Headed to Paris - Again!

Hard to believe that we visited Paris only 2 days earlier...Western Tennessee that is.  This time its a different Paris and in this case it is located in north central Kentucky, just a little northeast of Lexington.  We decided stop and take a look around town before heading on to our destination for the evening.  Paris had a couple of things going for it...places to shop for Laurie and Paris is horse country.  Laurie loves horses and shopping so the area fit her needs. 

This elaborate gatehouse is worthy of an entrance to a nice park or a fairgrounds.  But it serves neither of those functions.  Instead it is the gatehouse for the Paris Cemetery...which was incorporated way back in 1847.  The gatehouse itself was built of granite in back in 1862.  It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

Yes!  Paris Kentucky also has its own version of the Eiffel Tower... However this model, located at 801 Main Street, is only 20 feet tall...about a third of the height of the Eiffel Tower located in Paris Tennessee. (I borrowed this photo from the Internet)

Folks of a certain age remember the J.J. Newberry stores.  This five and dime chain of stores was founded in 1911 in Pennsylvania and at its zenith this family owned company had about 565 stores serving the northeast, southwest and western USA.  The company, which had been purchased by McCrory Stores in 1972, was completely liquidated in 2002.  

Love the fact that the old J. J. Newberry sign has been preserved and that the 1930s structure is being appropriately reused.  Located at 627 Main Street, most of the building is occupied by Ardery's Antiques and Collectables.

In general, I'm not a big shopper or fan of shopping.  However, this store occupying most of the J. J.  Newberry site, was loaded with antiques, collectables, quality recycled clothing and much more.  Lots of interesting 'stuff'.  From my viewpoint, another plus was the pricing...very reasonable...a bargain in many cases.  My purse 'addicted' better half scored a branded purse for a very nice price.

The other portion of the old J.J. Newberry's store is home to a popular local spot for coffee, breakfast and lunch.  This is Lil's Coffee House and yes, you can still experience dining at an old time dime store counter.  Talk about nostalgia for us 'older' folks!  

Lil's is open from 8 AM until 3:30 PM Monday through Saturday.  While old timey favorites like tuna salad, egg salad and chicken salad sandwiches are on the menu, so is a daily quiche, Scotch eggs and toast, tomato pie and an olive nut sandwich, along with a wide variety of coffee 'treats'.  Trip Advisor reviewers give Lil's 4.5 'stars'.  You can learn more about Lil's Coffee House at https://www.facebook.com/LilsCoffee.  

Laurie 'scored' again at Loch Lea Antiques, which is located right across the street from the old J.J. Newberry's store.  Loch Lea has a nice selection of actual antiques, not just old stuff like so many 'antique' stores offer these days.  She picked up an antique corn bread iron skillet.  I even got into the act, adding a couple of nice antique postcards to my collection.  Loch Lea Antiques is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LochLeaAntiques/.

As we cruise through small and medium size towns on our trips, murals while certainly engaging, have become commonplace.  This huge 3-story mural of legendary racehorse, Secretariat, was just completed in November of 2022.  The Paris area was home to this truly famous racehorse.  

Artist Jaime Corum started the painting on the anniversary of Secretariat's death and she finished the mural on the anniversary of his retirement to nearby Claiborne Farm back in 1973.  The mural is on the wall of the old Baldwin Hotel, that was built in 1933.  Today the old hotel is home to 6 fully equipped and furnished suites that are rented to travelers or business people for 30 days or longer.

Guess what is located right nest to that mural!  This park, which features this life-size bronze sculpture of Secretariat, was created by famous equine sculptor, Jocelyn Russell.  It depicts 'Big Red', (Secretariat's nickname), running at nearby Claiborne Farm...and its a companion piece to that huge mural.  

The park just opened in November of 2023, 50 years after Secretariat arrived at Claiborne Farm for his breeding career.  Not only does the park celebrate Secretariat, but it also pays honor to the 90 horse farms that populate Bourbon County.  Paris is the county seat for Bourbon County.  

Secretariat is considered the greatest or one of the greatest thoroughbred horses in American racehorse history.  He set many records, some of which still stand today.  To learn more about this amazing horse and his history, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretariat_(horse).

Artist Jaime Corum was at it again with another big mural during our visit.  This mural is right across the street from the Secretariat mural.  This mural depicts Curlin, another American thoroughbred racehorse.  He was the American Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008, having won a plethora of major races during his racing career.  Per my research, this mural was completed in October of 2024.  To learn more about Curlin, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curlin.

Once again, those of us of a certain age remember structures like this one.  It was a former Pure Oil Gas Station.  Thankfully, it has been preserved and readapted as an Edward Jones office.  This former Tudor or English Cottage style gas station was built in 1926.  Back in the early days of automotive expansion, designs like this were an effort by gasoline companies to built stations that were more compatible with residential neighborhoods.

The center of Paris Kentucky includes the Downtown Paris Historic District.  This very large historic district covers more than 96 acres and it includes more than 220 contributing buildings and 15 contributing structures.  Basically, I could point my camera in any direction and I'd be recording a bit of area history... 

This handsome structure is the former Elks Lodge building.  Its located on Courthouse Square at Bank Row and Main Street in Paris.  One of the tallest buildings in town, this four stories building is a mash of Neo-classical and Romanesque Revival styles.  

Built ca 1901 as the headquarters for the local Elks lodge, it was intended to accommodate a number of uses.  The local Masonic Lodge bought the building in 1926.  In the 1940s the upper floors were home for the Bourbon Hotel and the first floor served a number of businesses until the hotel went out of business.    Neglected for many years, most recently it was refurbished in order to provide apartments for the elderly.

The 1899 Agricultural Bank Building is right across Main Street from the Elks/Masonic Building.  This structure's design is unique as it was inspired by northern European architecture.  Topping the facade, that Flemish wall dormer with its hemispheric dome pierced by oculi style windows really sets this building apart from others in town.  Architectural changes to the first floor show a Georgian modification.

I couldn't find much information about the former tenants or owners of this old bank building but it does appear that it served the banking industry for many decades.  The most recent occupant seems to have been Kentucky Bancshares, Inc.  Currently this striking building is on the commercial real estate market.  You can own this structure!  The asking price is $860,000.

The centerpiece of courthouse square is of course the Bourbon County Courthouse.  It is the dominating architectural landmark in the city of Paris.  Located on the highest point in downtown Paris, it is the fourth courthouse constructed on this site.  Ca. 1902, this Beaux-Arts building replaced an 1874 building that was destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Bourbon County is one of Kentucky's nine original counties and of course, it's best known for its historical association with Bourbon whiskey.  The county was established in 1785 from a portion of Fayette County Virginia.  In gratitude for King Louis XVI's assistance during the American Revolutionary War, the county was named after the French House of Bourbon.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.  Our next overnight stop was on the Ohio River.  

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave