Phoenix Hotel (Lexington, Kentucky) facts for kids

The Phoenix Hotel was a very old and important building in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It was located on East Main Street. The hotel first opened in the 1820s. It became a famous place and was the oldest hotel in the area that kept its name or location over time. After changing names and owners several times, the hotel closed in 1977. The building was torn down in 1987. Today, a park called Phoenix Park stands where the hotel used to be.

History of the Phoenix Hotel

The land where the Phoenix Hotel was built first held Postlethwaite's Tavern in 1800. This tavern changed names a few times before 1820. One of its names was Wilson's Tavern, which was visited by Col. Aaron Burr in 1806. The Phoenix Hotel then opened on this spot in the 1820s.

Once it was open, the hotel quickly became a well-known landmark. It was an important building, often used by travelers and tourists in the early days of Lexington. This helped give Lexington the nickname "Athens of the West," meaning it was seen as a center for culture and learning.

The Phoenix Hotel in the 1800s

The Phoenix Hotel was used for many different things. During the American Civil War, it served as a headquarters for generals like William "Bull" Nelson, Braxton Bragg, and Edmund Kirby Smith.

After General John Hunt Morgan was buried again on April 17, 1868, the remaining soldiers from his command met at the Phoenix Hotel. At this meeting, they formed the Morgan's Men Association. This group still exists today.

Around 1891, a college club called the Alpha Theta chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order was started at Transylvania University. Its first members were officially welcomed at the Phoenix Hotel.

A postcard from this time, shown at the Lexington History Museum, said:

We Make a specialty of serving private parties High-class Service, 40c Lunch, PHOENIX HOTEL, Fireproof, Lexington, Ky.

Lucretia Hart Clay, who was the wife of important leader Henry Clay, also did business with the Phoenix Hotel. She sold eggs, butter, and milk to the hotel during the 1800s.

The Phoenix Hotel in the 1900s

In November 1915, the Kentucky Equal Rights Association met at the Phoenix Hotel. This group worked for women's right to vote, also known as suffrage. After a car parade on November 8th, the suffragists had a party at Ashland (Henry Clay estate). That evening, they listened to a talk by Ethel Snowden from London, England.

On November 9th, the meeting officially opened in the hotel's Ball Room. Madeline McDowell Breckinridge was the president of the meeting. The convention also offered other interesting events for the community. This included a talk by Madame Rosika Schwimmer from Hungary about working for peace around the world.

In 1919, the Kiwanis Club of Lexington was started at the Phoenix Hotel. Fifty business people met there to organize the club. Senator Thomas A. Combs led the meeting, and Mayor-elect T.C. Bradley was also there.

College fraternities, Phi Kappa Tau, from Centre College, Transylvania University, and the University of Kentucky held their national meetings at the hotel. These meetings took place from August 30 to September 1, 1923, and again from August 22 to 24, 1929.

In 1929, Lexington's Board of Commerce met at the Phoenix Hotel. During this meeting, they decided to write a letter to the U.S. Public Health Service. They wanted to convince the service to build a prison in the area, after a new law called the Porter Act was passed. Dr. Walter Treadway later visited Lexington because of this interest.

In 1932, the fancy lights from the front entrance of the Phoenix Hotel were moved. They were placed on the main building of the University of Kentucky after the hotel updated its street front.

After 1947, the radio station WVLK-AM 590 moved its main office to the Phoenix Hotel from Versailles, Kentucky. The radio station stayed there until about 1980, then moved to the Kincaid Towers.

On October 17, 1961, something important happened. The NBA champion Boston Celtics arrived at the Phoenix Hotel to play a game. But when some players, like Sam Jones and Tom "Satch" Sanders, tried to eat, they were told, "I'm sorry but we don't serve Negroes." This made them very angry and embarrassed. When they met teammates Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, they told them not to eat there. This event led to the 1961 Boston Celtics boycott, where the team refused to play the game because of the unfair treatment.

The Southern Regional Group held a meeting at the Phoenix Hotel in 1965. The University of Kentucky mostly hosted this meeting, and 110 people attended. This was the last time Kentucky was a full member of the group. Also in the 1960s, the Phoenix Hotel was a place for many protests during the social movement in Lexington. These protests were about civil rights and were shown in photographs by photographer Calvert McAnn. His photos were displayed at the University of Kentucky in 2005.

Influence on Horse Racing

The Phoenix Hotel was so important that it even influenced horse racing. Several races were named after the hotel. The Phoenix Hotel Stakes, which first ran in Lexington in 1831, is thought to be the oldest American horse race for three-year-old horses.

Newspaper articles from The New York Times mention several horse races named after the Phoenix Hotel, starting around 1877. A sports article from November 12, 1924, described a race called the "Phoenix Hotel Handicap." This race was for three-year-old horses and older. Similar articles from 1930 also mention the Phoenix Hotel Handicap.

The Phoenix Hotel Stakes race was later renamed the Phoenix Breeders' Cup Handicap. Today, it is known as the Phoenix Stakes and is run at Keeneland.

Demolition and Phoenix Park

The Phoenix Hotel was torn down in 1981 by Wallace Wilkinson. He planned to build a very tall building called the World Coal Center skyscraper on the site. However, this building was never constructed. It is considered the biggest building project that didn't happen in Lexington.

Instead, a place called Park Plaza opened in 1987. Later, the modern-day Phoenix Park was built and opened.

Two large, fancy hanging lights called crystal chandeliers were taken from the hotel. They were moved to the lobby of the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville.

Phoenix Park is now next to a public library. It has a memorial for Vietnam veterans, a fountain, and places for visitors to sit. In November 2006, a special marker was put up to honor the historical importance of the site. James Holmberg, a historian, helped dedicate this marker. The site of the old Phoenix Hotel was given a Lexington Historical Society marker. This was to remember a big celebration that happened when Meriwether Lewis (from the Lewis & Clark journey) visited Lexington in 1806.