Historic Preservation in Kentucky
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Historic Preservation in Kentucky by John I. Gilderbloom, Erin E. House, and Matthew J. Hanka Sponsored by Preservation Kentucky, Inc. Acknowledgements Preservation Kentucky, Inc. Kentucky Department of Tourism Joanna Hinton, Executive Director Capital Plaza Tower 22nd Floor P.O. Box 262 500 Mero Street Hodgenville, Kentucky 42748 Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 Kentucky Heritage Council Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods Donna Neary, Executive Director and State Historic Preservation Officer Urban Studies Institute 300 Washington Street University of Louisville Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 426 West Bloom Street Louisville, KY 40208 Kentucky State Data Center/ Kentucky Population Research University of Louisville Kentucky Institute of Environment and Sustainable Urban Studies Institute Development (KIESD) 426 W. Bloom Street Russ Barnett Louisville, Kentucky 40208 Office of the Vice-President for Research University of Louisville City of Newport Louisville, Kentucky 40292 636 Monmouth Street Newport, Kentucky 41071 City of Covington Gail J. Melvin, Economic Development and Community Relations Director 638 Madison Avenue Covington, KY 41011 Distinguished members of our Advisory Panel Joanna Hinton, Holly Weidermann, Jody Robinson, Donna Neary, Zanne Jefferies, Cash Moter, Merrill Moter, Mark Issacs, Hal B. Goode, Elaine Walker, Dick Heaton, Chris Black, Shailen Bhatt, Tommy Turner, Tom Sheeran, Gail Melvin, Mayor Lisle Cheatham, Charles Raith, Lynn Osmond, Steve Wiser, Todd Blue, Bill Weyland, Tommy O’Shea Thanks to Cynthia Cooke, Robert Yoder, Steve Wiser, Joe Strummer , Roger Stapleton, Peggy Guier, Charles Raith, Nancy Turner, Eric Schneider, Vernon Smith, Michael Price, Patrick Piuma, Ron Crouch, Richard Jett, Chris Goodlett, Mayor Tom Guidugli, Emily Jarzen, Mayor Gale Cherry, Dexter, Snoopy, Dr. Rob Mullins, Debbie Richards, Nikki King, Carrie Beth Lasley, William Strunk, E. B. White and Roald Dahl, who taught us that the pen is mightier than the wrecking ball, Ben Campbell, Mark Wright, Karyn Winter, Tim Braun, Kiki Blum, Kristen Branscum, Mona Juett, Tess Arkels, Beth Vander Meer, Dr. Richard Houze, Dr. Stephen Roosa, Ann Cavaluzzi, Kareem Usher, Brandt House, and to all our friends and families. Special thanks to Joanna Hinton, Becky Shipp, and Karen Keown for their detailed suggestions and comments. Thanks to Richard Layman and Patrick Smith for their help in developing our thoughts on shotgun houses. Also, many thanks goes to Russ Barnett, Director of the Kentucky Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (KIESD) at the University of Louisville, for his loyal and strong support of the Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods (SUN) program. We also thank those who gave us photographs for the report, including Preservation Kentucky, Inc., the Kentucky Heritage Council, the City of Newport, the City of Bowling Green, the Kentucky Digital Library, City Properties Group, Erin House, John Gilderbloom, Patrick Smith, Courtney Kramer, and Sarah Pennock. Special recognition goes to our friend and colleague Donovan Rypkema for all of his guidance and encouragement throughout the duration of writing this report. Our study was heavily influenced from the original report by Donovan’s 1997 study, which we used as a model, expanding and updating upon many of his themes. Cover Photos: Princeton Main Street, a farm on Old Frankfort Pike, Riverview at Hobson Grove in Bowling Green, and a residence in Louisville. Report design by Erin House. “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion”—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................1 I. Methodology Case Studies, Comparative Analysis, Census, and Qualitative Interviews .....................................................3 Job Multiplier Simulation Modeling ...............................................................................................................3 Survey of 172 Historic Preservationists ..........................................................................................................3 II. Scope of Historic Resources in Kentucky Demographic Profile.......................................................................................................................................5 The Human Ecology of Older Housing...........................................................................................................6 III. Historic Preservation and Affordable Housing Preservation as Affordable Housing Strategy: Making a Difference in Lexington & Louisville ...................9 Historic Housing Conversions ......................................................................................................................13 IV. Historic Preservation and Higher Property Values Overview of Property Values in Historic Areas............................................................................................15 Historic Neighborhood Housing Prices Are Soaring in Louisville ...............................................................15 Why Historic Preservation Districts Cause Property Values to Rise ............................................................19 The Impact of Historic Preservation Districts on Property Values in Newport ............................................21 V. Tax Incentive Programs for Historic Preservation Kentucky Tax Credit Program ......................................................................................................................23 Federal Tax Credit Program..........................................................................................................................24 State Tax Credit Case Study: Mama’s Sond’s Café, Hodgenville ................................................................25 Federal Tax Credit Case Study: Henry Clay Hotel, Louisville .....................................................................26 VI. Kentucky Main Street Program Overview of Main Street Program ................................................................................................................27 Main Street Renaissance: Spotlight on Princeton .........................................................................................29 VII. Heritage Tourism ......................................................................................................................................................31 VIII. Rural Heritage ..........................................................................................................................................................33 IX. Historic Preservation Creates More Jobs for Kentuckians ..................................................................................36 X. Environmental Benefits of Historic Preservation The Lost Connection between Environmentalism and Preservation.............................................................39 Carriage House Conversions.........................................................................................................................41 How Historic Shotgun Housing is Energy Efficient .....................................................................................41 How the Best Green House is an Old House.................................................................................................43 Historic Preservation and the Back to the City Movement in Kentucky.......................................................44 XI. Recommendations Best Practices: Bardstown.............................................................................................................................46 Policy Recommendations: Local and Commonwealth..................................................................................47 XII. References .................................................................................................................................................................49 About the Authors ...................................................................................................................................................................52 Appendix Available for download from www.louisville.edu/org/sun or at www.preservationkentucky.org Full Survey Results, Traffic Calming Measures in Historic Areas, Losing Historic Homes Will Increase Number of Trailers for the Poor, Median Property Value of 170 Neighborhood and Census Tracts in Louisville/Jefferson County 2000-2006 Executive Summary Kentucky is a national leader in preservation Kentucky ranks No. 1 in the White House’s Preserve America Initiative, with 73 designated recognized communities and neighborhoods. Kentucky ranks fourth in the nation in total listings in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the Kentucky Heritage Council (KHC) has documented more than 40,000 historic structures in Kentucky. State of the art historic preservation methodology This study used a number of state of the art methodologies, including a survey yielding 172 responses, multiple regression analysis, computer simulation models, detailed qualitative comments from preservationists, and up-to-date census analysis. Historic buildings are affordable housing for the poor, elderly, and minorities A significant portion of Kentucky’s housing stock is 50 years or older and census analysis shows older housing is disproportionately occupied by the poor, elderly and minority populations. This is because