BLUE GRASS TRUST FOR HISTORIC

Historic preservation advocacy: the blue grass trust lends our voice to historic preservation efforts in our central kentucky communities. Our advocacy work includes: community outreach: through programs, events, and outreach efforts, we strive to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the region's cultural heritage and legacy for future generations, actively advocating for policies, programs, and initiatives that protect and promote historic sites, buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes through means such as highlighting demolition threats and organizing petitions to save endangered buildings. In 2023-2024, we led the community efforts to save 13 national-register-listed buildings from demolition and successfully argued against unfair bond requirements for preservation advocacy at the kentucky supreme court. Preservation awards: for over 30 years, the preservation awards have highlighted the positive, far-reaching impact that preservation plays in central kentucky by honoring individuals, projects, and organizations that exemplify the promotion, awareness, or practice of historic preservation within the central kentucky region. Preserving palmer pharmacy: saved from demolition in 2017, the blue grass trust has led the effort to find a new steward for historic palmer pharmacy, a mid-century gem with an important civil rights story, located in lexington's east end neighborhood. The blue grass trust was able to raise $100,000 to offset the renovation costs and assisted the new steward with preservation consulting. The building reopened as the marksbury family waypoint center of the united way of the bluegrass at historic palmer pharmacy in may 2024.