‘A natural partnership.’ Lexington History Museum finds home after a decade with no space
After a decade without a permanent address, the Lexington History Museum has found a new home.
The group, which was housed in the former Fayette County Courthouse on Main Street, has signed a lease for the first floor of the Thomas Hunt Morgan Home on North Broadway. The Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan home is run by the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit preservation group.
The lease also includes use of the auditorium, said Jim Dickinson, the chairman of the board for the Lexington History Museum. The lease was signed Nov. 1.
“We have been in the wilderness,” said Dickinson.
Jonathan Coleman, the executive director of the Blue Grass Trust, said the Lexington History Museum, which also goes by LexHistory, and the trust is a natural fit.
“The vision of the Blue Grass Trust is to live in a community that honors its diverse cultural legacies through historic preservation, a vision that mirrors LexHistory’s own,” Coleman said. “Seeing our historic property vibrant and utilized, while helping LexHistory share the collective stories of our city’s past? That is historic preservation at its best. It’s a natural partnership.”
The museum left the former Fayette County Courthouse in 2011, when asbestos and other hazardous materials were discovered in the building. The former courthouse has since undergone a massive rehabilitation and reinvention and now includes Visit Lex, restaurants, bars and event space.
For the past decade, the group has held pop up exhibits throughout the city but has struggled to find a permanent home. The museum has not had permanent staff and has relied on part-time help and volunteers since 2011.
As part of an agreement with the city of Lexington, it underwent a five-year strategic plan. As part of that plan, the group agreed to have a full-time director and a space leased by the end of this year.
The pandemic allowed the group to hire someone for a strategic plan and put together the necessary team to make the Lexington History Museum a success, Dickinson said.
In return, the city has agreed to give the museum $270,000 a year for the next three years. The group must meet certain benchmarks to continue to receive city support.
Amanda Higgins, who was previously with the Kentucky Historical Society, has been hired as the new full-time director. They are hoping to hire a curator soon, Dickinson said.
The group will have more information about its new space, exhibits and other events after Jan. 1, Dickinson said.
