Kerr Building

The S. P. Kerr Building is a historic building on the northwest corner of North Main Street and West Broadway in Winchester, Kentucky. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in the Winchester Downtown Commercial District. Built in 1889, it is a three-story brick building with stone sills and lintels and a rounded corner entrance flanked by rough-hewn stone columns.[1][2] The building contains about 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2) of space.[3]

The Kerr Building originally housed Eclipse Mills, but in later years it was home to J. J. Newberry's and The Corner Drug Store. By 1999, the building was vacant and in disrepair. As a result of the deterioration, the Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation placed the Kerr Building on its "11th Hour" Most Endangered list. In 2001, the building was purchased by Union Properties and Bailey Associates, who began refurbishing the building in August 2002, including repairing water damage, leaks in the roof, and worn storefronts. The renovations took more than three years (it was completed in December 2005) and cost more than $2 million. The building now houses around 18,000 square feet (1,700 m2) of senior living space and 9,000 square feet (840 m2) of commercial space.[3]

The wooden rooster on the roof of the building is said to have been placed there as the result of a bet involving the outcome of the 1932 presidential election. The original rooster eventually disappeared, but a replacement was installed during the 2002 renovation.[3]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  2. "8 N Main St". Preservation Services and Technology Group. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  3. "S. P. Kerr Building (1889)". Winchester Historic Preservation Commission. Retrieved 23 June 2012.

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