is the custodian of the "Round Barn," the historic structure which has stood as the gateway to The Red Mile harness racing track since 1880. The building was originally built through a $25,000 grant from the United States Congress, for damages Union troops caused to the old fairgrounds in Lexington during the Civil War. The KY Agricultural and Mechanical Fair Association used the grant money to pu
rchase new land and then commissioned the state's most prominent architect, John McMurtry, to design a floral exhibition hall. Completed in 1882 at a cost of $5,000, the resulting structure was named Floral Hall and had a two-story rotunda in the center of the octagonal building. In 1883 an interior third level was added to house art exhibits. Four sides of the building featured doors and were set off with decorative woodwork popular during the Victorian era. The roof of the third floor was originally flat and encircled by a railing. Sometime between 1918 and 1944, the red brick building was painted white. Although the building is constantly undergoing repairs to protect and preserve it, any changes since this time to the exterior appearance have been modest. Early on, Floral Hall was called into service for gambling. It remained outside of the city limits, so the betting pools for the fall trotting meet for the adjacent Red Mile racetrack (which was within city limits), were held there. In 1896, the grounds were purchased from the fair association by trotting horse enthusiasts and Floral Hall was used for stabling. Stalls were built on the first and second floors and the third floor housed the grooms, or the horses' caretakers. Immortal Hall of Fame trainer, Tom Berry, stabled horses there, including the 1930 Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity winner, Hanover's Bertha. Other great horses stabled there included Greyhound, Wing Commander, and Merrie Annabelle. The "Round Barn" stands as the gateway to The Red Mile and is an iconic Lexington landmark. The Stable of Memories was incorporated in 1972 to preserve the building and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places and The Blue Grass Trust, a local organization dedicated to historic preservation in the Bluegrass region. Please help us preserve this historic landmark.
