Latrobe’s Pope Villa

This property was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the architect largely responsible for designing the White House and the congressional/senate chambers in DC. It was designed for Senator John Pope of Kentucky.We toured this property by making an appointment with the Bluegrass Trust. They were great about working with us so we could see this unique piece of history.The home changed hands through the years until it eventually got cut up into multiple apartments for student housing. It eventually experienced a fire, which led to the Bluegrass Trust being able to purchase it.This is a way to see preservation and restoration in action. The trust has very slowly and painfully, over time, first worked to ensure the property was safe and at least stable. And now they are slowly working to restore it a little bit at a time. This is truly a labor of love, with members of the trust taking turns mowing the lawn, cleaning up plaster, doing small projects. And budgets are tight, so every contribution helps. Tours are a steal at 10 dollars, so pay more if you can.Great way to learn about history, architecture, previous lifestyles, restoration. Gorgeous photo ops.If you Google "Latrobe's Pope Villa Lexington" the website will come up and show you the info on how to arrange a tour.