Pewee Valley Historical Society Events
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Pewee Valley Historical Society Meeting Minutes
7:00 p.m., Monday, December 10, Pewee Valley Town Hall
7:00 p.m., Monday, December 10, Pewee Valley Town Hall
NEXT MEETING MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 7 PM, TOWN HALL
Attending: Suzanne Schimpeler; Donna Russell, Norman Schippert, Shelley Schippert, Jana Brizendine, Mayor Bob Rogers. A quorum was present.
New Business
Recent Museum Acquisition
The PVHS purchased a paperweight from the Kentucky Confederate Home for the museum off eBay. We now have three non-postcard souvenirs once sold at the home – a china shaving mug, a wooden box and the paperweight. Included with the purchase was a photo of Rev. James Wallace Carmichael (left), who served as the first rector of St. James Episcopal Church after the Civil War (1866-1869), but did not stay quite long enough to see the church’s present stone building completed in 1870. Rev. Carmichael didn’t die until 1911 so perhaps he visited Pewee Valley and toured the home during his visit. Apparently, he had an interest in working with the sick. His bio from “A Brief History of the Episcopal Church Parish in Pewee Valley, Kentucky, PART 1, 1830-1870 A.D.” by Thomas William Brown shows that he was stationed at a Confederate Hospital in Danville, Va., during the Civil War and worked for a hospital in Cincinnati for a time, as well. In the late 1870s, while he was working in Memphis, he stayed to serve the suffering during yellow fever, small pox and cholera epidemics, though he sent his family away.
Recent Museum Acquisition
The PVHS purchased a paperweight from the Kentucky Confederate Home for the museum off eBay. We now have three non-postcard souvenirs once sold at the home – a china shaving mug, a wooden box and the paperweight. Included with the purchase was a photo of Rev. James Wallace Carmichael (left), who served as the first rector of St. James Episcopal Church after the Civil War (1866-1869), but did not stay quite long enough to see the church’s present stone building completed in 1870. Rev. Carmichael didn’t die until 1911 so perhaps he visited Pewee Valley and toured the home during his visit. Apparently, he had an interest in working with the sick. His bio from “A Brief History of the Episcopal Church Parish in Pewee Valley, Kentucky, PART 1, 1830-1870 A.D.” by Thomas William Brown shows that he was stationed at a Confederate Hospital in Danville, Va., during the Civil War and worked for a hospital in Cincinnati for a time, as well. In the late 1870s, while he was working in Memphis, he stayed to serve the suffering during yellow fever, small pox and cholera epidemics, though he sent his family away.
Signage Program
Shelley Schippert presented her first drawing for the new historical signage design above, based on the signpost art at right from "Mary Ware's Promised Land," published in 1912 by Annie Fellows Johnston. It met with the group's approval, although Shelley wants to do a little more work on it before we run it through the Permanent Signage Application process. Norman Schippert suggested that an off-white (tan, parchment, beige, "greige") shade be used instead of white for the sign's background color.
Suzanne Schimpeler presented recommendations from Amanda Higgins at the Kentucky Historical Society regarding QR codes and tour signage. The two greatest factors determining success of such tour programs are:
We should be able to turn in the Permanent Signage Application to City Council for consideration in February 2019. After approval by City Council, we can get prototype signs for Town Hall/Pewee Valley Museum and the Caboose/Mail Crane so people can see what they look like, before we go through the interest/permission procedure with property owners. Getting approval through City Council guarantees that future administrations will not try to change the sign design or program. This is critical, because it could take a period of years to have all the signs in place.
Sesquicentennial Committee First Meeting
The first meeting of the Sesquicentennial Committee is on the city calendar for Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Norman Schippert has already emailed people who have expressed an interest in serving on the committee a letter, and plans to follow it up with additional emails and mailings to build interest and excitement.
Norman plans to use the first meeting agenda developed by Suzanne and will mail out the agenda and a packet to interested people before Christmas. The packet will include the agenda, the results of the Sesquicentennial Interest Survey, the contents of the PVHS website page describing how the city celebrated the Centennial in 1970, and a list of the city's annual events for development of sesquicentennial tie-ins.
Bethany Major had buttons made with “Ask Me About PV150” on them to wear at the Yule Log, and Shelley Schippert made up a cute poster. We recruited a couple of additional people at the event and have provided the Post Office with a poster as well. Andrea Braden is very supportive and will get the word out. Federal laws, however, prevent P.O. staff from wearing buttons.
William Fretz is interested in getting a large copy made of the poster. There was some discussion about selling them, although the PVHS came to no conclusion.
Shelley Schippert presented her first drawing for the new historical signage design above, based on the signpost art at right from "Mary Ware's Promised Land," published in 1912 by Annie Fellows Johnston. It met with the group's approval, although Shelley wants to do a little more work on it before we run it through the Permanent Signage Application process. Norman Schippert suggested that an off-white (tan, parchment, beige, "greige") shade be used instead of white for the sign's background color.
Suzanne Schimpeler presented recommendations from Amanda Higgins at the Kentucky Historical Society regarding QR codes and tour signage. The two greatest factors determining success of such tour programs are:
- Making sure that the sign's background is flat and smooth so phones can easily read the codes;
- Not overwhelming tourists with too much information. This will require developing a separate area of the PVHS website specifically for the tour, with a paragraph or two about each site and a link to the relevant page(s) on the website for further information.
We should be able to turn in the Permanent Signage Application to City Council for consideration in February 2019. After approval by City Council, we can get prototype signs for Town Hall/Pewee Valley Museum and the Caboose/Mail Crane so people can see what they look like, before we go through the interest/permission procedure with property owners. Getting approval through City Council guarantees that future administrations will not try to change the sign design or program. This is critical, because it could take a period of years to have all the signs in place.
Sesquicentennial Committee First Meeting
The first meeting of the Sesquicentennial Committee is on the city calendar for Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Norman Schippert has already emailed people who have expressed an interest in serving on the committee a letter, and plans to follow it up with additional emails and mailings to build interest and excitement.
Norman plans to use the first meeting agenda developed by Suzanne and will mail out the agenda and a packet to interested people before Christmas. The packet will include the agenda, the results of the Sesquicentennial Interest Survey, the contents of the PVHS website page describing how the city celebrated the Centennial in 1970, and a list of the city's annual events for development of sesquicentennial tie-ins.
Bethany Major had buttons made with “Ask Me About PV150” on them to wear at the Yule Log, and Shelley Schippert made up a cute poster. We recruited a couple of additional people at the event and have provided the Post Office with a poster as well. Andrea Braden is very supportive and will get the word out. Federal laws, however, prevent P.O. staff from wearing buttons.
William Fretz is interested in getting a large copy made of the poster. There was some discussion about selling them, although the PVHS came to no conclusion.
Getting the Word Out about the Sesquicentennial
Donna Russell is working on an historic timeline for the city, which will include local gossip as well as major events in our history. This week she ran the first draft through Nancy Theiss at the OCHS for review and feedback. Nancy made several excellent suggestions and has an old map of Floydsburg we could use in the timeline.
Donna is also preparing short Trivial Pursuit-type articles for the Call of the Pewee at Denise Haney's request. The first series of "Did You Knows?" will tell the stories of how certain streets got their names. Mt. Mercy Drive was featured in December's issue.
Donna is also preparing short Trivial Pursuit-type articles for the Call of the Pewee at Denise Haney's request. The first series of "Did You Knows?" will tell the stories of how certain streets got their names. Mt. Mercy Drive was featured in December's issue.
Pewee Valley Historical Society Meeting Minutes
7:00 p.m., November 12, 2018 Pewee Valley Town Hall
7:00 p.m., November 12, 2018 Pewee Valley Town Hall
Attending the November 12 meeting were: Suzanne Schimpeler, Donna Russell, Michelle Vittitow, William Frentz, Ann Kyser, Norman Schippert, Bethany Major, Bob Rogers, Jana Brizendine, David Dick, Shelley Schippert. A quorum was present.
WE WILL BE MEETING ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH, 7:00 P.M., FROM NOW ON.
WE WILL BE MEETING ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH, 7:00 P.M., FROM NOW ON.
New Business
Signage Program
Since December 2017, Mayor Bob Rogers has blocked the Pewee Valley Historical Society’s Historical Signage Program. He has accomplished this by not allowing the proposal to go before City Council. The excuses have ranged from “you have never had a quorum at your meetings” (patently untrue) to “there are too many more important items on the agenda.”
The mayor wants the City of Pewee Valley to look exactly like Anchorage, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, has strict regulations on historic properties, and has enjoyed the financial backing of John Schnatter, founder of Papa Johns, for many of their historic projects. For example, Anchorage paid an historian $55,000 to write a history of their town and paid additional funds to get it published.
What that means in terms of signage is that the mayor supports spending $1500+ apiece on black signs with upraised gilt lettering, like the signs Anchorage is using to mark its borders and historic districts. These signs are designed for wayfinding, and they are being used by little cities for street signs and entrances throughout Jefferson County—Hurstbourne, Plainview and even subdivisions consisting of starter homes like Woodlawn Park. While attractive, they are:
To get the signage program moving forward after a year of inaction, Donna Russell decided to try another route: bringing the signage up for review through the Permanent Signage Application process. Any application received by Town Hall 21 days before a council meeting must be considered and voted on by City Council under Pewee Valley ordinances. As an aside, it should also be noted that (1) the historic signs on several houses on Ash Avenue were never reviewed by City Council; and (2) the Little Colonel tour signs that were produced in 2007 for the Little Colonel program were never reviewed by City Council. As far as is known, the Ash Avenue signs have never prompted complaints from residents, and after the meeting, when questioned about those signs, Mayor Rogers stated he has no interest in making the homeowners take them down, because they were “before his time.”
At the November 2018 Council meeting, City Council voted to waive the $20 permanent signage application fee for the Historical Signage Program. Accordingly, Russell prepared the application, based on months of work and consensus building by PVHS volunteers, for final review at the November 2018 PVHS meeting. When the subject came up, the Historical Signage Program was challenged along all fronts:
The discussion became quite heated. We apologize to William Frentz and Michelle Vittitow. This was their first PVHS meeting and normally meetings focus on gathering opinions and gaining consensus on projects and ideas, not out-and-out battles.
The upshot is, after a year of spinning our wheels, it’s back to the drawing board for the design. At previous meetings, the PVHS discussed the idea of trying out the new signs at Town Hall and the museum, where they could be seen and commented on by residents; however, with our limited funds, there is absolutely no point in spending any money until we have the support of City Council. Given the now year-long delay in getting Council’s input on and eventual approval of a design, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to apply for grants and start the program in time for our Sesquicentennial in 2020.
