Save The Square

The recent sale of buildings on the south side of Mayfield's courthouse square and the eviction of all tenants from those buildings have made many believe that they're about to be demolished. The current owners refuse to rule this out.

Word around town is that they intend to raze them for a vacant lot, which would allow a clear view of First KY Bank. This would be a devastating setback for Mayfield and Graves County. These historic buildings are at the center of our community, and are part of a federally-designated historic district. They appear on the city's logo, website and in our tourism brochures. They give our downtown its traditional character, and are the majority of the historic buildings remaining on the square.

Their loss would also cripple our downtown economically, leaving very little space available for businesses. The city and county would also lose thousands of dollars annually in tax revenue.

We want to delay demolition long enough to 1) See if the public wants these buildings saved, and 2) Find out if federal money is available to restore them.

We believe that this would preserve our town's historic charm, while creating desirable space for new businesses. It would also be possible to convert the basement and ground floor levels of two of the buildings into covered parking, which would alleviate the parking shortage on the square. Those buildings have stood for well over a century - giving us a little time to try to save them is not a lot to ask.

We hope you agree!