More than 30 demonstrators rallied at the University of Kentucky Wednesday to protest the demolition of the 134-year-old Hamilton House.
The protesters waved signs reading “Demolition is forever!” and “Shame on UK!”
Sheila Ferrell, executive director of Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, noted that the former residence built in 1880 predates the school itself.
"It's older than the University of Kentucky campus. It was here before UK was. It had a wonderful architect in [John] McMurtry... The buildings are in great shape. They can be adaptively reused," she said.
The building is one of five structures being razed to make way for new residence halls. But UK spokesperson Jay Blanton argues the university is working to preserve and enhance a number of buildings on campus, including Lafferty Hall and Memorial Coliseum, but some can’t be effectively retrofitted.
"In some cases, that's not possible. You've got some buildings that are not equipped for modern living and learning, they don't have the technology, the capacity for it," he says.
Blue Grass Trust says it had one meeting with the university’s Vice President for Finance and Administration, Eric Monday, prior to the start of the demolitions but did not receive any response. UK officials say they spent close to a year discussing the construction plan with community members.
