Art deco 🤝 art gallery

A brief history of the Lexington Laundry Company building in downtown Lexington

The Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center offers all sorts of art exhibits + performances. | Photo by LEXtoday

When driving or walking down Main Street, your eyes are so focused on the road ahead (or at least they should be) that you often forget to look up.

But if you safely take your eyes to the skies, you might realize there’s a lot of history + art to be seen in our city.

That’s exactly what we realized when we looked up at the Lexington Laundry Company building.

LEX Laundry Company 1919 — The Lexington Laundry Company plant was actually on Short Street. | Photo courtesy of the Lexington Public Library

🏗️ History

The Laundry Company building, located at 141 E. Main St., was built around 1929 + features Art-Deco architecture — one of the few in the city. The facade is composed of golden-toned glazed tiles highlighted by unique floral patterns.

The Main Street side of the building served as the company’s office. The Lexington Laundry Company plant, where it actually did the dry cleaning, had been around as early as 1919 on East Short Street — the present-day courthouse.

Local historian Foster Ockerman, Jr. said that Lexington Laundry Company was an integral part of a traveling businessman’s stay in town. Its proximity to The Phoenix Hotel allowed travelers to “get a steam, a crease, and a shave” in one spot, as the first floor was home to a barbershop.

In 2012, the city saw the addition of the 15 giant steel cylinders on the roof, an art project by Dewitt Godfrey known as “Concordia.”

🖼️ Current day

The Lexington Laundry Company building is a great example of adaptive reuse as it is now home to the City Gallery, part of the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center.

Address: 141 E. Main St.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 12-5 p.m.
Exhibit: “Etiquette: A Common Misconception,” features the work of local artists Dafri, Lennon Michalski, and Mark Lenn Johnson + is available for viewing until Saturday, Dec. 3.

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, Dec. 1

DIY Wine & Design Holiday Wreath | Thursday, Dec. 1 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Wilson Nurseries & Plant Co., 2700 Palumbo Dr., Lexington | $60-$75 | Let your creative juices flow by designing your own holiday wreath with fresh + locally foraged greenery.
Comedy Open Mic Night | Thursday, Dec. 1 | 8 p.m. | Old North Bar, 101 W. Loudon Ave. | Free | Get ready for some laughs with open mic night hosted by Jon Bass + a side of live music.

Friday, Dec. 2

Greyline Station Holiday Block Party | Friday, Dec. 2 | 5-9 p.m. | Greyline Station, 101 W. Loudon Ave., Lexington | Free | This extra special block party will give guests a musical treat from the Bryan Station High School Band with shopping, delicious food, drinks + more.

Saturday, Dec. 3

BUPAC Presents Radium Girls | Saturday, Dec. 3, | 7:30 p.m. | Lexington Children’s Theater, 418 W. Short St., Lexington | $10 | The Bluegrass United Performing Arts Company is sharing the true story of a 1920s woman named Grace Fryer who fought for painters who fell ill with a mysterious disease from working with radium.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Photos with Santa | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 4-6 p.m. | Pivot Brewing, 1400 Delaware Ave., Lexington | $10 | Bring your pup for a photo with Santa — proceeds support the efforts of Lexington Pit Crew.
Gingerbread Snap | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 12-4 p.m. | Hamburg Pavilion, 2308 Sir Barton Way, Lexington | Free | Bring the family to get free photographs with Santa and shop from nearby stores — featuring holiday activities and carriage rides.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Celebrate the holidays at Traditional Bank’s Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill

A house (Mustard Seed Hill) decorated for Christmas

Visitors can explore Christmas lights on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until Sun., Dec. 18, as well as Dec. 19-23. | Photo provided by Mustard Seed Hill

We’ve got the perfect thing to put the star on top of the tree this holiday season. Hop in the car and head north to explore the spectacular holiday traditions of Millersburg, KY (just 30 minutes away in the heart of Bourbon County). Stroll through breathtaking lights, enjoy music, gather with friends, shop for the perfect gifts, and behold the most stunning gingerbread house displays in KY. 🎄

The three-acre Christmas light display features a ribbon tree, Santa’s sleigh, and more. Pro tip: Snap photos with the family or share a special moment with a loved one while strolling through the illuminated ornament walk-through. ✨

See the full schedule of holiday events + grab tickets.*

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Weather

41º | Partly cloudy | 4% chance of rain

Announced

A new kind of concert is coming to the Kentucky Horse Park on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 — SHOWdown LEX. The festival concept, which will pair college football and live music, will be headlined by country music singer Darius Rucker. Public ticket sales begin Friday, Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. (LEX18)

Civic

City Council gave the first vote to approve an infrastructure program that would allow developers to apply for a zero-percent loan for new projects in underutilized areas of Lexington. The money will be for reimbursements only + must be repaid after 10 years. A final vote is expected on Tuesday., Dec. 6. 🏗️ (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Edu

Fayette County Public Schools will pay substitute teachers extra if they accept assignments at high-priority schools. Subs can earn an additional $25 per day for taking on a tough-to-fill vacancy or $50 per day for special education assignments. Additional bonuses can be earned for those who are multilingual.

Try This

Artisanal croissant classes are back with Laura Lou Patisserie. The next session will be held Saturday, Dec. 10 from 4-6 p.m. — sign up soon as classes are capped at six people. Your ticket also includes charcuterie, drinks, recipes + take-and-bake croissants.

Drink

Warm up on these chilly mornings with one of La Petite Delicat‘s new winter drinks. If you like lattes a latte, try the spicy + sweet gingerbread latte with homemade syrup. If coffee isn’t your drink of choice, then we suggest sipping on a soothing honey lemon tea. ☕

Kids

This Saturday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m., be sure to head to the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, 4029 Airport Rd., to see Santa arrive by helicopter. Visitors that bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots will receive free admission to the museum. 🎅

Show

Get ready for some laughs, Lexington. The Lexington Opera House announced two comedy tours coming to town next year. Nikki Glaser is bringing The Good Girl Tour on Saturday, Feb. 25, and the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour will be in town on Tuesday, April 11. Tickets for both go on sale this Fri., Dec. 2.

Shop

If you work from home like us, you’ve likely become accustomed to having stiff muscles at the end of a workday due to prolonged sitting. Combat this with a little office upgrade — an electric standing desk paired with a sleek under desk treadmill. Oh, and don’t forget to stay hydrated.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

This billion-dollar startup wants to help you retire

SmartAsset’s no-cost tool makes it easy to find vetted financial advisors who serve your area. | Photo provided by SmartAsset

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement. 👀

If you’re one of the whopping 110 million Americans over age 50 — or a wise Millennial looking to get ahead — SmartAsset’s no-cost tool makes it easy to find vetted financial advisors serving our local area.

In just a few minutes, you can get matched with up to three financial advisors, each legally bound to work in your best interest. Now that’s service.*

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THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Molly.

Editor’s pick: Although I’m definitely a warm weather girl (I get cold if it drops below 70), I do love the cozy vibes, lights + sparkle of the holiday season.

This Saturday I’ll be volunteering at the Girls on the Run Central Kentucky 5K, then immediately heading to The Scout Guide’s Haute Holiday event at The Griffin Gate Marriott Resort. Here, the mansion will be transformed into a glittering winter wonderland showing the holiday decorations of local designers. See you there?

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Read about the new “Cocaine Bear” movie, here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Aaron Mikel, Molly Thompson, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Marin Fiske | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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