Change, long discussed and planned, is taking shape and form these days in Lexington's East End neighborhood. The latest evidence is materializing on a half-acre parcel of state-owned property near the intersection of Third Street and Winchester Road.
An archeological dig got underway on Tuesday on what is believed to have been the site of the home of the great 19th century African American jockey Isaac Murphy. Confirmation, perhaps by unearthing the foundation, would signal a key first step toward the construction of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, envisioned as an homage to the three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey -a first- and recognition that before there was a Keeneland, Lexington's Northside was the heart of Thoroughbred horse racing in the Bluegrass.
"It's a bookend to the park dedicated to the horse (Thoroughbred Park at the corner of Midland and Main)," said Steve Austin of the Blue Grass Community Foundation. "Now we're talking about a park dedicated to some of the people who rode the horses. We don't do enough of that in Lexington. The horse is king, but it takes a human to ride it."
Many of those humans resided in Lexington's predominately African-American East End neighborhood. They included the winning jockey of the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, Oliver Lewis, as well as Ansel Williamson, who trained Lewis' steed, Aristides. Thomas Street was once home to jockey James "Soup" Perkins, who rode Halma to victory in the 1895 Derby.
But considered to this day one of the greatest riders who ever lived, Isaac Murphy was a cut above them all, not only the first jockey to win three Derbys, but adding to his first victory in the 1884 "Run for the Roses" the winner's trophies in the Kentucky Oaks and the Clark Handicap.
The park design, said Austin, is expected to become a point of real pride not only for residents of the East End, but for the entire city.
"This will be one of the finest additions to the city park system in a long time," Austin said. "We'll have plazas. We'll have dry-laid stone walls. We'll have art elements. We'll have an outdoor amphitheater for classes and performances. We'll have storyboards that will talk about Isaac's life and other African Americans in the (horse) industry and the history of the East End. So, it's a place of beauty, a place of learning. It will also be the trailhead of the Legacy Trail. You can start right there and go all the way to the Horse Park."
Austin's organization is spearheading efforts to raise funds in support of the project and has received a generous lift from local businessman Warren Rogers.
"W. Rogers Company (the Lexington-based water treatment facilities management firm) has made a $25,000 donation toward construction of the park that matched a $25,000 contribution by the BGCF. We'd like to use that as a challenge to the rest of the business community. We're 80 percent of the way there. We need another $100,000," he noted.
Austin said construction of the park will get underway as soon as the required archeology is completed and plans are approved by the state.
"We're going to go ahead and start construction on the belief that the community will support us," he said.
What inspires Austin's faith? Positioning and collaboration.
"Isaac Murphy is an inspirational figure because of the integrity with which he lived his life," noted Rogers when asked what motivated him to contribute so generously to the project. "He can be a role model for East End kids and children throughout Lexington. His memory also helps connect East End residents to their historic past as the center of Lexington's Thoroughbred racing industry. This is why I am excited about being invested and an active participant in the rebirth of the Third Street corridor."
A celebration of Isaac's 150th year is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., on the location at the corner of Third Street and Midland Avenue. The event features an official proclamation by Mayor Jim Gray, a public archeological dig, live music, kid crafts, stick horse races and cupcakes.
Schoolchildren will participate in the dig on May 18 and 19.
Read More >>>>>
An archeological dig got underway on Tuesday on what is believed to have been the site of the home of the great 19th century African American jockey Isaac Murphy. Confirmation, perhaps by unearthing the foundation, would signal a key first step toward the construction of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, envisioned as an homage to the three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey -a first- and recognition that before there was a Keeneland, Lexington's Northside was the heart of Thoroughbred horse racing in the Bluegrass.
"It's a bookend to the park dedicated to the horse (Thoroughbred Park at the corner of Midland and Main)," said Steve Austin of the Blue Grass Community Foundation. "Now we're talking about a park dedicated to some of the people who rode the horses. We don't do enough of that in Lexington. The horse is king, but it takes a human to ride it."
Many of those humans resided in Lexington's predominately African-American East End neighborhood. They included the winning jockey of the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, Oliver Lewis, as well as Ansel Williamson, who trained Lewis' steed, Aristides. Thomas Street was once home to jockey James "Soup" Perkins, who rode Halma to victory in the 1895 Derby.
But considered to this day one of the greatest riders who ever lived, Isaac Murphy was a cut above them all, not only the first jockey to win three Derbys, but adding to his first victory in the 1884 "Run for the Roses" the winner's trophies in the Kentucky Oaks and the Clark Handicap.
The park design, said Austin, is expected to become a point of real pride not only for residents of the East End, but for the entire city.
"This will be one of the finest additions to the city park system in a long time," Austin said. "We'll have plazas. We'll have dry-laid stone walls. We'll have art elements. We'll have an outdoor amphitheater for classes and performances. We'll have storyboards that will talk about Isaac's life and other African Americans in the (horse) industry and the history of the East End. So, it's a place of beauty, a place of learning. It will also be the trailhead of the Legacy Trail. You can start right there and go all the way to the Horse Park."
Austin's organization is spearheading efforts to raise funds in support of the project and has received a generous lift from local businessman Warren Rogers.
"W. Rogers Company (the Lexington-based water treatment facilities management firm) has made a $25,000 donation toward construction of the park that matched a $25,000 contribution by the BGCF. We'd like to use that as a challenge to the rest of the business community. We're 80 percent of the way there. We need another $100,000," he noted.
Austin said construction of the park will get underway as soon as the required archeology is completed and plans are approved by the state.
"We're going to go ahead and start construction on the belief that the community will support us," he said.
What inspires Austin's faith? Positioning and collaboration.
"Isaac Murphy is an inspirational figure because of the integrity with which he lived his life," noted Rogers when asked what motivated him to contribute so generously to the project. "He can be a role model for East End kids and children throughout Lexington. His memory also helps connect East End residents to their historic past as the center of Lexington's Thoroughbred racing industry. This is why I am excited about being invested and an active participant in the rebirth of the Third Street corridor."
A celebration of Isaac's 150th year is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., on the location at the corner of Third Street and Midland Avenue. The event features an official proclamation by Mayor Jim Gray, a public archeological dig, live music, kid crafts, stick horse races and cupcakes.
Schoolchildren will participate in the dig on May 18 and 19.
Read More >>>>>