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2016 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 185
Commending the Historic Lexington Foundation.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, March 3, 2016
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 8, 2016
 

WHEREAS, in 2016, the Historic Lexington Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary of preserving the architecturally significant and related historic resources found in the City of Lexington and Rockbridge County and of educating people about the area’s history, culture, and architecture; and

WHEREAS, the Historic Lexington Foundation was founded in 1966; that year, almost an entire block of residences built in the early nineteenth century was targeted for demolition; and a group of civic and educational leaders came together and successfully deterred the development; and

WHEREAS, because there was no organization in the area whose primary mandate was historic preservation, the work of that group led to the creation of the Historic Lexington Foundation; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of the Historic Lexington Foundation is to buy, preserve, and sell properties that illustrate the history and culture of Lexington and Rockbridge County and to promote the area’s rich heritage; and

WHEREAS, the Historic Lexington Foundation has worked diligently to save Lexington’s historic downtown area by acquiring structures that were in need of repair but had architectural or historical importance; and

WHEREAS, all of the neglected properties that were bought by the Historic Lexington Foundation subsequently had perpetual preservation easements attached to them; the foundation has renovated buildings and then sold them to private owners; and

WHEREAS, because of the Historic Lexington Foundation’s work, 16 properties in the area now have preservation easements, and its efforts have inspired private owners to improve their properties—thereby furthering historic preservation in Lexington and Rockbridge County; and

WHEREAS, in the 1970s, the Historic Lexington Foundation spearheaded efforts to list Lexington’s eighteenth century and nineteenth century downtown and residential neighborhoods in the National Register of Historic Places; the foundation helped to provide grants to subsidize improvements to building facades in the city’s Historic District; and

WHEREAS, the Historic Lexington Foundation published The Architecture of Historic Lexington and The Architecture of Historic Rockbridge, enabling researchers, students of history and architecture, and tourists to gain greater insight into the dwellings and structures in the area; the foundation developed self-guided tours of historic sections of the city and county; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Historic Lexington Foundation on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Historic Lexington Foundation as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect and admiration for its unwavering dedication to preserving the architecture and history of Lexington and Rockbridge County.