Signage Program
Since December 2017, Mayor Bob Rogers has blocked the Pewee Valley Historical Society’s Historical Signage Program. He has accomplished this by not allowing the proposal to go before City Council. The excuses have ranged from “you have never had a quorum at your meetings” (patently untrue) to “there are too many more important items on the agenda.”
The mayor wants the City of Pewee Valley to look exactly like Anchorage, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, has strict regulations on historic properties, and has enjoyed the financial backing of John Schnatter, founder of Papa Johns, for many of their historic projects. For example, Anchorage paid an historian $55,000 to write a history of their town and paid additional funds to get it published.
What that means in terms of signage is that the mayor supports spending $1500+ apiece on black signs with upraised gilt lettering, like the signs Anchorage is using to mark its borders and historic districts. These signs are designed for wayfinding, and they are being used by little cities for street signs and entrances throughout Jefferson County—Hurstbourne, Plainview and even subdivisions consisting of starter homes like Woodlawn Park. While attractive, they are:
- Too expensive to use for marking historical homes; and
- Unsuitable for a self-guided tour program, because they will NOT WORK WITH QR CODES. One of the underlying goals of the Historical Signage Program is to satisfy the needs of Oldham County Tourism, the Kentucky Historical Society and the Oldham County Historical Society for a walking tour. As the PVHS does not have enough members to commit to conducting regular guided tours several times a month, a self-guided program is the only other option.
To get the signage program moving forward after a year of inaction, Donna Russell decided to try another route: bringing the signage up for review through the Permanent Signage Application process. Any application received by Town Hall 21 days before a council meeting must be considered and voted on by City Council under Pewee Valley ordinances. As an aside, it should also be noted that (1) the historic signs on several houses on Ash Avenue were never reviewed by City Council; and (2) the Little Colonel tour signs that were produced in 2007 for the Little Colonel program were never reviewed by City Council. As far as is known, the Ash Avenue signs have never prompted complaints from residents, and after the meeting, when questioned about those signs, Mayor Rogers stated he has no interest in making the homeowners take them down, because they were “before his time.”
At the November 2018 Council meeting, City Council voted to waive the $20 permanent signage application fee for the Historical Signage Program. Accordingly, Russell prepared the application, based on months of work and consensus building by PVHS volunteers, for final review at the November 2018 PVHS meeting. When the subject came up, the Historical Signage Program was challenged along all fronts:
- DESIGN. It was suggested that Pewee Valley’s historical signs should look like those used by Concord, MA or Anchorage, Ky. Individual historic properties in Anchorage have not been marked. Their historic signage program is limited to marking districts. Concord, MA has strict rules and regulations on all aspects of historic properties, including signs. See: https://www.concordma.gov/1152/Concord-Historic-Districts-Act and http://concordma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3348/Historic-Interpretation-PDF?bidId= and http://www.concordnet.org/1141/Historic-Marker-Program. The signage used in Concord is quite varied and some of it is fairly large and includes extensive explanations of the historic importance of various sites. They do have a specific program for house plaques, but these are noticeable only if the structure is close to the road, which is not a very common situation in Pewee Valley. This is the problem with National Register signs. They are basically plaques that are mounted on building walls and cannot be seen unless you are standing right next to them.
- SIZE. Although the size of the signs was based on the signs currently in use on Ash, they are too big. Ann Kyser noted that she believes the PVHS made a mistake when selecting the wooden green signs for the Little Colonel tour in 2007 and feels we should have gone with a larger size.
- NUMBER. Pewee Valley has far too many National Register properties and non-extant historic sites. The people of Pewee Valley could care less about history or historic properties. They will regard the signs as clutter.
- SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR. Rather than interactive signage, we can just give people booklets or set up an app with little blue nodes and hope that tourists and residents somehow learn about the app’s existence. We tried the self-guided tour approach for awhile, but people have to be able to get their hands on the tour guide. It went by the wayside a long time ago. Maybe we could run an article about it in the Call of the Pewee so residents know about it. Tourists will have to figure it out on their own. That other cities are using QR technology for walking tours is irrelevant. Suzanne Schimpeler agreed to contact the Kentucky Historical Society about developing an app, and Bethany Major and Norman Schippert have agreed to take that on. However, said app will not address protection of our historic housing stock – one of the program’s goals. One recent homebuyer had no idea the house he purchased was on the National Register. When developers come into town – and they have over and over – many times their first desire is to rip down historic buildings so they can maximize their profits. National Register properties are afforded no special protection under the law, other than public outcry, when they are threatened with the wrecking ball. If residents are educated about which homes are historic, developers will think twice before razing them, and perhaps we can avoid more situations like what we have going on at Woodside, behind St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Just a few more years and we could see Woodside replaced by a football stadium with lights. THAT will certainly have a negative impact on property values along Central Avenue and in neighboring subdivisions like Edgewood Manor and Central Place. Whether residents care about history or not, our historic housing stock is part of our city’s unique charm. We need to protect it as zealously as we protect our scenic corridors. Imagine the Sweet Shop replaced with a fast food drive through. Or Herdt Motors replaced with a two-story concrete office building. It could happen.
The discussion became quite heated. We apologize to William Frentz and Michelle Vittitow. This was their first PVHS meeting and normally meetings focus on gathering opinions and gaining consensus on projects and ideas, not out-and-out battles.
The upshot is, after a year of spinning our wheels, it’s back to the drawing board for the design. At previous meetings, the PVHS discussed the idea of trying out the new signs at Town Hall and the museum, where they could be seen and commented on by residents; however, with our limited funds, there is absolutely no point in spending any money until we have the support of City Council. Given the now year-long delay in getting Council’s input on and eventual approval of a design, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to apply for grants and start the program in time for our Sesquicentennial in 2020.
Draft Historical Signage Permit Application
Kate Matthews Presentation Request from Pewee Valley Woman’s Club
The Pewee Valley Woman’s Club is celebrating the Year of the Woman in 2019 and has requested a presentation on photographer Kate Matthews and Hattie Cochran, the Little Colonel, at the April 17 meeting.
Historic Homes
The George Miller House will be going on tour the third Saturday in November. The historic write-up on the website needs to be completed. Helen McKinney at the OCHS is writing a story about it for Roundabout.
Also the Bondurant-Huston House off Rest Cottage has been sold to Justin and Bridget Morgan. The historic write-up on that house is now nearly complete. Additional information and photos have been requested from several different groups. We’ll see if any of them respond.
Meanwhile renovation of The Gables is proceeding and the house is looking absolutely wonderful!
The Sweet Shop and the Thomas Peebles House have been purchased by Cory Adkinson of Covenant Properties. Cory is currently living at 310 Ash Avenue and plans to sell that house and move into the Peebles House once it is renovated. He hopes to restore the Sweet Shop to its original appearance over the next five years. Donna Russell met Cory while touring a descendant of the Williams family, which once owned 310, a few weeks ago. The descendant may be able to help us with information on the home’s previous owners. It is not eligible for the National Register because the front entryway was moved.
Sesquicentennial Planning
The first meeting of the Sesquicentennial Planning Committee will be held Tuesday, January 22, 2019, 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall. Bethany Major and Norman Schippert are in charge of getting the meeting together.
Pewee Valley Cemetery East
Suzanne Schimpeler announced with great pleasure that the annexation ordinance for the Pewee Valley Cemetery has finally been found and brought proof to the meeting in the form of an Oldham Era article dated November 20, 1997. The webpages for Pewee Valley Cemetery and Pewee Valley Cemetery East have been updated accordingly AND the article and aerial photo have been placed in the city records at Town Hall. The ordinance had somehow been expunged from both city records and county records at some point before Mayor Rogers was elected. Thanks to the Pewee Valley Cemetery Board for finding it!
The Ordinance reads:
PUBLIC NOTICE
SUMMARY OF
ORDINANCE NO. 5 SERIES
1997-1998
CITY OF PEWEE VALLEY,
KENTUCKY
On November 14, 1997, The Town Council of the City of Pewee Valley adopted, enacted, and ordained ORDINANCE 35, SERIES 1997-1998, ANNEXING TO THE CITY OF PEWEE VALLEY, KENTUCKY, THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED TRACT OF LAND, UNINCORPORATED, IN OLDHAM COUNTY, KENTUCKY, ADJACENT TO THE PRESENT INCORPORATED LIMITS OF PEWEE VALLEY:
Beginning at the stone Catharine Logans now C. Stoess line and corner to J.F. Russell's heirs now Chas Stoess and running N 71W 24 poles to a stone cor. to Russell's heirs (Now Chas Smith and Bush); thence to S. 26 W 34 6/10 poles to a stone cor. to Bush, thence S 23 W 39 4/10 poles to an ash stump corresponding to Metz and Warren, thence S 70 E 37 poles to a stone in Metz's line, thence N 19 E 72 poles to the beginning, containing 14 1/4 acres more or less, being the same parcel of land purchased August 3rd 1871 by S.S. Schuler from G.W. Curl for the purpose of establishing a Public Cemetery.
This Summary Certified by:
JOHN FRITH STEWART 11-17-97
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Yule Log
Shelley Schippert, Suzanne Schimpeler, Ann Kyser and Donna Russell have volunteered to staff the museum during the Yule Log. Shifts will probably be an hour, because with the museum expansion into the back office area, we will need two people to answer questions and keep an eye on exhibits. Donna will send out a signup sheet.
Old Business
Recent Museum Acquisitions and Museum
PV Museum is expanding into the back of the fire bay, where the city’s offices are located, due to some major acquisitions received from Charles and Alice Booker and from Sis Marker’s family over the spring and summer. The acquisitions include a large number of Shirley Temple dolls and related merchandise, primarily from the Danbury Mint, and a sizeable number of historic relics from the Herdt family business and different aspects of Pewee Valley’s past. Ken Hays, auctioneer, volunteered to appraise the Herdt relics for us in September and his final appraisal came in at a little over $2,000. Some of the items will require repair or reframing to prevent further foxing and damage from moisture, acidic paper, etc.
Shelley Schippert has been helping us secure display cases for these items. One display case (a large china cabinet) was donated by her mother, and the PVHS received it in time for the summer concert in August. It is now set up in the back area and contains MOST of the dolls received from the Bookers. Shelley has also made arrangements with Brown-Forman for the donation of two real display cabinets that they no longer use. The donation was approved, and we are awaiting getting them transported to Town Hall.
A small group of PVHS members met several times over the summer to determine where the new display cases will be located and how the museum will need to be rearranged to accommodate them. This is a golden opportunity to rethink the way items are displayed and arranged, so we can do a better job of grouping related artifacts. The gallery in Town Hall proper will be rearranged as well.
Once everything is in place, castors will be added to the cases in the fire bay so they can be moved quickly if/when Town Hall floods again.
