Talks underway between preservationists, school officials regarding Anatok

STAFF REPORT

ANATOK

Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, 5 p.m. — The Louisville Courier-Journal reported this afternoon that talks between preservationists and officials with Bethlehem High School and the Archdiocese of Louisville are ongoing regarding the future of Anatok.

A scheduled court hearing set for today was postponed. Preservationists sued to stop the planned demolition of Anatok after the school obtained permission to do so last month.

The historic home was the birthplace of Daniel Rudd, an influential 19th century black Catholic journalist and civil rights pioneer who grew up a slave owned by the house’s residents.

Preservationists, which include Preservation Kentucky, are calling for the creation of a blue-ribbon committee to examine viable ways to preserve the home.

“We are moving forward,” Rachel Kennedy, executive director of Preservation Kentucky told the newspaper. “Ultimately everybody on our end wants to see what we can do to help preserve the building. All we want to do is get a fair shake to make this work because the site is so important.”

A proposal in a letter from Kennedy to Hamilton called for creating a commission with representatives from various Catholic and historic-preservation groups to come up with ways to preserve the house, which has mainly been used for storage in recent years.

If the Daniel Rudd Birthplace Committee fails to come up with a satisfactory plan by April 30, preservationists will stop trying to block demolition, the letter proposes.

-30-