Kelly Restoration Consulting and Contracting in Harrodsburg believes it was built before 1790 because of its size. Macintire based his conclusion on the cut nails, moldings on the second floor openings, and treatment of floorboards. If the city and county obtain logs from the structure, Macintire thinks the logs could be used either for repairs on other historic log structures, or sawn into lumber for use in preserving historic buildings.

A new roadside historical marker will be unveiled and dedicated at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 19 near the Willis Russell House, on West Martin Luther King Boulevard. D. Laurence Rogers of Bay City, Mich., author of a new book about the James Birney family, will be speaker for the marker dedication. Also, Rogers will speak at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 during the Boyle County Genealogical Association's meeting at Boyle County Public Library. Visitors are welcome. The  roadside marker will be at the site of the first school for African-American children in early Danville.  Boyle Landmark Trust has owned the Willis Russell House since 1984.

Boyle Landmark Trust will host an open house 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Willis Russell House on East Walnut Street.    Information will be available about Russell, who opened the first school in the early 1800s for black children in Danville. Charles Gray of Danville, who has been researching the life of Professor John Bate, will talk about Bate's life as an educator.  Other history and exhibits of the period will be on display, said Barbara Hulette, president of the Landmark Trust, which owns the Russell House.

In April 2001, the Nicholasville City Commission adopted and established a historic preservation commission with the passing of ordinance 366-2001. But at that time it failed to adopt historic district boundaries and rules property owners must abide by. Wini Yunker, chairwoman of the historic preservation commission, brought this to the attention of the mayor and city commissioners during Monday’s meeting. “It came to our attention last August that we actually have no power,” Yunker said.

100 YEARS AGO - 1908 J.H. Baldwin, who is moving the log house belonging to John Chestnut on Fourth Street, is doing a very fine job. The logs are extra heavy and in one place, they are all cut off together. This makes the walls very hard to move. However, because of the extra care given by Mr. Baldwin, not a single piece of plaster has fallen off. The log home is now safely located on the south end of the lot and a new building will immediately be built by Mr. Chestnut on the north end of his lot. Excavation of the foundation of the Danville Public School addition has begun.

After months of taking a wait-and-see approach, Danville City Commission on Monday finally joined efforts to preserve an historic log house discovered on Third Street last year. In a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed to contribute $5,000 toward moving the home, believed to date back to Danville's settlement by John Crow in the late 18th Century, safely into storage so it can be reassembled for public display at a later date. "I really think the city ought to contribute to this," Mayor Hugh Coomer said.

A community in northeastern Boyle County off Kemper Lane probably was established in the late 1800s by several black families after the Civil War. There is only one dwelling standing in the once-thriving community that had a church, general store and several residences until the 1970s. A couple of dug wells, one lined with fieldstone and another with brick, several limestone foundations and rock fences are the only reminders of the community. Few reminders There are no signs to indicate the large cemetery existed where many of the families were buried.

Donations are coming in for the Save the Log House Project, said Julie Wagner, executive director of Heart of Danville. She also has an application prepared for an emergency grant seeking help from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The project committee is asking for a $5,000 grant and also wants to raise another $5,000 in public funds for a match. The cost of the first phase of the project that includes marking, cleaning, disassembling the logs and completing the demolition of the house will cost more than $18,000, she said.

Dear Editor, I was very glad to see Julie Wagner and The Heart of Danville step up to try to raise funds for the dismantling, etc., of the log house. That is exactly what should happen, if there are a few folks that think it's that important, then they should fund it, with help from state and federal grants. It is not the best idea to use (local) tax dollars for this project, especially when both city and county funds are short. There are to many projects that need to be done before we spend tax dollars on this, as was pointed out by the mayor - water plant, fire truck, raises for employees, etc. The cost went from $20,000 to more than $200,000 for the entire project in less than a month.

Plans are being finalized to dismantle a two-story log structure on North Third Street and move it to Constitution Square State Historic Site. The Heart of Danville has agreed to set up a fund for donations to help defray the cost of the project, which will require the removal of the logs and reconstructing it at Constitution Square, according to Caroyln Crabtree. "We're in the process of getting information on costs to get the log house taken down, the logs marked, preserve it and rebuilt the structure," said Crabtree, who has researched the structure and has encouraged the community to save one of the oldest buildings in Danville.

Public meeting set to discuss log house A meeting is scheduled 7 p.m. Thursday to discuss the fate of a log house on North Third Street. The session will be at Community Arts Center, Fourth and Main streets. Adam Johnson, executive director of the Danville/Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau, will have charge of the session. City and county officials along with experts who dismantle and rebuild historic structures are expected to give their views on the two-story log house.