Pioneer Cemetery in Frazier Town
During June, July and August, Donna Russell worked with Claude Guyton, a descendant of the Shake family, which originally owned the land on which the cemetery is located. Mr. Guyton sent a large amount of genealogical data on the Shakes/Zarings, including a deed that specifically mentions the small burying ground on the land in question. Therefore, it looks as if the people buried there were somehow related to one of Rollington’s/Pewee Valley’s first families, and were not early African-American residents of Frazier Town. WHO IS BURIED THERE remains in question, and probably will until Judgment Day.
The African American communities page on the PVHS website has been updated to reflect these findings here: http://www.peweevalleyhistory.org/african-american.html .
All information on the cemetery and Shake/Zaring genealogy was given to the Oldham County Historical Society in August for inclusion in the Oldham County Cemetery/Graves Index, so future builders/ developers won’t be able to pull another “make the cemetery disappear” trick like they did when the old Rest Cottage property was developed and the Souther family markers were thrown out on the road.
Confederate Burying Ground
In August, Donna Russell received a call from a CJ reporter asking questions about the Confederate Burying Ground in Pewee Valley Cemetery. The reporter was following up on an August 8 CJ story about the recommendations of a committee appointed by Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher to find a new home for the statue of Gen. John Breckinridge Castleman that sat for over 100 years at the entrance to Cherokee Park. Pewee Valley Cemetery was listed as one of the options for the statue.
Donna worked with the reporter by phone, text and email for over a week to provide her with full information about why the Confederate Burying Ground was not suitable for the Castleman statue. She also alerted the cemetery directors to the fact that they were certain to receive calls -- which they did. Also contacted was Walter “Sonny” Gales, whose quote was evidently not worthy of being included in the story. Mr. Gales is responsible for managing Pewee Valley Cemetery East.
The CJ then published an error-riddled story about the burying ground, complete with photo, on Sunday, August 19, to which Donna responded with a list of corrections (which of course were NEVER PUBLISHED).
Donna also submitted a Letter to the Editor recommending that the Castleman statue be placed in the Kentucky Horse Park near the American Saddlebred Horse Association headquarters, since Castleman founded the breed and served as the ASHA president for many years. The letter was published on Saturday, August 25. .
This was not the first time, nor will it likely be the last that Pewee Valley Cemetery is suggested as a dumping ground for Confederate monuments from other parts of the state. There are over 40 of them in various locations throughout Kentucky. David Gleason and Bert Stoess noted that the cemetery directors have considered this issue previously when Louisville was looking for a home for the Confederate statue near UofL and voted against adding any unrelated monuments to this National Register site. Nancy Theiss, Director of the Oldham County Historical Society, agrees wholeheartedly with the cemetery directors’ stance on this issue.
Sis Marker’s 100th Birthday Celebration
The celebration party on Sunday, October 7 was attended by over 200 guests and Sis spent most of her time receiving people who came to wish her a Happy Birthday. The Presbyterian Church did a terrific job with the food, and there were two nice tables of photos, etc., documenting different aspects of Sis’s life, put together by Ginny Chisholm, her daughter, and the church.
Andrea Braden, Pewee Valley Postmaster, presented her with a box of over 100 birthday greetings, including a special greeting from the current Postmaster General. Mayor Bob Rogers showed her a plaque that will go on a Yellowwood tree planted in her honor in Central Park. The Oldham Era presented her with a framed copy of the newspaper front page from the week she was born, back in 1918. The Oldham Era published a nice article about her for their October 5 edition. All in all, it was a memorable day for her.
The October 4 Oldham Era story on Sis and the party follow-up story for the October Call of the Pewee, both written by Donna Russell, are now posted to the PVHS website here with many additional photos: http://www.peweevalleyhistory.org/sis-marker-100th-birthday.html. Doing these stories gave PVHS access to many additional pix of the Herdt family, which have been scanned and added to our historic photos collection.
Presentation on the Life & Times of Walter Haldeman
On October 9, Donna Russell gave a one-hour presentation on the “Life & Times of Walter Haldeman” to the Louisville Genealogical Society. The presentation included information on his years at Edgewood in Pewee Valley, how he built the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times company, and what happened to his newspaper empire after his death. Rob Tyrell, a descendant of Walter’s, also attended the presentation and briefly discussed the permanent rift in the Haldeman family caused by the sale of the papers to the Binghams. A PDF of the PowerPoint presentation is now posted to the PVHS website here: http://www.peweevalleyhistory.org/powerpoint-presentation-on-the-life--times-of-walter-haldeman.html
Pewee Valley Historical Society Meeting Agenda
7:00 p.m., Monday, October 8, 2018 Pewee Valley Town Hall
7:00 p.m., Monday, October 8, 2018 Pewee Valley Town Hall
Shirley Temple dolls primarily from the Danbury Mint on display in Pewee Valley Museum.
Recent Museum Acquisitions and Museum
PV Museum is expanding into the back of the fire bay, where the city’s offices are located, due to some major acquisitions received from Charles and Alice Booker and from Sis Marker’s family over the spring and summer. The acquisitions include a large number of Shirley Temple dolls and related merchandise, primarily from the Danbury Mint, and a sizeable number of historic relics from the Herdt family business and different aspects of Pewee Valley’s past. Ken Hays, auctioneer, volunteered to appraise the Herdt relics for us in September and his final appraisal came in at a little over $2,000.
Shelley Schippert has been helping us secure display cases for these items. One display case (a large china cabinet) was donated by her mother, and the PVHS received it in time for the summer concert in August. It is now set up in the back area and contains MOST of the dolls received from the Bookers. Shelley has also made arrangements with Brown-Forman for the donation of two real display cabinets that they no longer use. The donation was approved, and we are awaiting getting them transported to Town Hall.
A small group of PVHS members met several times over the summer to determine where the new display cases will be located and how the museum will need to be rearranged to accommodate them. This is a golden opportunity to rethink the way items are displayed and arranged, so we can do a better job of grouping related artifacts. The gallery in Town Hall proper will be rearranged as well. Goal is to complete the project before the Yule Log in December.
Once everything is in place, castors will be added to the cases in the fire bay so they can be moved quickly if/when Town Hall floods again.
Historical Signage Program
No progress has been made. A permanent signage permit request needs to go before City Council.
Flag Contest
Donna Russell spent many hours researching city flag contests and drafting a proposed set of rules for Pewee Valley. The rules have not yet been submitted to City Council for voting, although they were completed three months ago and given to the mayor and both our representatives on city council. They have not even made it on the agenda.
The issue is that Council members want to be able to have more control over the winner (the draft rules allowed Pewee residents to vote directly via internet and ballot at the Yule Log), but if they act as judges, it will disqualify some of the city’s most talented designers (e.g. Shelley Schippert and Denise Haney’s husband). Donna Russell is out of ideas for a workaround, since there are no good alternatives if City Council insists on judges. City Council has no relationships with marketing/PR/advertising/design firms that can be leveraged as a source of impartial judges, and is not motivated to provide assistance with finding qualified judges and setting up the judging.
The PVHS did not support the contest in the first place, and City Council wants to place 100 percent of the burden for the contest on the historical society. Donna Russell refuses to put any more time into this project. Instead, we are looking at adopting the vintage 1970 design as the official flag for the PVHS and flying it at Town Hall in front of the museum.
Pioneer Cemetery in Frazier Town
During June, July and August, Donna Russell worked with Claude Guyton, a descendant of the Shake family, which originally owned the land on which the cemetery is located. Mr. Guyton sent a large amount of genealogical data on the Shakes/Zarings, including a deed that specifically mentions the small burying ground on the land in question. Therefore, it looks as if the people buried there were somehow related to one of Rollington’s/Pewee Valley’s first families, and were not early African-American residents of Frazier Town. WHO IS BURIED THERE remains in question, and probably will until Judgment Day.
The African American communities page on the PVHS website has been updated to reflect these findings here: http://www.peweevalleyhistory.org/african-american.html .
All information on the cemetery and Shake/Zaring genealogy was given to the Oldham County Historical Society in August for inclusion in the Oldham County Cemetery/Graves Index, so future builders/ developers won’t be able to pull another “make the cemetery disappear” trick like they did when the old Rest Cottage property was developed and the Clore family markers were thrown out on the road.
New Business
Confederate Burying Ground
In August, Donna Russell received a call from a CJ reporter asking questions about the Confederate Burying Ground in Pewee Valley Cemetery. The reporter was following up on an August 8 CJ story about the recommendations of a committee appointed by Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher to find a new home for the statue of Gen. John Breckinridge Castleman that sat for over 100 years at the entrance to Cherokee Park. Pewee Valley Cemetery was listed as one of the options for the statue.
Donna worked with the reporter by phone, text and email for over a week to provide her with full information about why the Confederate Burying Ground was not suitable for the Castleman statue. She also alerted the cemetery directors to the fact that they were certain to receive calls -- which they did. Also contacted was Walter “Sonny” Gales, whose quote was evidently not worthy of being included in the story. Mr. Gales is responsible for managing Pewee Valley Cemetery East.
The CJ then published an error-riddled story about the burying ground, complete with photo, on Sunday, August 19, to which Donna responded with a list of corrections (which of course were NEVER PUBLISHED).
Donna also submitted a Letter to the Editor recommending that the Castleman statue be placed in the Kentucky Horse Park near the American Saddlebred Horse Association headquarters, since Castleman founded the breed and served as the ASHA president for many years. The letter was published on Saturday, August 25. .
This was not the first time, nor will it likely be the last that Pewee Valley Cemetery is suggested as a dumping ground for Confederate monuments from other parts of the state. There are over 40 of them in various locations throughout Kentucky. David Gleason and Bert Stoess noted that the cemetery directors have considered this issue previously when Louisville was looking for a home for the Confederate statue near UofL and voted against adding any unrelated monuments to this National Register site. Nancy Theiss, Director of the Oldham County Historical Society, agrees wholeheartedly with the cemetery directors’ stance on this issue.
Donna Russell spent many hours researching city flag contests and drafting a proposed set of rules for Pewee Valley. The rules have not yet been submitted to City Council for voting, although they were completed three months ago and given to the mayor and both our representatives on city council. They have not even made it on the agenda.
The issue is that Council members want to be able to have more control over the winner (the draft rules allowed Pewee residents to vote directly via internet and ballot at the Yule Log), but if they act as judges, it will disqualify some of the city’s most talented designers (e.g. Shelley Schippert and Denise Haney’s husband). Donna Russell is out of ideas for a workaround, since there are no good alternatives if City Council insists on judges. City Council has no relationships with marketing/PR/advertising/design firms that can be leveraged as a source of impartial judges, and is not motivated to provide assistance with finding qualified judges and setting up the judging.
