The long-awaited restoration of one of Lexington’s oldest and most historic properties will soon begin. The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation has announced a $3.4 million phased rehabilitation plan for Pope Villa, to be undertaken by Mitchell Park Companies, a Washington, D.C.–based historic property development firm.
The home, completed in 1813 for U.S. Senator John Pope and his wife, Eliza, stands on what is now Grosvenor Avenue off Rose Street in the central downtown neighborhood. It is one of only three surviving residences designed by renowned architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe who, in addition to design efforts in Kentucky, is best known for his work on the White House and the U.S. Capitol porticos.
The announcement came at a news conference held in the front yard of Pope Villa, attended by local officials and supporters of the Trust. “The rehabilitation will largely follow the Pope Villa Master Plan, which was adopted by the Blue Grass Trust in 2018,” said Jonathan Coleman, executive director of the Trust…