A New Voice for Underrepresented History
The Blue Grass Trust Welcomes our First
Coordinator of African American Preservation!
We are pleased to welcome Esosa Osayamwen to the Blue Grass Trust team as Coordinator of African American Preservation. Esosa is an Architectural Historian with experience in cultural resource surveys, Section 106 compliance reviews, archival research, oral histories, and exhibit design. Her past work includes archival research and exhibit development for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution Archives, and Fort Knox, with projects spanning Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Kentucky. She holds a B.A. from Smith College and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design, where she received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.
In her new role, Esosa will help identify, document, and advocate for sites connected to Kentucky's African American history through community engagement, research, and preservation planning that elevates underrepresented historic resources. This new position is the first of its kind in Kentucky and is made possible by generous funding from the Mellon Foundation.
Esosa officially joined the Blue Grass Trust on September 7, and we couldn't be more excited to have her on board!
EDUCATION
October 2026 deTour
River House Museum
Join us Wednesday, October 7 for our deTour of the River House Museum at Fort Boonesborough State Park in Madison County, Kentucky! This tour takes us through a preserved early 20th century lockmaster's home and into the fascinating history of the Kentucky River navigation system. Between 1836 and 1917, a system of 14 locks and dams was built along the Kentucky River, creating an important network for river transportation through the heart of Kentucky. The River House offers a glimpse into the people and places that supported this remarkable system, including the Walters family, who lived in the home for two generations. This deTour will be guided, and depending on the size of our crowd, we may divide into smaller groups as we proceed through the home.
2026 OCTOBER DETOUR
River House Museum, Fort Boonesborough State Park
4375 Boonesboro Road, Richmond, KY
Wednesday, October 7
6 PM
Go past the Fort entrance and use the entrance to the park area.
Limited parking is available at the museum, with ample parking throughout the surrounding park.
Recap: September 2026 deTour
William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology
Our September deTour took us to the William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology at the University of Kentucky. Founded in 1931, the Webb Museum is one of Kentucky's most important repositories for archaeological collections, preserving artifacts, photographs, field records, and archival materials that help us understand the people and communities who have shaped Kentucky and the wider world. We learned how the collections are cared for, studied, and shared with students, researchers, and the public. A big thanks to the UK Department of Anthropology for hosting and presenting their work!
We’re honored to welcome Donovan Rypkema for this year’s Hopemont Lecture. As principal of PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development consulting firm, Rypkema has spent his career at the intersection of historic preservation and economics, and he’s widely regarded as one of the nation's leading voices on the economic case for saving historic places.
Historic preservation is rightly celebrated for the history, architecture, and character it protects. But historic places are also an important part of our housing supply and local economy. Drawing on research from communities across the country, Rypkema will explore the measurable impact of historic preservation on affordable housing, jobs, local businesses, and tax revenues. His data-driven look will show how the places we already have can help communities meet today’s housing and economic challenges and build a stronger, more resilient future.
ADVOCACY
McFarland House (center) and Schaeffer House (right), 1983.
Schaeffer House Protected during Luxury Condo Construction
At its last meeting, the Planning Commission approved the rezoning of the corner of E. Main and Kentucky Ave to allow for a six-story, luxury condo building: The Lexingtonian. Sadly, this project calls for the demolition of the c. 1900 McFarland House at 518 E. Main, which contains the Justice Realty offices. The owner of that building has been intending to redevelop it for decades. But there is a silver lining. The Commission heeded our request to place a note on the development plan that would protect the c. 1886 Schaeffer House at 512 E. Main from demolition during construction. This averts the all-too-common problem of developers — like Ball Homes at the former Spring Valley Golf Club — indicating the retention of historic resources on their plans and razing them after approval. We have also received preliminary consent to salvage the McFarland House's historic features, which will likely occur in early 2027.
Schaeffer House, 512. E. Main, July 2026
DIRECT SERVICES
Out in the Community:
The Monuments Workshop
Staff members represented the Blue Grass Trust at "Beyond Statues: A Convening on Land, Space, and Memory," hosted by the University of Kentucky's Monuments Workshop. The convening brought together cultural workers, community leaders, preservationists, artists, scholars, and public officials for a national conversation on monuments, memorialization, and public memory.
The Blue Grass Trust was also happy to reconnect with our 2025 Hopemont Lecturer, Dr. Melynda Price, Co-Director of the Monuments Workshop and Director of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan. It was a rewarding day of conversation and connection with colleagues doing similar work across the country.
Chad Walker (left) and councilmember Tom Eblen (right) with Blue Grass Trust staff at the Warehouse Block’s 40th Anniversary party.
Out in the Community:
Preserving the Warehouse Block
Blue Grass Trust staff joined the community at Epping's on Eastside to celebrate the Warehouse Block's 40th anniversary, where Mayor Linda Gorton officially declared August 19th "Warehouse Block Day" in Lexington. Once home to Lexington's industrial brickyards and bottling works, the district is stewarded by the Walker family, whose adaptive reuse of the area's historic buildings turned a fading industrial corridor into one of the city's most beloved gathering places. It was a fitting tribute to a neighborhood that has stayed true to its roots while continuing to evolve, and a reminder of what thoughtful preservation can make possible.
Pedal for Preservation riders in front of the historic Brass Lounge in Newport, Kentucky
Out in the Community:
Newport’s Pedal for Preservation
Our Community Outreach Manager, Jackson Osborne, recently joined our friends at the Cincinnati Preservation Association for their “Pedal for Preservation,” a bike tour of historic Newport, Kentucky. The ride gave Jackson an opportunity to learn more about historic bike tours and how they can connect people with the history of a community, with hopes of bringing some of those ideas back to the Blue Grass Trust and exploring future opportunities for historic bike tours in the Bluegrass.
