Historic preservation of Lexington’s rural Black hamlets

Cadentown School, 1901. Source: Wikemedia commons.

In Tuesday’s General Government and Planning (GGP) Committee, Councilmembers will hear an overview of the A Sense of Place nonprofit, which is working to preserve and honor Lexington’s rural Black hamlets.

Hamlets are rural Black settlements established from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, including Cadentown, Maddoxtown, and Bracktown.

A Sense of Place was created in 2022 as a nonprofit organization to bring attention to Lexington’s Black hamlets. A Sense of Place is planning to renovate the Cadentown Schoolhouse —  which was built in 1923 — into a historical exhibit for Lexington’s Black hamlets.

A Sense of Place is also establishing a Historical Marker Mini-Grant program, which will fund the design and placement of historical markers that honor important locations in Lexington hamlet history.

You can view the full presentation slides starting on page 54 of this packet.

The General Government and Planning Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 10th at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in-person or watch live on LexTV.