Storefronts in the North Limestone Commercial Historic District Photograph by Eric Thomason, courtesy of the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation

The North Limestone Commercial District is one of the oldest and most varied commercial areas in Lexington. The district is located along the principal north-south thoroughfare that has historically connected Lexington to the town of Limestone (now Maysville, Kentucky). During the 19th century, the district served as an important market center with many meat shops and grocers. Several other mixed-use commercial buildings were located here. The North Limestone Commercial District contains a variety of commercial buildings that span several time periods from ante-bellum and Victorian through the early 20th century. The only significant intrusions within the district have been parking lots, which attest to the growth and importance of the automobile within the last century.

Additional storefronts in the North Limestone Commercial Historic District Photograph by Eric Thomason, courtesy of the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation

The North Limestone Commercial District retains a great degree of its original building fabric. The district can be divided into three main sections along North Limestone Street. The first stretches from 169 to 177 North Limestone and consists of Federal style commercial architecture built during the early 19th century. Two of the buildings in this section were originally homes and later converted to commercial space when the area's importance as a commercial center was growing. The second section includes 209 through 221 North Limestone and contains Georgian Revival, Italianate, and Richardsonian style architecture with characteristic architectural features from each of these periods. While the third section, 257 to 267 North Limestone, contains the earliest buildings in the district--begun in 1809--construction in this section continued until the turn of the the 20th century. This section includes a small, Federal house offset from the street between two commercial buildings. Today, the first floor of most of the buildings in the district is still used as commercial space, while the second floor space provides residential housing.

The North Limestone Commercial District is located on North Limestone St. between Church and Third Sts. Many buildings within the district contain businesses that are open during regular business hours.