Lexington, KY - Well, of course, that's Paris in Bourbon County, Kentucky. I went to Paris to tour two historic buildings, the Hopewell Museum and the Duncan Tavern, with their collections, gift shops and programs.
The original settlers' name for the town of Paris was Hopewell, and thus the name for the Hopewell Museum. It is housed in the historic Paris Post Office, which was constructed in 1909, opened in 1910 and operated until 1967. The architect for this structure was James Knox Taylor and the design utilized three styles for construction: the Capparola Casino in Italy, the Corinth order of ancient Greece and the designs of Italian master Antonio Palladio. This eclectic combination was characteristic of the Beaux Arts style. This beautiful building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
I enjoyed seeing the exhibit on Bybee Pottery, and downstairs I found a colorful display of children's art. The gift shop inside the post office safe vault offers a variety of items for sale including books, candy, coffee mugs, lapel pins and cards. The feeling of the museum is light and positive with tall ceilings and windows and a mixture of marble and hardwood floors. I enjoyed being shown the period iron spiral staircase and saw plenty of exhibits on historical themes to satisfy my curiosity. There was a scratched-name field gravestone, cast iron road sign, yarn skeiner, or "weasel" - which made a popping sound (thus "pop goes the weasel") - tobacco harvesting items, and exhibits on early schools, academies and the Millersburg Military Institute.
I discovered histories on some notable native sons and residents of Paris, including Kentucky's second Confederate Governor Richard Hawes, who moved to Paris in 1843 and returned to live there after the Civil War ended. I found out about African American native Garret Augustus Morgan, Sr., who was an inventor and successful businessman. One of his inventions was Morgan's traffic light as well as a gas mask used by soldiers in World War I. There are other exhibits and discoveries you can find for yourself at the Hopewell Museum.
You can explore the shops and restaurants of Paris on foot, or driving if you prefer. Another amazing historic building is the Duncan Tavern, which was the first local stone building and was constructed prior to Kentucky statehood (in 1788). It was built as a private residence, but later served as an inn. The adjacent Anne Duncan House was built in 1801, both of primitive quarried limestone. The house is filled with very old portraits, period furniture and rare Kentucky antiques. The rooms are named after notables in the history of the tavern and those who donated historic items. For example, I toured the Clay Room, the Isaac Shelby Room and the Founders Room.
I enjoyed taking the tour of both buildings and there are a few surprises for those interested in antiques, such as the euphemistically titled "spirit chests" - a secret closet stash-away visible behind a hinged shelf. The tour guide showed me the period front door's double lock and lots of charming antiques from ceramics to paintings to guns and furniture. I found the history of the glass demijohns interesting (which supposedly held shipped rum from the West Indies).
The amazing thing is that both the Duncan Tavern and the Hopewell Museum (former Post Office) were scheduled for demolition and were fortunately saved. The rescuers of each building bought them for one dollar.