Herald-Leader Staff Report

BEREA — Berea College's Boone Tavern has become the first hotel in Kentucky and the Appalachian region to win LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The hotel was built in 1909 as a campus guest house. In 2008 and 2009, it underwent a $11.3 million renovation to make it more environmentally friendly. It achieved a gold ranking in the Leadership and Environmental Design rating system.

The college said there are only 24 gold or platinum LEED hotels in the country.

The architect for the project was Richard Polk of Lexington's EOP Architects. He also was the architect on a 2004 renovation of the college's Lincoln Hall, which became the first LEED building in Kentucky.