This past Friday, our team enjoyed a perfect mix of food, fresh air, and local history!
We started with lunch at Josie’s Restaurant, followed by a short walk for a sweet treat at Graeter’s Ice Cream!
We then visited Pope Villa, originally built in 1811 as a summer home for Senator John and Eliza Pope and designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Additions were made in 1843 and later used as college apartments. A fire in 1987 caused significant damage to the interior, including the circular rotunda. In 2007, the Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation removed those additions to return the home to its original footprint and reconstructed the front portico. Today, restoration efforts continue through a partnership with Bluegrass Trust and Mitchell Park Companies to bring back the interior rotunda and oculus skylight.
