South Hill
South Hill is a neighborhood south of downtown Lexington, Kentucky. It consists of the South Hill Historic District, consisting of early residential homes.
In 1781, Lexington's Board of Trustees successfully petitioned the Virginia Assembly for 710 acres that were divided into half-acre and five-acre lots.(2) The "south hill" consisted of larger lots outside of the city limits that were soon subdivided. In the early days, the area overlooked the Town Branch of Elkhorn Creek.
The earliest residences were built during the early 19th century, and were constructed in the Federal and Greek Revival styles.(2) Additional dwellings were constructed after the Civil War and into the early 20th century, and some were designed by John McMurtry and Cincinnatus Shyrock, two of Lexington's great architects. The oldest residence, the Adam Rankin House, is located on South Mill Street.
Several of the homes were also owned by free African Americans, and lived amongst prosperous whites and middle class citizens.
College Town
The College Town locale of Lexington contains numerous locally-owned restaurants, bars, and boutiques. The loosely-defined region lies between South Hill and the University of Kentucky, and has become a hotbed of new development. This has been fueled in part by the resurgence in downtown living, along with university faculty seeking closer places to call home.Several of the more notable developments within the College Town boundary include CenterCourt, CityCourts, South Hill Crossing, South Hill Station Lofts and University Lofts.
Further reading
1. College Town Feasibility Study by Ayers Saint Gross
2. Campus planning by Ayers Saint Gross
3. College Town design guidelines
Sources
1. Fortune, Beverly. "Grocers might return to downtown." Herald-Leader (Lexington) 12 Oct. 2006. 3 Nov. 2006 Article.
2. "South Hill Historic District." National Park Service. 15 July 2009 Article.