Hey, history buffs. Submit your unofficial historical locations around town.
Have you ever looked at a local spot and thought, “This place deserves to be commemorated?” Our city is full of legendary locations — many of which are indicated by historical markers. Historical markers reveal significant places, streets, neighborhoods, buildings, businesses, and cultural events from the past or present. Think: Mary Todd Lincoln’s birthplace on Short Street or Keeneland.
But not all significant areas get the attention they deserve. What about Rosebud Bar, featuring Lexington’s own version of the Sistine Chapel ceiling? We want to put these places on the map — literally.
Rules + details
Submit your historic place for a chance to be featured nationwide on our historical marker map. Our favorite submissions will then be featured in our newsletter, where we’ll put it to a vote. Who knows? Maybe it will receive an official historical marker.
Submissions closed 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Finalists were selected by our team and announced in our newsletter. These finalists went head-to-head in a vote for our readers’ favorite. No promises that it will get an actual historical marker, but it will be one in our hearts.
Want to know more about official historical markers around town? Check out the Kentucky Historical Society.
Results
The votes are in for the LEXtoday historical markers contest. Check out the finalists below, including the contest winner decided by your votes.
LEXtoday readers have deemed this sign historic.
Photo via @kycahillphotos
Winner: Chevy Chase Inn
Known as the oldest bar in Lexington, this longstanding establishment received 53% of votes from LEXtoday readers. It opened in 1933 and locals know it as a place where they can grab a drink + a bite to eat or get entertained by live performers.
Big Blue Building
Soaring 31 stories, 39% of readers thought the Lexington Financial Center was the stand out historical marker contender. After all, we know it as the tallest building in the world — and nobody can convince us otherwise.
“Origins” is a public art piece by Christopher Weed found on the Oliver Lewis Way bridge, between High + Main streets, installed in 2016.
Photo via Christopher Weed
Oliver Lewis Way
This extension of Newton Pike received 8% of reader votes. In 2010, it was dedicated to Oliver Lewis, a Lexington-born, African-American jockey who won the first Kentucky Derby in 1875.
It doesn’t stop there — we got more submissions than these. Just check out our map of unofficial historical locations — both locally and across the nation.
Voting closed Wednesday, Dec. 11 — but we hope to be back to put another historical marker on the map.
