National Corvette Museum Wins Historic Property Grant
By Charlotte Peters
The Landmark Association of Bowling Green hosted a meeting on Saturday among board members to decide what properties in the Greater Bowling Green Area would be designated as historic buildings and, with it, receive a grant for additional preservation.
The winning property for the title and the grant was built in the late 1900s: the National Corvette Museum, having been nominated by Landmark Association President Dr. Bricken Morterson. He argued that the National Corvette Museum has been a monumental figurehead in Bowling Green, as it has brought many tourists to the region, marking lots of economic growth stemming just from this locale alone.
Additionally, as part of the aptly named “Music and Motors District” running from the Riverfront to the Museum, the Corvette Museum has seen hoards of new people day in and day out in recent years. The district is filled with constant live music performances, food venues, and museums and has generated growing foot traffic throughout the area.
The vast parking lot of the National Corvette Museum also highlights a point in time in which Bowling Green was less walkable than it is currently, showcasing a glimpse back into the not so distant past.
Another property brought up for consideration for historic recognition was the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, or SKyPAC for short, by Amelia Blockhaus, the treasurer for the Landmark Association. Blockhaus desired to nominate SKyPAC to showcase the still-evergrowing arts aspect of Bowling Green. With the upcoming 10th annual Winter Concert Festival, Dr. Blockhaus figures it would be a suitable time as any to mark SKyPAC’s place in history.
Unfortunately, although the building started construction in 2000, it ultimately was completed in 2012, meaning that the property is not at least 50 years old. Thus, it was disqualified from the race to be marked historic–for now.
Secretary of the Landmark Association John Smith brought to the table the next consideration for the title of historic property. Mr. Smith nominated the Warren County Justice Center, which has served its community for more than 50 years, going through many renovations to accommodate the growing population of the region. However, many amongst the board members were apprehensive to name it a historic property at the current time due to the recently concluded Circuit Court Clerk strike. Thus, the Warren County Justice Center was eliminated from the running.
Dr. Ceder Alder-Rowan, a professor of architecture at Western Kentucky University, then nominated Beech Bend Park. Dr. Alder-Rowan chose Beech Bend Park to highlight the family-friendly tourism that the amusement park brings to the region. The tourism market in Bowling Green has greatly increased since Beech Bend was founded back in the 1940s, due in no small part to Beech Bend itself. Beech Bend also helps to highlight the coexistence of green spaces and technological advancements, showing off the ecologically friendly nature of our city.
The Landmark Association Board meeting concluded after 2 hours of meandering discussion, with many of the Board members being satisfied with the end result of the Corvette Museum’s win.
“The Corvette Museum truly does embody a part of Bowling Green’s history, both culturally and economically, bringing prosperity to the region,” Morterson said.
The meeting was presided over by president Morterson and vice president Oaklynn Birch. Attendees helped themselves to a free box of Awaken Bakery’s cookies as a part of their outreach program to support local businesses.
