Forty-two years ago, Pete Cassidy, having lived his entire young life (with the exception of two years in Atlanta and four on the UK campus) in the east end of Lexington, became infatuated with the uniqueness of downtown living and with his wife, Martha, purchased, contrary to the advice of many, one of the newer homes (circa 1910) on West Third Street at its intersection with Hampton Court. Fourteen years later they had the opportunity to reinvigorate their interest in downtown living, when they purchased their present home (circa 1885) five houses east of their first home. During those wonderful 42 years on West Third, they have been blessed with three additional children, their first being a little over one week old when they first arrived, all four of whom were raised and educated on West Third, still refer to Third Street as their home, and have continued to be preservationist in their own rights.
Since that first purchase in the north side of downtown Lexington in 1970, Pete, a lawyer, and Martha, a physician, have become well acquainted with the advantages and realities of home ownership in a historic district. They immediately realized that rehabilitation and maintenance are very expensive in homes consisting of many building materials and practices no longer used. Solid brick walls, plumbing, heating and electrical systems installed years after the home was originally constructed and the lack of any air conditioning other than window screens all certainly create challenges in the renovation of kitchens, baths, closets, heating and air conditioning systems and electrical systems necessary for the high tech equipment which none of us can live without. We quickly learn that knob and tube wiring will not support a surge protector, much less a ground; that the ceramic tile in the "added" baths is set in seven to ten inches of solid concrete; that the concrete has eaten into and significantly compromised black iron piping which was the state of art in plumbing until fifty years ago; and that the 100 amp electrical service results in a "black-out" if a hair dryer is used while clothes are being ironed or a roast is being cooked. Most importantly, you learn that many of your neighbors are experiencing, or have experienced, those same problems and camaraderie is established amongst neighbors that are unlike any other non-historic residential neighborhood.
The Northside Neighborhood Association is the fruition of that camaraderie created by the preservation of its buildings, culture and lifestyle of living downtown . Realizing that all shared common goals in preserving this very historically unique and mixed residential area, neighbors similar to those of us living here today formed the Northside Neighborhood Association, the first neighborhood association in Lexington in 1961. At that time, the historic single family owner occupied residential areas within the Association's boundaries were being significantly attacked by neglect demolition, governmental indifference, as well as continual efforts to expand commercial and professional uses into the residential fabric of the area, specifically into Gratz Park and onto West Second Street, West Third Street, New Street and North Broadway. Although we each feel that our individual homes are the most architecturally important in Lexington, the true historical significance of the individual buildings is in each building's relationship with the others in this diverse historic, cultural, economic and political area of Lexington. Please come and visit us and you will leave sharing our pride in Lexington's oldest downtown residential neighborhood.
