National Register Designation Consulting Services
Achieve National Recognition for Your Historic Property
We’re here to guide you through the landmark nomination process.
Designating a historic property on the National Register of Historic Places may seem like a daunting prospect. But fear not, we are here to help! As part of our national register designation consulting services, we’ll determine your building’s significance and integrity to establish its eligibility. If it is a suitable candidate, we’ll then complete a full nomination and present our findings before the requisite local and state boards. Placement on the National Register ultimately rests with the National Park Service, but the Blue Grass Trust is an experienced hand at achieving favorable outcomes.
While designation does not protect the property from demolition or empower any governmental agency to exercise regulatory control over it, there are compelling reasons for pursuing this landmarking. Owners of National Register properties — both residential and income-generating — may be able to claim state and/or federal historic tax credits for rehabilitation projects. Additionally, some “brick-and-mortar” grants are only earmarked for buildings on the Register. And any federally-funded action that may impact a resource on the National Register triggers what is known as a Section 106 review, which is intended to mitigate adverse effects to historic assets.
Listing your property on the National Register of Historic Places is one of the most meaningful ways to honor and preserve its legacy. It can also open the door to tax credits and grant opportunities.
Our Services Include:
Evaluating your property's eligibility
Completing full nomination documentation
Presenting your case before local and state review boards
Service Fees:
Determination of Eligibility: Fayette County: $75/hour, surrounding counties: $100/hour
Full Nomination – Residential/Nonprofit: $6,000
Full Nomination – Income-Producing: $8,000
Final Listing Submission: $2,000
Blue Grass Trust National Register Nominations
The Luigart Malt House complex consists of an adapted 1850s hemp house, an 1881 addition designed by Herman Rowe, and a 1922 extension facing N Limestone that showcases one of the most fanciful cast concrete facades in the region. German immigrant Joseph Luigart and his partner, William Harting, processed malt at this location from the early 1870s until 1896. Luigart’s descendants, who were well-known entrepeneurs in Lexington, then used the malt house for various purposes before converting it into the Dixieland Gardens dance hall in 1937, which served the neighborhood’s African-American community.
This National Register nomination explicates the Luigarts’ contributions to the boomtown development of the Loudon area, their role as leaders of the city’s German community, and the history of racial conflict in this sector of the city. As of 2025, the malt house complex contains the Lex Center for Creative ReUse, a capacious events space, artist studios, apartments, and retail units.
Let us put your building’s history on the map—literally.
Fill out the form below and a member from our team will be in touch to help you on your national registration designation journey!