The PVHS did not support the contest in the first place, and City Council wants to place 100 percent of the burden for the contest on the historical society. Donna Russell refuses to put any more time into this project. Instead, we are looking at adopting the vintage 1970 design as the official flag for the PVHS and flying it at Town Hall in front of the museum.
Pioneer Cemetery in Frazier Town
During June, July and August, Donna Russell worked with Claude Guyton, a descendant of the Shake family, which originally owned the land on which the cemetery is located. Mr. Guyton sent a large amount of genealogical data on the Shakes/Zarings, including a deed that specifically mentions the small burying ground on the land in question. Therefore, it looks as if the people buried there were somehow related to one of Rollington’s/Pewee Valley’s first families, and were not early African-American residents of Frazier Town. WHO IS BURIED THERE remains in question, and probably will until Judgment Day.
The African American communities page on the PVHS website has been updated to reflect these findings here: http://www.peweevalleyhistory.org/african-american.html .
All information on the cemetery and Shake/Zaring genealogy was given to the Oldham County Historical Society in August for inclusion in the Oldham County Cemetery/Graves Index, so future builders/ developers won’t be able to pull another “make the cemetery disappear” trick like they did when the old Rest Cottage property was developed and the Clore family markers were thrown out on the road.
New Business
Confederate Burying Ground
In August, Donna Russell received a call from a CJ reporter asking questions about the Confederate Burying Ground in Pewee Valley Cemetery. The reporter was following up on an August 8 CJ story about the recommendations of a committee appointed by Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher to find a new home for the statue of Gen. John Breckinridge Castleman that sat for over 100 years at the entrance to Cherokee Park. Pewee Valley Cemetery was listed as one of the options for the statue.
Donna worked with the reporter by phone, text and email for over a week to provide her with full information about why the Confederate Burying Ground was not suitable for the Castleman statue. She also alerted the cemetery directors to the fact that they were certain to receive calls -- which they did. Also contacted was Walter “Sonny” Gales, whose quote was evidently not worthy of being included in the story. Mr. Gales is responsible for managing Pewee Valley Cemetery East.
The CJ then published an error-riddled story about the burying ground, complete with photo, on Sunday, August 19, to which Donna responded with a list of corrections (which of course were NEVER PUBLISHED).
Donna also submitted a Letter to the Editor recommending that the Castleman statue be placed in the Kentucky Horse Park near the American Saddlebred Horse Association headquarters, since Castleman founded the breed and served as the ASHA president for many years. The letter was published on Saturday, August 25. .
This was not the first time, nor will it likely be the last that Pewee Valley Cemetery is suggested as a dumping ground for Confederate monuments from other parts of the state. There are over 40 of them in various locations throughout Kentucky. David Gleason and Bert Stoess noted that the cemetery directors have considered this issue previously when Louisville was looking for a home for the Confederate statue near UofL and voted against adding any unrelated monuments to this National Register site. Nancy Theiss, Director of the Oldham County Historical Society, agrees wholeheartedly with the cemetery directors’ stance on this issue.
Snapshots from the Life of Pewee Valley Centenarian Sis Marker
Louise Herdt "Sis" Marker's high school graduation photo was taken and handpainted by Kate Matthews.
Sis Marker’s 100th Birthday Celebration
The celebration party on Sunday, October 7 was well attended and Sis spent most of her time receiving people who came to wish her a Happy Birthday. The Presbyterian Church did a terrific job with the food, and there were two nice tables of photos, etc., documenting different aspects of Sis’s life, put together by Ginny Chisholm, her daughter, and the church.
Andrea Braden, Pewee Valley Postmaster, presented her with a box of over 100 birthday greetings, including a special greeting from the current Postmaster General. Mayor Bob Rogers showed her a plaque that will go on a Yellowwood tree planted in her honor in Central Park. The Oldham Era presented her with a framed copy of the newspaper front page from the week she was born, back in 1918. The Oldham Era also published a nice article about her for their October 4 edition, which is now posted the the PVHS website with additional photos. All in all, it was a memorable day for her.
Setting the Meeting Date and Developing the Packets and Agenda for the First Sesquicentennial Planning Committee Meeting
In November we will start on the Sesquicentennial planning. We need to agree on the list of signature projects, which could possibly include:
- Self-Guided Walking Tour of the City/Historical Signage Program
- Historical Marker Placement and Promotion of Our African-American Communities in Stumptown and Fraziertown, including Pewee Valley Cemetery East; Nancy Theiss has suggested producing a pamphlet about our African-American heritage here
- Restoration of Pewee Valley Cemetery East
- Movement and Restoration of the Last Remaining Interurban Shelter in Pewee Valley at The Locust to a Central Location, such as the Woman’s Club
- Getting the Little Colonel’s Cottage on the National Register of Historic Places
- Other Ideas????
We are obviously not going to receive any support from City Council members on special events. Our group is too small to put on more than a single event without additional help. That event should probably focus on the March 14, 2020 150th anniversary of the incorporation of Pewee Valley, which fortuitously falls on a Saturday.
Pewee Valley Historical Society Meeting Agenda
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 27, 2018 Pewee Valley Town Hall
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 27, 2018 Pewee Valley Town Hall
Now on display at the Pewee Valley Museum: Bill Herdt's 1980s-era PVFD red coveralls. Chief Bob Hamilton and Assistant Chief Cary Hirtzel worked with the historical society on the rest of the outfit, which includes Doc Steudle's three-quarter boots.
Old Business
Budget Expenditures in FY Ending June 30, 2018
After making a request to get a budget update for funds spent in mid-March, the PVHS learned on 5/10 that we had about $175.00 left in the budget for FY ending 6/30/18. About $70.00 of that was spent on another mannequin to accommodate a new museum acquisition from the Herdt family. There is still $660.00 left in the grant from the Kentucky Historical Society than can be spent before year end. We are requesting that PVHS expenditures be tracked separately going forward to make it easier to keep track of the budget.
Recent Museum Acquisitions
Vintage Police and Fire Items
In April and May the museum received Bill Herdt’s ca. 1980s fire department coveralls, courtesy of Annie Weingardt. A few weeks later, retired Pewee Valley Policeman and former PV Fire Marshal Mark Hoskins donated many other PVPD and PVFD vintage items, including a 1990s fire helmet, PVFD blue coveralls used in the 1990s, photos, police insignia, and an old 1980s-era decal meant for use on the PVPD car.
Another mannequin was purchased online for displaying Bill’s old uniform. PVFD Chief Bob Hamilton and Assistant Chief Cary Hirtzel helped get together old bunkers (canvas coat, three-quarter boots, helmet) from the 1980s that were stored in the attic of Station 1. On Memorial Day, Cary came by Town Hall and helped put together and dress the mannequin. The boots were once Doc Steudle’s. Bill started serving with the PVFD when it was founded in 1929.
Budget Expenditures in FY Ending June 30, 2018
After making a request to get a budget update for funds spent in mid-March, the PVHS learned on 5/10 that we had about $175.00 left in the budget for FY ending 6/30/18. About $70.00 of that was spent on another mannequin to accommodate a new museum acquisition from the Herdt family. There is still $660.00 left in the grant from the Kentucky Historical Society than can be spent before year end. We are requesting that PVHS expenditures be tracked separately going forward to make it easier to keep track of the budget.
Recent Museum Acquisitions
Vintage Police and Fire Items
In April and May the museum received Bill Herdt’s ca. 1980s fire department coveralls, courtesy of Annie Weingardt. A few weeks later, retired Pewee Valley Policeman and former PV Fire Marshal Mark Hoskins donated many other PVPD and PVFD vintage items, including a 1990s fire helmet, PVFD blue coveralls used in the 1990s, photos, police insignia, and an old 1980s-era decal meant for use on the PVPD car.
Another mannequin was purchased online for displaying Bill’s old uniform. PVFD Chief Bob Hamilton and Assistant Chief Cary Hirtzel helped get together old bunkers (canvas coat, three-quarter boots, helmet) from the 1980s that were stored in the attic of Station 1. On Memorial Day, Cary came by Town Hall and helped put together and dress the mannequin. The boots were once Doc Steudle’s. Bill started serving with the PVFD when it was founded in 1929.
Kate Matthews Photos
Ann Kyser, Pat Palmer, Shelley Schippert and Donna Russell met at the PV Museum on 4/20 to discuss what to do in the Town Hall Gallery with Kate Matthews photos donated by Richard Duncan and others. The group agreed on having 9 of them printed, framing them with pre-matted store bought frames and arranging them in a square with an explanatory plaque in the spot next to the oil painting. Donna got estimates on the cost of the project for inclusion in the FY budget ending June 20, 2019.
Vintage Photos of the G.T. Blackley Family and Undulata
Betty and Winston Blackley (Winston is the grandson of G.T. Blackley) sent the PVHS quite a few copies of photos showing Undulata’s interior and exterior before it was destroyed in the 1920 Confederate Home fire, as well as photos of the family during their years there and later at the Truman-Miller-Richard House.
Ann Kyser, Pat Palmer, Shelley Schippert and Donna Russell met at the PV Museum on 4/20 to discuss what to do in the Town Hall Gallery with Kate Matthews photos donated by Richard Duncan and others. The group agreed on having 9 of them printed, framing them with pre-matted store bought frames and arranging them in a square with an explanatory plaque in the spot next to the oil painting. Donna got estimates on the cost of the project for inclusion in the FY budget ending June 20, 2019.
Vintage Photos of the G.T. Blackley Family and Undulata
Betty and Winston Blackley (Winston is the grandson of G.T. Blackley) sent the PVHS quite a few copies of photos showing Undulata’s interior and exterior before it was destroyed in the 1920 Confederate Home fire, as well as photos of the family during their years there and later at the Truman-Miller-Richard House.
Undulata Photos from the Blackley Years, ca. 1897-1920
Historical Signage Program
The historical signage program designed by Shelley Schippert needs to go to the next phase, which includes:
We have sufficient funds left in the KHS grant money parked in the Friends of Pewee Valley account right now to purchase one or two signs for city property(ies) and give residents a chance to take a look and tell us what they think. We need to decide where we want them placed.
1970 Winning Centennial City Flag Design
Denise Haney has supplied the following results from the online survey of residents regarding the city flag:
The historical signage program designed by Shelley Schippert needs to go to the next phase, which includes:
- presenting the proposed design to City Council for approval;
- contacting historic property owners individually to determine their interest and willingness to have an historic sign on their property; and
- determining how the signs will be funded.
We have sufficient funds left in the KHS grant money parked in the Friends of Pewee Valley account right now to purchase one or two signs for city property(ies) and give residents a chance to take a look and tell us what they think. We need to decide where we want them placed.
1970 Winning Centennial City Flag Design
Denise Haney has supplied the following results from the online survey of residents regarding the city flag:
- 21 people voted
- All 21 said we should adopt a city flag and 10 people said use historic flag, 10 people said have a contest…
Castors for Display Cases at the Museum
On April 13, we received a bid for placing castors on all the display cases in the main museum from Jeff Walton, Weathersby Guild, for $1,000. That estimate was included in the PVHS budget request for FY ending June 30, 2019.
Stumptown History, Pewee Valley First Baptist Church, Pewee Valley Cemetery East
On April 27, the Kentucky Heritage Commission’s African American specialist Tressa Brown made a site visit to the Pewee Valley First Baptist Church & Colored School site on Old Floydsburg Road and to the 1950s-era Negro School on Ash Avenue. Suzanne Schimpeler, Donna Russell and Nancy Theiss represented the local historical societies. Gloria Sanders did a yeoman’s job coordinating the visit with older members of the congregation, getting facilities unlocked and finding pre-fire relics in storage at the church. Walter “Sonny” Gales, Greg Durham and several others came by and were interviewed by Tressa. Unfortunately, Tressa cannot help the church pay for an historical marker. We may need to do a fundraising campaign to come up with the money ($2500-$3000).
On April 13, we received a bid for placing castors on all the display cases in the main museum from Jeff Walton, Weathersby Guild, for $1,000. That estimate was included in the PVHS budget request for FY ending June 30, 2019.
Stumptown History, Pewee Valley First Baptist Church, Pewee Valley Cemetery East
On April 27, the Kentucky Heritage Commission’s African American specialist Tressa Brown made a site visit to the Pewee Valley First Baptist Church & Colored School site on Old Floydsburg Road and to the 1950s-era Negro School on Ash Avenue. Suzanne Schimpeler, Donna Russell and Nancy Theiss represented the local historical societies. Gloria Sanders did a yeoman’s job coordinating the visit with older members of the congregation, getting facilities unlocked and finding pre-fire relics in storage at the church. Walter “Sonny” Gales, Greg Durham and several others came by and were interviewed by Tressa. Unfortunately, Tressa cannot help the church pay for an historical marker. We may need to do a fundraising campaign to come up with the money ($2500-$3000).
Relics that Survived the 2003 Fire at the Pewee Valley First Baptist Church
Chairs for Town Hall’s Porch
Norman Schippert has completed the chairs for Town Hall’s front porch.
Website Updates/New Pages
Restructuring the PVHS Relationship with the City
In March, Norman Schippert worked with Pewee Valley attorney John Singler on a resolution to create a 5-person executive committee for the PVHS so only 3 are required to attend meetings to reach a quorum. The resolution passed at the April City Council meeting. Formerly we were required to have 6 members from 2012 present to legally make decisions. The executive committee consists of Suzanne Schimpeler, Donna Russell, Bethany Major, Norman Schippert and Pat Palmer. Pat is the at-large member.
Access to the Museum
In May, Donna received a key to Town Hall that gives us after-hours and weekend access to the gallery and museum. Thanks to City Clerk Denise Haney for getting that done.
Setting the Meeting Date and Developing the Packets and Agenda for the First Sesquicentennial Planning Committee Meeting
Let’s set a date and get this in gear. We need to agree on the list of signature projects, which could possibly include:
New Business
Budget for FY Ending June 20, 2018
The PVHS budget request for next fiscal year was submitted to City Council on April 23. $7,000 has been appropriated by the city for specific projects next year.
Cemetery in Frazier Town
In early May, the historical society received a call from Cindy Vance, a Lake Louisvilla property owner, who stated that there was an old cemetery on property owned by Tim Tinsley in Frazier Town and that OCEA’s new sewer line was being routed through it.
Donna Russell met with her, received a copy of the land survey showing the cemetery on the Tinsley property and photographed the cemetery site. The surveyor termed it a “makeshift” cemetery with shallow graves marked by fieldstones. Subsequent research – Della Tinsley’s oral history and an interview with 87-year-old James Harris -- confirmed that Frazier Town residents were aware of its existence, although no one knew who was buried there.
Jim Hagerty, the engineer on the pipeline, was contacted and the line was subsequently rerouted closer to the creek to avoid disturbing the cemetery. That left the question of who might be buried there. That question is explored on the website’s Frazier Town page. At this point, nothing definitive has been found to identify the persons in the graves. Donna is working with Al Matherly, Claude Guyton and Carol Tobe (whose ancestors owned that land and/or neighboring land in Rollington) to determine if the graves possibly predate the Frazier Town community’s establishment ca. 1873. The cemetery is consistent with early rural cemeteries throughout Kentucky.
Norman Schippert has completed the chairs for Town Hall’s front porch.
Website Updates/New Pages
- Pewee Valley First Baptist Church and Colored School: the research on the church and school are fairly complete; what’s left is getting a photo of the baptismal pond, working with Walter “Sonny” Gales on getting some items scanned, and doing a few more phone interviews. There is more than enough information for developing an historic marker.
- Truman-Miller-Richard House: The Blackley Years & Beyond: Photos and information about the Blackley family added. In addition, newspaper articles came to light showing that right before the Blackleys purchased it, the house was used as a hideout for a robbery ring during prohibition. The page has been updated to include the robbery, raid and subsequent prosecutions of the robbers.
- Undulata: Updated to include some interior and exterior photos of the house, as well as of the Blackleys and some additional information on the Kentucky Confederate Home Chapter of the UDC. Ophelia Blackley was its first president.
- Green Haven School and Nursing Home (311 Ash Avenue): New page about this school for the developmentally challenged operated in Pewee Valley from ca. 1927 into the 1950s. Development of the page came about as a result of an information request from Rebecca Datillo at the University of Louisville Photographic Archives. They had 5 photos in their Caufield & Shook collection of the “Green School” in Pewee Valley and had been unable to find any information about it for the metadata listing online.
- Frazier Town: New page
- Truman-Nock House (Ash Avenue): This page has been updated with more information about and photos of the Nock family. Included is a photo of Josephine Nock dressed as a nun that appears to have been taken by Kate Matthews.
- 1981 Photos of the Fire Department Expansion at Town Hall: New page
- Pewee Valley Hospital & Sanitarium: Photos added of the Kayes and the PVFD burn of the original hospital building, as well as additional information on the hospital’s history.
- Mary Gardner Johnston: Photos added of her father, William Levi Johnston; her sister, Rena; and of her aunt, Rena Eaves Burge, who lived in the house that later became Mt. Mercy Camp & Boarding School. Also additional information on her mother’s side of the family, the Eaves. Information/photos provided by Willard Library and an Eaves descendant.
- 2018 Presentation on the History of the Woman’s Club Building: New page consisting of a PowerPoint presentation created for an April 18 presentation to the club by Donna Russell.
Restructuring the PVHS Relationship with the City
In March, Norman Schippert worked with Pewee Valley attorney John Singler on a resolution to create a 5-person executive committee for the PVHS so only 3 are required to attend meetings to reach a quorum. The resolution passed at the April City Council meeting. Formerly we were required to have 6 members from 2012 present to legally make decisions. The executive committee consists of Suzanne Schimpeler, Donna Russell, Bethany Major, Norman Schippert and Pat Palmer. Pat is the at-large member.
Access to the Museum
In May, Donna received a key to Town Hall that gives us after-hours and weekend access to the gallery and museum. Thanks to City Clerk Denise Haney for getting that done.
Setting the Meeting Date and Developing the Packets and Agenda for the First Sesquicentennial Planning Committee Meeting
Let’s set a date and get this in gear. We need to agree on the list of signature projects, which could possibly include:
- Self-Guided Walking Tour of the City/Historical Signage Program
- Historical Marker Placement and Promotion of Our African-American Communities in Stumptown and Fraziertown, including Pewee Valley Cemetery East
- Restoration of Pewee Valley Cemetery East
- Movement and Restoration of the Last Remaining Interurban Shelter in Pewee Valley at The Locust to a Central Location, such as the Woman’s Club
- Other Ideas????
New Business
Budget for FY Ending June 20, 2018
The PVHS budget request for next fiscal year was submitted to City Council on April 23. $7,000 has been appropriated by the city for specific projects next year.
Cemetery in Frazier Town
In early May, the historical society received a call from Cindy Vance, a Lake Louisvilla property owner, who stated that there was an old cemetery on property owned by Tim Tinsley in Frazier Town and that OCEA’s new sewer line was being routed through it.
Donna Russell met with her, received a copy of the land survey showing the cemetery on the Tinsley property and photographed the cemetery site. The surveyor termed it a “makeshift” cemetery with shallow graves marked by fieldstones. Subsequent research – Della Tinsley’s oral history and an interview with 87-year-old James Harris -- confirmed that Frazier Town residents were aware of its existence, although no one knew who was buried there.
Jim Hagerty, the engineer on the pipeline, was contacted and the line was subsequently rerouted closer to the creek to avoid disturbing the cemetery. That left the question of who might be buried there. That question is explored on the website’s Frazier Town page. At this point, nothing definitive has been found to identify the persons in the graves. Donna is working with Al Matherly, Claude Guyton and Carol Tobe (whose ancestors owned that land and/or neighboring land in Rollington) to determine if the graves possibly predate the Frazier Town community’s establishment ca. 1873. The cemetery is consistent with early rural cemeteries throughout Kentucky.
2015 Survey Showing Location of Cemetery
Photos of Fieldstone Grave Markers Taken May 2018
Re-Routed Sewer Pipeline Plan Courtesy of Jim Hagerty
Planning for the Future
The PVHS needs to set some short and long-range goals and start developing a written plan for what we want to accomplish over the next few years.
First idea: Nominate the Little Colonel’s Cottage to the National Register of Historic Places
The PVHS needs to set some short and long-range goals and start developing a written plan for what we want to accomplish over the next few years.
First idea: Nominate the Little Colonel’s Cottage to the National Register of Historic Places
Pewee Valley Historical Society March 26, 2018 Meeting Minutes
Attending: Suzanne Schimpeler, Jana Brizendine, June Kramer, Pat Palmer, Shelley Schippert, Norman Schippert, Ann Kyser, John and Maureen Bishop, Mayor Bob Rogers, Donna Russell
Old Business
Budget Expenditures To Date
In mid-March, Donna Russell requested an accounting of the expenses the PVHS has been charged with for 2017-2018 from both the city clerk and the Councilwoman Bethany Major. The purpose of the accounting is to get a handle on how much money is left in the budget for this fiscal year, taking into account the $950.30 grant received from the Kentucky Historical Society in January. While Donna has been tracking actual receipts, the PVHS has no way of tracking charges made for work performed by Glen Rowland in the museum. Receipts for items the PVHS has purchased are tracked below:
Museum Acquisitions to Date
“Household of Bouverie; Or, The Elixir of Gold by A Southern Lady” published in 1860 by Catharine Ware Warfield. The book was the first and most popular of ten novels she wrote while living in Pewee Valley at Beechmore/Jennie Casseday Rest Cottage/Mary Crain Hospital. Her last two were written the year she died. $8.99
Official Little Colonel Post Card of The Locust Avenue of Trees, featuring a 1906 photo by Kate Matthews. This gives the museum 5 official LC postcards. $10.00
Little Colonel “Little Big Book” missing cover for use of movie still illustrations for display in museum. $5.00
Signage
16 Plaques for Artwork in Gallery at Town Hall from Manley Signs & Awards, LaGrange. $320.00
Three custom museum signs from Signarama Northeast: Commercial Development in Pewee Valley, Annie Fellows Johnston & The Little Colonel, Noble Butler QR Code Explanatory Sign. $95.40
Displays
Framing Little Colonel Movie Posters & Movie Stills from Little Big Book by Hobby Lobby; note that the city received a grant to pay for this, meaning it is not coming out of our $2400 budget. All of the posters and movie cards were donated by residents, with the exception of the movie stills. $680.40
Male Mannequin to display 1970’s-era PV Police uniform. $62.99
2 Picture Frames with Matting for old photos of police cars that were donated to the museum by an unknown source. The photos include the VW Rabbit from the late 1970s and another patrol car, possibly from the l990s . They are now hanging on the wall behind the mannequin. Purchased BOGO plus 20% off at Michaels. $26.43
12# Velcro Strips for Hanging Signs at the Museum -- We are experimenting with heavier-duty velcro strips for hanging signs on the wall beside Town Hall. Heating and cooling of the wall during this winter's extreme temperatures have caused the 3# strips holding up the large "Commercial Development in Pewee Valley" sign to fail twice since November. $10.94
Acquisitions
Vintage Police Uniforms
The mannequin for displaying the 1970s-era summer and winter PV Police uniforms donated by the Andrew Herdt family arrived in time for the city’s Yule Log celebration. PV Police Chief Greg Larimore was able to procure accessories such as shoes, a belt, etc., from another former police department member. Donna Russell procured a donated set of aviator style mirrored sunglasses to complete the ‘70s look.
Vintage Police Car Photos
Two vintage photos of police cars were donated by an unknown source to the museum and are now framed and on display near the mannequin.
Original 1974 Oil Painting of the PV Train Depot by Louisville Railroad Artist Frank Smith
An original oil painting of the PV L&N Railroad Depot was purchased for $350 in January for the Gallery. Mayor Bob Rogers authorized the purchase, using funds the PVHS has raised through Friends of Pewee Valley, rather than city funds. The money in this budget earmarked for the PVHS was donated by individuals and groups who have requested special tours, etc. This is not coming out of our budget. Donna noted that she contacted the Speed Museum for information on the painter, Louisvillian Frank Smith. Although the Speed couldn't help, curator Erika Holmquist-Wall, who just happens to live in Pewee Valley, sent a nice note complimenting the museum and the work the PVHS has been doing.
La Pequena Colonela Post Card
A Spanish post card promoting Fox Film’s 1935 “Little Colonel” movie donated by Donna Russell.
L&N Railroad Lantern
Donna Russell purchased and donated a marked L&N Railroad lantern to the museum in January. Members discussed hanging the lantern over the new train depot painting in the gallery to keep the antique glass safe and add more dimension to the displays. We need to go shopping for an attractive hook, decorative angle iron or corbel.
Kate Matthews Photos
Donna went to Cincinnati on 3/14 to pick up a set of Kate Matthews photos that late photographer Richard Duncan put together for a special photo display for the city’s centennial in 1970. His son, who already has donated other photos and items, has donated them to the city for the museum. Members discussed putting together a selection of Kate's work and framing them for the Gallery. Kate’s work is currently not represented. Several PVHS members are interested in being involved in the print selection and selecting the frames. We will need to develop an estimate on the total cost of the project for the FY 2018-19 budget. The estimate should include the cost of an explanatory wall plaque for mounting near the display.
$50 Donation to Friends of Pewee Valley and “Favorite Food of Famous Folk”
Pat Palmer gave a $50 donation to Friends of Pewee Valley on March 10 in thanks for a special guided museum tour given to her antiques club, several members of which are residents of Pewee Valley. In addition, she donated an original copy of the 1900 St. James Episcopal Church’s fundraising cookbook, “Favorite Food of Famous Folk.”
1970 Winning Centennial City Flag Design
The 1970 Centennial winning city flag design was donated to the city by the family of Andrew Herdt in October. In November, the PVHS membership reviewed the design, liked it, and asked Donna Russell to get estimates on having it made into a flag to fly at Town Hall. Donna got estimates on set-up costs and various flag sizes from Oates Flag Company and sent them with the November meeting minutes. A picture of the flag and the cost information was also sent to the city clerk specifically at the mayor's request.
At the December City Council meeting, Bob proposed that the city sponsor a flag contest for a new design and invite citizens to participate. This was a big surprise to the PVHS, since our membership had recommended using the Centennial design. Then, a story about a flag contest in the December 2017 Call of the Pewee inaccurately reported that Suzanne Schimpeler had stated the PVHS had not been able to locate the winning Centennial design.
Donna was subsequently informed by the mayor that since PVHS didn't have a quorum at the November meeting, our recommendations carried no legal weight.
At the March PVHS meeting, Mayor Rogers requested that Donna write a story about the Centennial flag design for the Call of the Pewee and put together a brief survey to gauge interest in (1) having a city flag; and (2) if residents would like to see the Centennial design used or come up with a new design.
Donna emailed the requested story to Paula Kennedy on March 27 and worked with the city clerk on March 28 to develop an online survey and place the link on the home page of the city's website. The online survey is automatically tabulated and the city clerk will be able to provide the results directly to City Council members. The link to the survey is here: https://pvclerk.typeform.com/to/Xq345X . Be sure to cast your vote.
The PVHS's interest in this project is limited to producing flags using the historic Centennial design. If residents want a new flag design, setting up the contest, having the flags produced, and selling them will be up to City Council. A new flag doesn't fall under the PVHS's purview.
Historical Signage Program
The historical signage program designed by Shelley Schippert needs to go to the next phase, which includes:
Some grant monies may be available at the county and national levels. In addition, many property owners may be willing to pay for the signs themselves. PVHS has received several requests along those lines.
If the budget review shows there are sufficient funds left to purchase one or two signs this fiscal year, the PVHS could erect them on city-owned properties, such as the Pewee Valley Museum, the caboose, the mail crane or Central Park, so residents and historic property owners can see how they will look and how they will tie into the PVHS website through QR codes and smart phones.
Bob Rogers has already gotten a bid and secured private funding for a sign to mark Town Hall. The sign will not work with the walking tour concept PVHS has recommended.
Kentucky Confederate Home Sign
Moving the sign out of the cemetery to its original location is a No Go with the Cemetery Board of Directors. On November 17, Donna Russell met with Mike Jewell, president of Jewell Manufacturing, a local metal fabrication company with plasma cutting capabilities, to see how much it would cost to create a reproduction for placement on the walkway remnant on Mt. Mercy. After examining the sign at the cemetery, Mike noted that it is in extremely bad shape and is largely being held together by paint. The current mounting at the cemetery also makes it vulnerable to theft.
His bid is below. Roger Hack may be willing and able to mount it at no charge.
I’ve come up with a price for the sign of $2500.00.
That includes having it powder painted Matte Black and delivered wherever you want.
Mounting it to the pillars not included.
I have figured using expanded metal with the largest openings available for the background instead of woven wire mesh.
The sign hanging above the cemetery entrance used expanded metal. It will be easier to work with and the letters can be welded directly to it.
I’ve also figured everything welded together so that once it is bolted down it cannot be removed without removing the anchor bolts.
Call or email me if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Michael Jewell
President/Owner
9951 Bunsen Way
Louisville, KY 40299
Ph 502-964-5958
Fx 502-964-5977
www.jewellmfg.net
Placing a replica of the sign where it belongs will enhance the historic feel of Pewee Valley's downtown and help the tourists and descendants who visit the Confederate Cemetery better understand where the KCH was actually located. It will also make sure that the city holds onto this piece of our past since the original sign's days are numbered.
The PVHS supports including funds for purchasing the reproduction KCH sign in our 2018-19 budget request to the city. Looking for outside sources to help pay for the sign was also discussed. The John Hunt Morgan Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy and other Civil War groups may be interested in making donations.
New Photo Display for the Museum
Pat Palmer, Ann Kyser, Bob Rogers and Donna Russell met at the museum on March 20 to look at ways to rearrange the the museum to make room for a new photo display that resident Jay Pool has offered to build for us out of old windows. We are running out of wall space, and have many more vintage and historic photos available.
Pat and Ann came up with a workable solution for placing the display in front of the fire bay door. Ann suggested placing it on locking casters to make it easy to move when Town Hall is experiencing flooding during heavy rains. Bob Rogers suggested wide casters to prevent damaging the epoxy floor. He further requested that Donna find a source and get an estimate on having every case in the museum placed on casters, and stated it should be the number one priority for PVHS budget for FY 2018-19. In addition, he requested the base be made out of water-resistant material, such as composite wood or concrete siding, as opposed to the barn wood Jay originally proposed.
Jay has recommending covering the windows with Plexiglass once the photos are in place to protect museum visitors from possible injury should any of the window glass break. Shelley Schippert suggested getting bids on the Plexiglass from American Rubber, which offers very competitive pricing.
Jay's drawing of the proposed display is below. It gives us space for up to 96 more photos.
Budget Expenditures To Date
In mid-March, Donna Russell requested an accounting of the expenses the PVHS has been charged with for 2017-2018 from both the city clerk and the Councilwoman Bethany Major. The purpose of the accounting is to get a handle on how much money is left in the budget for this fiscal year, taking into account the $950.30 grant received from the Kentucky Historical Society in January. While Donna has been tracking actual receipts, the PVHS has no way of tracking charges made for work performed by Glen Rowland in the museum. Receipts for items the PVHS has purchased are tracked below:
Museum Acquisitions to Date
“Household of Bouverie; Or, The Elixir of Gold by A Southern Lady” published in 1860 by Catharine Ware Warfield. The book was the first and most popular of ten novels she wrote while living in Pewee Valley at Beechmore/Jennie Casseday Rest Cottage/Mary Crain Hospital. Her last two were written the year she died. $8.99
Official Little Colonel Post Card of The Locust Avenue of Trees, featuring a 1906 photo by Kate Matthews. This gives the museum 5 official LC postcards. $10.00
Little Colonel “Little Big Book” missing cover for use of movie still illustrations for display in museum. $5.00
Signage
16 Plaques for Artwork in Gallery at Town Hall from Manley Signs & Awards, LaGrange. $320.00
Three custom museum signs from Signarama Northeast: Commercial Development in Pewee Valley, Annie Fellows Johnston & The Little Colonel, Noble Butler QR Code Explanatory Sign. $95.40
Displays
Framing Little Colonel Movie Posters & Movie Stills from Little Big Book by Hobby Lobby; note that the city received a grant to pay for this, meaning it is not coming out of our $2400 budget. All of the posters and movie cards were donated by residents, with the exception of the movie stills. $680.40
Male Mannequin to display 1970’s-era PV Police uniform. $62.99
2 Picture Frames with Matting for old photos of police cars that were donated to the museum by an unknown source. The photos include the VW Rabbit from the late 1970s and another patrol car, possibly from the l990s . They are now hanging on the wall behind the mannequin. Purchased BOGO plus 20% off at Michaels. $26.43
12# Velcro Strips for Hanging Signs at the Museum -- We are experimenting with heavier-duty velcro strips for hanging signs on the wall beside Town Hall. Heating and cooling of the wall during this winter's extreme temperatures have caused the 3# strips holding up the large "Commercial Development in Pewee Valley" sign to fail twice since November. $10.94
Acquisitions
Vintage Police Uniforms
The mannequin for displaying the 1970s-era summer and winter PV Police uniforms donated by the Andrew Herdt family arrived in time for the city’s Yule Log celebration. PV Police Chief Greg Larimore was able to procure accessories such as shoes, a belt, etc., from another former police department member. Donna Russell procured a donated set of aviator style mirrored sunglasses to complete the ‘70s look.
Vintage Police Car Photos
Two vintage photos of police cars were donated by an unknown source to the museum and are now framed and on display near the mannequin.
Original 1974 Oil Painting of the PV Train Depot by Louisville Railroad Artist Frank Smith
An original oil painting of the PV L&N Railroad Depot was purchased for $350 in January for the Gallery. Mayor Bob Rogers authorized the purchase, using funds the PVHS has raised through Friends of Pewee Valley, rather than city funds. The money in this budget earmarked for the PVHS was donated by individuals and groups who have requested special tours, etc. This is not coming out of our budget. Donna noted that she contacted the Speed Museum for information on the painter, Louisvillian Frank Smith. Although the Speed couldn't help, curator Erika Holmquist-Wall, who just happens to live in Pewee Valley, sent a nice note complimenting the museum and the work the PVHS has been doing.
La Pequena Colonela Post Card
A Spanish post card promoting Fox Film’s 1935 “Little Colonel” movie donated by Donna Russell.
L&N Railroad Lantern
Donna Russell purchased and donated a marked L&N Railroad lantern to the museum in January. Members discussed hanging the lantern over the new train depot painting in the gallery to keep the antique glass safe and add more dimension to the displays. We need to go shopping for an attractive hook, decorative angle iron or corbel.
Kate Matthews Photos
Donna went to Cincinnati on 3/14 to pick up a set of Kate Matthews photos that late photographer Richard Duncan put together for a special photo display for the city’s centennial in 1970. His son, who already has donated other photos and items, has donated them to the city for the museum. Members discussed putting together a selection of Kate's work and framing them for the Gallery. Kate’s work is currently not represented. Several PVHS members are interested in being involved in the print selection and selecting the frames. We will need to develop an estimate on the total cost of the project for the FY 2018-19 budget. The estimate should include the cost of an explanatory wall plaque for mounting near the display.
$50 Donation to Friends of Pewee Valley and “Favorite Food of Famous Folk”
Pat Palmer gave a $50 donation to Friends of Pewee Valley on March 10 in thanks for a special guided museum tour given to her antiques club, several members of which are residents of Pewee Valley. In addition, she donated an original copy of the 1900 St. James Episcopal Church’s fundraising cookbook, “Favorite Food of Famous Folk.”
1970 Winning Centennial City Flag Design
The 1970 Centennial winning city flag design was donated to the city by the family of Andrew Herdt in October. In November, the PVHS membership reviewed the design, liked it, and asked Donna Russell to get estimates on having it made into a flag to fly at Town Hall. Donna got estimates on set-up costs and various flag sizes from Oates Flag Company and sent them with the November meeting minutes. A picture of the flag and the cost information was also sent to the city clerk specifically at the mayor's request.
At the December City Council meeting, Bob proposed that the city sponsor a flag contest for a new design and invite citizens to participate. This was a big surprise to the PVHS, since our membership had recommended using the Centennial design. Then, a story about a flag contest in the December 2017 Call of the Pewee inaccurately reported that Suzanne Schimpeler had stated the PVHS had not been able to locate the winning Centennial design.
Donna was subsequently informed by the mayor that since PVHS didn't have a quorum at the November meeting, our recommendations carried no legal weight.
At the March PVHS meeting, Mayor Rogers requested that Donna write a story about the Centennial flag design for the Call of the Pewee and put together a brief survey to gauge interest in (1) having a city flag; and (2) if residents would like to see the Centennial design used or come up with a new design.
Donna emailed the requested story to Paula Kennedy on March 27 and worked with the city clerk on March 28 to develop an online survey and place the link on the home page of the city's website. The online survey is automatically tabulated and the city clerk will be able to provide the results directly to City Council members. The link to the survey is here: https://pvclerk.typeform.com/to/Xq345X . Be sure to cast your vote.
The PVHS's interest in this project is limited to producing flags using the historic Centennial design. If residents want a new flag design, setting up the contest, having the flags produced, and selling them will be up to City Council. A new flag doesn't fall under the PVHS's purview.
Historical Signage Program
The historical signage program designed by Shelley Schippert needs to go to the next phase, which includes:
- presenting the proposed design to City Council for approval;
- contacting historic property owners individually to determine their interest and willingness to have an historic sign on their property; and
- determining how the signs will be funded.
Some grant monies may be available at the county and national levels. In addition, many property owners may be willing to pay for the signs themselves. PVHS has received several requests along those lines.
If the budget review shows there are sufficient funds left to purchase one or two signs this fiscal year, the PVHS could erect them on city-owned properties, such as the Pewee Valley Museum, the caboose, the mail crane or Central Park, so residents and historic property owners can see how they will look and how they will tie into the PVHS website through QR codes and smart phones.
Bob Rogers has already gotten a bid and secured private funding for a sign to mark Town Hall. The sign will not work with the walking tour concept PVHS has recommended.
Kentucky Confederate Home Sign
Moving the sign out of the cemetery to its original location is a No Go with the Cemetery Board of Directors. On November 17, Donna Russell met with Mike Jewell, president of Jewell Manufacturing, a local metal fabrication company with plasma cutting capabilities, to see how much it would cost to create a reproduction for placement on the walkway remnant on Mt. Mercy. After examining the sign at the cemetery, Mike noted that it is in extremely bad shape and is largely being held together by paint. The current mounting at the cemetery also makes it vulnerable to theft.
His bid is below. Roger Hack may be willing and able to mount it at no charge.
I’ve come up with a price for the sign of $2500.00.
That includes having it powder painted Matte Black and delivered wherever you want.
Mounting it to the pillars not included.
I have figured using expanded metal with the largest openings available for the background instead of woven wire mesh.
The sign hanging above the cemetery entrance used expanded metal. It will be easier to work with and the letters can be welded directly to it.
I’ve also figured everything welded together so that once it is bolted down it cannot be removed without removing the anchor bolts.
Call or email me if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Michael Jewell
President/Owner
9951 Bunsen Way
Louisville, KY 40299
Ph 502-964-5958
Fx 502-964-5977
www.jewellmfg.net
Placing a replica of the sign where it belongs will enhance the historic feel of Pewee Valley's downtown and help the tourists and descendants who visit the Confederate Cemetery better understand where the KCH was actually located. It will also make sure that the city holds onto this piece of our past since the original sign's days are numbered.
The PVHS supports including funds for purchasing the reproduction KCH sign in our 2018-19 budget request to the city. Looking for outside sources to help pay for the sign was also discussed. The John Hunt Morgan Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy and other Civil War groups may be interested in making donations.
New Photo Display for the Museum
Pat Palmer, Ann Kyser, Bob Rogers and Donna Russell met at the museum on March 20 to look at ways to rearrange the the museum to make room for a new photo display that resident Jay Pool has offered to build for us out of old windows. We are running out of wall space, and have many more vintage and historic photos available.
Pat and Ann came up with a workable solution for placing the display in front of the fire bay door. Ann suggested placing it on locking casters to make it easy to move when Town Hall is experiencing flooding during heavy rains. Bob Rogers suggested wide casters to prevent damaging the epoxy floor. He further requested that Donna find a source and get an estimate on having every case in the museum placed on casters, and stated it should be the number one priority for PVHS budget for FY 2018-19. In addition, he requested the base be made out of water-resistant material, such as composite wood or concrete siding, as opposed to the barn wood Jay originally proposed.
Jay has recommending covering the windows with Plexiglass once the photos are in place to protect museum visitors from possible injury should any of the window glass break. Shelley Schippert suggested getting bids on the Plexiglass from American Rubber, which offers very competitive pricing.
Jay's drawing of the proposed display is below. It gives us space for up to 96 more photos.
Oral History of Vivien Reinhardt
Norman Schippert has offered to lend his video camera to Donna Russell to conduct oral histories. Unfortunately, Donna has not had time to get any done.
Stumptown History, Pewee Valley First Baptist Church, Pewee Valley Cemetery East
Donna is working on a web page for the PVHS site on the Pewee Valley First Baptist Church and Colored School on Floydsburg Road. The original building on the site was a combination church and school and was paid for by the Freedmen's Bureau in 1869 following the Civil War. That school stayed in use until about 1950, when the Board of Education built a new colored school at the corner of Ash Avenue and Old Floydsburg Road. It was used as a school until 1963, when Oldham County schools were integrated. In 1969, it was sold to the Pewee Valley Baptist Temple, which still owns the building today.
The goals of this project are to:
Suzanne Schimpeler reported that Stumptown's African-American residents began developing a plan for restoring Pewee Valley Cemetery East at a special December 9 meeting led by Aukrom Burton, Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage, at the church. Aukrom suggested contacting University of Kentucky State Archeologist Jay Stottman about the project. He has been contacted, and Suzanne and Donna plan to set up a meeting with him at the cemetery once the weather breaks.
