Liberty Heights, Lexington
Encyclopedia
Liberty Heights is a neighborhood in southeastern Lexington, Kentucky
, United States
. Its boundaries are Winchester Road
to the north, New Circle Road
to the east, and R. J. Corman
(former CSX) railroad tracks to the west and south. Industrial areas border Delaware ave. and the tracks.
and recent single family home subdivisions, as well as apartment homes. The business mix consists of light industrial, service, wholesale and retail. Lexington's first shopping center, Eastland is adjacent.
. Despite this, pockets of city coexisted with pockets of "county" causing a sometimes confusion of jurisdiction for law enforcement, as there were formerly both Lexington and a Fayette County police departments.
When the Union Depot
in downtown Lexington was demolished, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C & O, now CSX) continued passenger service on its George Washington streamliner through Lexington until the 1970s, utilizing a newly built Netherlands yard passenger station
on Delaware Ave. The former C & O passenger station building now houses a church.
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its boundaries are Winchester Road
U.S. Route 60 in Kentucky
Upon entering Kentucky, U.S. 60 is concurrent with U.S. 51 and U.S. 62 from the Ohio River bridge to the town of Wickliffe. At Wickliffe, U.S. 60 separates from the other routes and heads generally northeast toward the city of Paducah. Between Wickliffe and Paducah, the towns of Barlow, La Center...
to the north, New Circle Road
New Circle Road
New Circle Road, also known as Kentucky Route 4, is a Kentucky state highway that serves as an inner beltway around Lexington, which is part of the consolidated city-county government with Fayette County....
to the east, and R. J. Corman
R.J. Corman Railroad Group
R.J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC is a railroad holding company owned by Richard J. "Rick" Corman. Corman first established the company in 1973. It owns short-line railroad lines in seven states .-Lines Owned:R.J. Corman operates the following subsidiaries:*R.J...
(former CSX) railroad tracks to the west and south. Industrial areas border Delaware ave. and the tracks.
Overview
There is a mixture of postwarPost-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
and recent single family home subdivisions, as well as apartment homes. The business mix consists of light industrial, service, wholesale and retail. Lexington's first shopping center, Eastland is adjacent.
Brief neighborhood history
Most of Liberty Heights was outside the Lexington city limits until the merger of the city and Fayette CountyFayette County, Kentucky
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 295,083 in the 2010 Census. Its territory, population and government are coextensive with the city of Lexington, which also serves as county seat....
. Despite this, pockets of city coexisted with pockets of "county" causing a sometimes confusion of jurisdiction for law enforcement, as there were formerly both Lexington and a Fayette County police departments.
When the Union Depot
Union station
A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...
in downtown Lexington was demolished, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C & O, now CSX) continued passenger service on its George Washington streamliner through Lexington until the 1970s, utilizing a newly built Netherlands yard passenger station
Station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
on Delaware Ave. The former C & O passenger station building now houses a church.
Amenities
- Public parks
- Johnson Heights park has no direct street frontage and access is via bridge walk from 846 Johnsdale Road, back yards, holes in fences or a sidewalk from the North Maintenance building on Liberty Road. The park features acres of grass, hills, playground, picnic shelter, baseball and basketball.
- The neighborhood boasts two Drive-inDrive-inA drive-in is a facility such as a bank, restaurant, or movie theater where one can literally drive in with an automobile for service. It is usually distinguished from a drive-through. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk out...
restaurants.- -1950s era drive-in, The Park-ette, is located at the edge of the neighborhood on New Circle Road. Prior to that road being built as the bypass, the restaurant was reached via a gravel driveway from Liberty Road.
- -The retro Sonic Drive-InSonic Drive-InSonic Drive-In is an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, complete with carhops who sometimes wear rollerskates. As of August 31, 2010, there were 3,500 restaurants in 43 U.S. states. Sonic serves approximately 3 million customers daily.-1950s:Following...
is located on Winchester road.
- Government services
- -Liberty Rd station branch of USPS is located in the neighborhood.
- -Family services is located on Creative drive.
- -A Justice of the PeaceJustice of the PeaceA justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
is in residence at Henry Clay Blvd. and Delaware ave. - -TransitLexTranLexTran is a public transportation bus system serving Lexington, Kentucky. It runs bus routes throughout the city which all converge in downtown at the Lexington Transit Center located at 220 East Vine.LexTran provides public transportation in the form of buses and lift vans...
; 2 bus lines serve the neighborhood, Eastland (#9) & Hamburg (#10)
Industry
- UnicompUnicompUnicomp is a manufacturer of computer keyboards and keyboard accessories based in Lexington, Kentucky. The company was founded in April 1996 when they purchased the license to the buckling-spring keyboard technology from Lexmark International, Inc.Unicomp's product line consists mostly of...
, which licensed the IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
keyboard technology from LexmarkLexmarkLexmark International, Inc. is an American corporation which develops and manufactures printing and imaging products, including laser and inkjet printers, multifunction products, printing supplies, and services for business and individual consumers...
is located on Henry Clay Boulevard. Its water tower serves as a landmark for the neighborhood. - Clay-Ingels is housed in the former CSX Netherlands rail yardClassification yardA classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
. - Retail is primarily located on the outer boundaries of Winchester and New Circle Roads. There are some retail locations on Delaware, Henry Clay Blvd and Liberty Rd. The Lexus dealership is located in the Southeast part of the neighborhood.
- J.M. Smucker operates the world's largest peanut butter plant, JifJifJif or JIF can refer to:As a brand name:* Jif , made by The J.M. Smucker Co.* Jif sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Unilever* Cif, a Unilever cleaning product, branded as "Jif" in Australia and New Zealand...
, adjacent to Liberty Heights, which wafts its roast peanut aroma through the neighborhood periodically.
Notable residents
- Louisville born, Mona von BismarckMona von BismarckMona Travis Strader , known as Mona Bismarck, was an American socialite and fashion icon. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958.-Early life:...
née Strader was raised on the Strader farm, located at Loudon and Winchester Road. Mona Bismarck, was an American socialite and fashion icon. She was named to the International Best Dressed ListInternational Best Dressed ListThe International Best Dressed List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time.People who have been on the list include from A to Z:-The International Hall of Fame: Women:...
Hall of Fame in 1958. - Minnesota born, Shirley Ardell MasonShirley Ardell MasonShirley Ardell Mason was an American psychiatric patient and commercial artist who was reputed to have multiple personality disorder. Her life was fictionalized in 1973 in the book Sybil, and two films of the same name were made in 1976 and 2007...
, lived in obscurity as an artist for the remaining years of her life in the neighborhood, for after her death it was revealed she was the basis for Sybil Isabel Dorsett in the bookSybil (book)Sybil is a 1973 book by Flora Rheta Schreiber about the treatment of Sybil Dorsett for dissociative identity disorder by her psychoanalyst, Cornelia B...
and film Sybil.
Neighborhood Statistics
- Population: 2,585
- Land area: 0.73 square miles (1.9 km²)
- Population density: 3,541 per sq mile
- MHI: $29,074