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The Miller’s House Museum at Jordans Point Park is now featuring a new display.
A PowerPoint program shown on a television screen on the first floor features images of buildings and businesses, past and present, in Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County The program, featuring about 90 photographic comparisons, is called “Then & Now.”
“Change can be defined as ‘the act or instance of making or becoming different,’” noted the museum’s secretary, Dick Halseth. “Change can be good or bad depending on the outcome of the change. Locally some buildings are modified or gone, replaced by new ones or have been relegated to parking lots. Many enjoy adaptive reuse for a new or differing purpose. Some have the same exterior appearance but have been renovated inside. A few have a newer exterior color. The addition or deletion of windows and/or doors makes for a changed appearance.”
Some of the more interesting changes, featured in the presentation, include the Lexington railroad station. The building looks the same, but its location has changed. The old Harper and Agnor building at West Nelson Street at the railroad overpass was torn down in 1974 to make way for Washington and Lee University’s Lenfest Center.
The Adair-Hutton Department Store on the southwest corner of Main and Washington streets burned down and was replaced by the recent home of Grand Home Furnishings.
The Rockbridge Motor Co. (Plymouth, Dodge and Chrysler) at Main and Preston is now a retail operation. The old Stonewall Café is now Heliotrope. The Ruffner School on East Washington is now Lexington City Hall. The White Top Restaurant on the southeast side of Nelson and Walker streets is now KFC restaurant. The old Buena Vista Post Office now houses a bank.
And, of note, the only remaining building on Jordans Point at one time was the home of the man who operated the grist mill across the street. It is now the Miller’s House Museum.
The Miller’s House Museum is free of charge and is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Thanksgiving weekend.
Local residents are invited to watch the “Then & Now” showing. Selections are also available on the museum’s Facebook page.