Chairs for Town Hall’s Porch
Norman Schippert has offered to reglue the wooden chairs from The Gables for Town Hall’s front porch. The chairs have been stripped and are now at Norman’s house. They will be painted dark green to match the signage the city uses. Norman was unable to get anything done on the chairs over the winter. He noted that they may require bracing of some type to make them stable enough to sit on.
AFJ Induction in Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame
On January 31, 2018, author Annie Fellows Johnston was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Lexington, Ky. Donna Russell, Jana Brizendine, Suzanne Sherman, AFJ expert Sue Lynn McDaniel at WKU and Bob Rogers represented Pewee Valley at the event. Also attending was Jay Szatkowski from Colorado.
Website Updates/New Pages
More photos from the Miller/Bingham era will be coming from Eleanor Miller Bingham’s family archivist. Photos of Undulata and the Blackley years at the Truman-Miller-Richard House will be coming from G.T. Blackley’s grandson, Winston, now in his late 80s.
Setting the Meeting Date and Developing the Packets and Agenda for the First Sesquicentennial Planning Committee Meeting
Suzanne Schimpeler requested that Norman Schippert and Bethany Major begin setting up the Sesquicentennial Planning Committee. For the initial meeting, Donna will develop an information packet that includes:
Potential list of signature projects could include:
Suzanne Schimpeler submitted suggestions of what needs to occur at the committee’s first two meetings:
First meeting:
Second meeting:
This will provide a framework for the entire year long celebration and will be refined into a plan and shared through the Call of the Pewee and at a City Council Meeting. Once the plan is approved, an implementation schedule can be created.
Norman Schippert has offered to lend his video camera to Donna Russell to conduct oral histories. Unfortunately, Donna has not had time to get any done.
Stumptown History, Pewee Valley First Baptist Church, Pewee Valley Cemetery East
Donna is working on a web page for the PVHS site on the Pewee Valley First Baptist Church and Colored School on Floydsburg Road. The original building on the site was a combination church and school and was paid for by the Freedmen's Bureau in 1869 following the Civil War. That school stayed in use until about 1950, when the Board of Education built a new colored school at the corner of Ash Avenue and Old Floydsburg Road. It was used as a school until 1963, when Oldham County schools were integrated. In 1969, it was sold to the Pewee Valley Baptist Temple, which still owns the building today.
The goals of this project are to:
- Help the church obtain a State Historical Marker through the program being sponsored by the Oldham County Historical Society’s National Underground Railroad Network program. The markers (one per year) are paid for by Oldham County Tourism;
- Educate Peweeans about our area's black history.
Suzanne Schimpeler reported that Stumptown's African-American residents began developing a plan for restoring Pewee Valley Cemetery East at a special December 9 meeting led by Aukrom Burton, Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage, at the church. Aukrom suggested contacting University of Kentucky State Archeologist Jay Stottman about the project. He has been contacted, and Suzanne and Donna plan to set up a meeting with him at the cemetery once the weather breaks.
Chairs for Town Hall’s Porch
Norman Schippert has offered to reglue the wooden chairs from The Gables for Town Hall’s front porch. The chairs have been stripped and are now at Norman’s house. They will be painted dark green to match the signage the city uses. Norman was unable to get anything done on the chairs over the winter. He noted that they may require bracing of some type to make them stable enough to sit on.
AFJ Induction in Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame
On January 31, 2018, author Annie Fellows Johnston was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Lexington, Ky. Donna Russell, Jana Brizendine, Suzanne Sherman, AFJ expert Sue Lynn McDaniel at WKU and Bob Rogers represented Pewee Valley at the event. Also attending was Jay Szatkowski from Colorado.
Website Updates/New Pages
- Ca. 1939 Map of Pewee Valley with Property Owners Identified -- we may want to consider getting a copy of the map enlarged for display at the museum
- Pewee Valley First Baptist Church and Colored School -- most of the research on the school has been completed, with a lot more left to do on the church
- Truman-Miller-Richard House: The Truman & Miller Years
- Truman-Miller-Richard House: The Blackley Years & Beyond
- Robert Worth Bingham
- http://www.peweevalleyhistory.org/undulata.html This page has been updated to include more about the Blackleys, who were living at Undulata when it burned down in the Confederate Home fire
More photos from the Miller/Bingham era will be coming from Eleanor Miller Bingham’s family archivist. Photos of Undulata and the Blackley years at the Truman-Miller-Richard House will be coming from G.T. Blackley’s grandson, Winston, now in his late 80s.
Setting the Meeting Date and Developing the Packets and Agenda for the First Sesquicentennial Planning Committee Meeting
Suzanne Schimpeler requested that Norman Schippert and Bethany Major begin setting up the Sesquicentennial Planning Committee. For the initial meeting, Donna will develop an information packet that includes:
- Results of the Sesquicentennial Survey
- Details of the City’s 1970 Centennial Celebration
- A City event calendar, showing the usual events in Pewee Valley every year – Yule Log, Movie in the Park, Summer Picnic, Tree Giveaway, Arts & Crafts Fair, etc.
- A list of the functions the committee will need to address, such as Fundraising and Budget, Event Planning, Publicity, Museum Exhibits and Tie-Ins, etc.
- A list of potential signature projects for completion before or during the Sesquicentennial year
Potential list of signature projects could include:
- Self-Guided Walking Tour of the City
- Historical Marker Placement and Promotion of Our African-American Communities in Stumptown and Fraziertown, including Pewee Valley Cemetery East
- Restoration of Pewee Valley Cemetery East
- Movement and Restoration of the Last Remaining Interurban Shelter in Pewee Valley at The Locust to a Central Location, such as the Woman’s Club
- Other Ideas????
Suzanne Schimpeler submitted suggestions of what needs to occur at the committee’s first two meetings:
First meeting:
- Introductions of each person
- Summary of the survey to each member and review
- Present 2-3 ideas that the PVHS would like to be a part of the celebration
- Explain that the Committee will be making the final selection. PVHS's role will be to assist and perform any necessary research, etc.
Second meeting:
- Appoint the committee's Chairman or two Co-chairmen
- Tentatively propose 4-6 events for the Celebration and when and where they would be scheduled
- Propose ways to get PV residents to work on these events
This will provide a framework for the entire year long celebration and will be refined into a plan and shared through the Call of the Pewee and at a City Council Meeting. Once the plan is approved, an implementation schedule can be created.
New Business
Restructuring the PVHS Relationship with the City
When PVHS became a committee of the City of Pewee Valley in 2012, the original list of 10 members was used to define the committee's members. Membership has changed over the past six years and it is no longer possible to get a quorum of six of these original members at most meetings to legally approve expenditures, projects, etc. Therefore, we have asked that a resolution be made at the April City Council meeting to reduce the number of people on the committee to five, so a quorum of only three will be needed for decision making.
This will not affect give and take at PVHS meetings or the way the group has used consensus in the past to set goals, determine purchases, etc. What it will impact is the legality of the decisions we reach.
The suggested structure for the PVHS going forward is:
- PVHS President Suzanne Schimpeler
- PV Historian Donna Russell
- City Councilwoman Bethany Major (she is currently responsible for the PVHS and expenditures we make are included in her budget)
- City Councilman Norman Schippert
- One at large member
By law, committee members must reside in Pewee Valley.
Norman Schippert, with the help of the city attorney, will present the resolution at the April council meeting.
There was some additional discussion on whether purchasing decisions under a certain dollar amount could be made without going through a formal voting process.
Access to the Museum
Donna has requested a key to Town Hall so PVHS members can work on days when Town Hall isn't open. It is now only open three half-days a week, and the mayor feels our presence is disruptive to the city clerk. Having a key would mean PVHS can work on days the clerk isn't in, and also make it easier to tour groups that request to see the museum on weekends, afternoons or at night.
Norman Schippert supported the request and noted that access to the building could be limited to just the museum and gallery. Bob Rogers stated that there is room in Town Hall's closet for storing collection display items and other materials, making access to the back of Town Hall unnecessary.
Bob will get Town Hall and the museum areas re-keyed and will have a set of duplicate keys for the museum cases made. Donna has already begun moving items out of the storage closet in back to the closet in Town Hall.
Planning for the Future
At our next meeting, the PVHS needs to set some short and long-range goals and start developing a written plan for what we want to accomplish over the next few years.
Program from Annie Fellows Johnston’s 2018 Induction
into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame
into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame
Pewee Valley Historical Society Receives $950.30 Grant
for Pewee Valley Museum Exhibit
for Pewee Valley Museum Exhibit
On January 9, 2017, the Pewee Valley Museum was one of seventeen Kentucky history organizations awarded a grant from the Kentucky Local History Trust Fund. Accepting the check for the museum at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort, Ky., was Pewee Valley Historian Donna Russell.
The $950.30 grant will pay for framing movie posters and photos at the museum and allow the historical society to enroll in the AASLH’s Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (StEPs).
The Kentucky Local History Trust Fund is publicly-funded and administered by the Kentucky Historical Society. To donate to the fund, all you have to do is check the box on your state tax return designating a portion of your refund to Kentucky's Local History Trust Fund and indicate how much you want to give. Donations go into a grant pool that museums, libraries and local history organizations can tap into to build organizational capacity and get financial support for programs and services.
The $950.30 grant will pay for framing movie posters and photos at the museum and allow the historical society to enroll in the AASLH’s Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (StEPs).
The Kentucky Local History Trust Fund is publicly-funded and administered by the Kentucky Historical Society. To donate to the fund, all you have to do is check the box on your state tax return designating a portion of your refund to Kentucky's Local History Trust Fund and indicate how much you want to give. Donations go into a grant pool that museums, libraries and local history organizations can tap into to build organizational capacity and get financial support for programs and services.
Reserve Your Tickets for Annie Fellows Johnston’s Induction
into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame
Wednesday, January 31 at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning
Lexington, Ky.
into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame
Wednesday, January 31 at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning
Lexington, Ky.
Though Annie Fellows Johnston had already written several books prior to "The Little Colonel's" publication in 1895, this book, set in Pewee Valley, effectively launched her career as a popular children's author.
On Wednesday, January 31, 2018, author Annie Fellows Johnston will be inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning in Lexington, Ky., located at 251 W. Second Street.
To reserve free tickets, contact Sarah Chapman at 1-859-254-4175 Ext. 21.
The Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame was started in 2013 to recognize Kentucky writers whose work reflects the character and culture of our commonwealth, and to educate Kentuckians about our state’s rich literary heritage. For a writer to have been eligible this year, he/she must be 1) published; 2) someone whose writing is of enduring stature; and 3) someone connected in a significant way to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Among past inductees are Barbara Kingsolver, Wendell Berry, Hunter S. Thompson, Thomas Merton, and Johnston’s friend and fellow Louisville Authors Club member Alice Hegan Rice, author of “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.”
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