Between 1984 and 1985 Walmart and McDonalds were built out near Harrison Square Shopping center. As we have all witnessed, many stores and even the post office either followed the crowds to the shopping center or closed. Remembering how bustling downtown once was with places like J&R drugs, the Village Inn, the Style Shop, Clara’s boutique, Goldbergs, the movie theater, Porter Paints, Van Hook Har
dware, Lehrmans, etc., I have and still do believe that downtown Cynthiana can be an even more exciting destination for the county once again. The movie theater is now offering current movies, Bianke’s still provides excellent meals and service, many offices are open for business. Many people are focused on making positive changes. We need focus on the successes together and strengthen the offerings to compliment and reinforce the existing businesses. I’ve always loved old buildings and the stories they have to tell! Since I was a sophomore in high school I knew that I wanted to go into the revitalization of old buildings to support places like Pike Street. I have seen the decline in the vibrancy of downtown and want to contribute to its return. My love for Cynthiana and wanting to focus on the revitalization of old buildings propelled me through architecture school and is why I am a historic preservation architect today. Cynthiana is beautiful with a great, compact downtown and many old, well-built buildings with rich histories. These buildings contribute to the character of the town and are what make Cynthiana unique. Unfortunately, like so many towns in America, the downtown of Cynthiana has suffered over many decades. The good news is that many communities are recognizing the benefits of having such great buildings and are investing in them to create quality spaces where people want to live, work, eat, drink, play and socialize. Cynthiana is no different and should be proud of the rich history, culture and building stock. Think about it….daily, Cynthianans go to Georgetown, Paris, Lexington or even Cincinnati for goods and services. Even shopping at Walmart sends a majority of everyone’s hard-earned dollars out of the county. This reality is not something anyone can change overnight. It is intertwined with a larger economic realities that many of our jobs have been lost or moved out of the country. There is also the decline in agriculture as an economy. While these issues are complex and not easily resolved, I do propose that we all focus on rebuilding the economy of Cynthiana for Cynthiana’s sake. Now is the time.
134 Pike Street was once the law office of Mr. Peterson was an attorney and the father of Minnie Benton (Bentie) Peterson who attended the University of Kentucky Law School in 1924-25 and was one of the first women to be admitted to practice law in Kentucky. Bentie married Judge Mac Swinford in 1927 and had five children – many you all know. At some point in time Thaxter Sims acquired the building and incorporated it into Swinford and Sims. In 1968 my newlywed parents, Jane and Ron Mahoney moved to Cynthiana so my father could practice law with John Swinford and Thaxter Sims. Over the next 19 years my father became a partner in their firm until his untimely death in 1987. My parent’s relationship was somewhat tumultuous over the years. As anyone who knew my mom knows, she was very strong willed and loved horses and riding more than just about anything. She had a difficult time coping with the passing of my father. Through a bittersweet gesture of a childhood friend, she was offered a position to pursue her own dreams of running a horse barn and moved to Tennessee in 1992. This was a great opportunity for her and she managed to maintained connections with the many friends she made in Kentucky. My vision for 134 Pike Street is to work with a local budding entrepreneur to lease the ground floor space and convert the second floor to a rentable living space. I’d like to find a partner who will bring a business to downtown Cynthiana to contribute to the community and benefit from being downtown with the movie theater and other related businesses. I’m thrilled for this opportunity to contribute to Cynthiana and once again have a place in Kentucky to call home.
