LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation is pleased to release a Request for Expressions of Interest, inviting inquiries from parties interested in rehabilitating and acquiring or leasing Latrobe’s Pope Villa. Having received a prestigious Save America’s Treasures grant, the Blue Grass Trust is poised to help our selected partner revive this historic gem.
The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation has been awarded a $748,467 Save America’s Treasures Grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, which the National Park Service administers in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. This generous matching grant will fund pressing repairs to Latrobe’s Pope Villa, one of early Lexington’s most elegant and sophisticated properties. The subsidized work includes the construction of a new roof, the restoration of the second-floor rotunda, masonry stabilization, and reframing throughout the building.
To ensure the continued preservation of Latrobe’s Pope Villa, the Blue Grass Trust is also seeking to facilitate a sale or lease of the building to an individual or organization with a feasible long-term use for the building and who is committed to carrying out a full rehabilitation. Any lessee or buyer who is committed to matching the Save America’s Treasures grant may take advantage of that funding (the Blue Grass Trust would then oversee the grant-approved repairs prior to any property transfer).
“This is a great day for Latrobe’s Pope Villa. After decades of care and study, the Blue Grass Trust has ensured this important building is prepared to be rehabilitated. Securing the Save America’s Treasures Grant means we now have a powerful tool to help offset restoration costs for the right preservation-minded partner with a feasible, long-term use for this iconic structure,” said Blue Grass Trust Executive Director, Dr. Jonathan Coleman.
State Historic Preservation Officer Craig Potts commented: “I would like to commend the Blue Grass Trust for pursuing and being awarded a Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grant through the National Park Service. These awards are reserved for nationally significant historic properties, and Pope Villa certainly meets that distinction. The Kentucky Heritage Council (SHPO) is proud to partner with and support the efforts of the Blue Grass Trust to find creative solutions to fully repair and reuse this irreplaceable cultural resource. This substantial SAT grant funding is a major step toward that end.”
The Request for Expressions of Interest, along with more information about Latrobe’s Pope Villa, can be found at www.bluegrasstrust.org/lpv. Parties interested in learning more can also contact Dr. Jonathan Coleman at [email protected] or 859-253-0362.
The History of Latrobe’s Pope Villa
Built for Senator John Pope and his wife, Eliza, this 1811 house is one of only three surviving residences that renowned architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe designed. It expertly reflected his theory of the “rational house” and featured exceptional internal scenery and circulation paths. The conversion of Latrobe’s Pope Villa into apartment units in the twentieth century seemingly altered the building beyond recognition. However, a 1987 fire revealed that most of the original house remained intact behind a series of additions and alterations.
The Blue Grass Trust acquired the property in 1988 and immediately began efforts to stabilize it. Investigations into its avant-garde design confirmed that the building is an extraordinary example of early nineteenth-century Neoclassical architecture. Extensive studies of Latrobe’s Pope Villa in the years since have provided a detailed portrait of the house’s history while also laying a sound basis for rehabilitation. A master plan produced by a highly regarded architectural firm proposes restoring the main public spaces and adaptively renovating others to enable a range of end uses.
