Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Adamstown / Pierre Whiting
1872 1943 / 1863 1949
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 27, 2021
1. Adamstown Marker
Inscription.
Adamstown, also, Pierre Whiting.
Adamstown. This interurban African-American community was established in 1872 when working class and skilled laborers began purchasing land from George M. Adams to build homes. Adams, a native of Barbourville, Kentucky, was a slave owner and U.S. Civil War Union supporter. Adamstown supported Rose Street and Macedonia Baptist Churches, later merged as Consolidated Baptist Church. Adamstown was a center of education, community improvement, and social involvement for area residents. This 22 acres of land was situated between E. Winslow (Avenue of Champions) and Adams Streets (located behind Memorial Coliseum) and bordered by Rose Street and Lexington Avenue. The neighborhood continued to shrink over time as the University purchased properties for academic expansion and eventually disappeared after the construction of Memorial Coliseum.,
Pierre Whiting. Believed to be the first African-American employee of the University, Pierre Whiting was an Adamstown resident. A native of Woodford County, Kentucky, he was hired in 1888 and worked at the University for 57 years until his retirement in 1945. As a young man, Whiting carried water and mortar to men who were working on the Main Building. He served first as a janitor at the men's dormitory White Hall, but he went on to become the janitor at the Main Building for the remainder of his service. Like Whiting, other skilled Adamstown residents contributed significantly to the development of the University of Kentucky and the city of Lexington whose growth would not have been possible without their contributions.
Adamstown
This interurban African-American community
was established in 1872 when working class
and skilled laborers began purchasing land
from George M. Adams to build homes.
Adams, a native of Barbourville, Kentucky,
was a slave owner and U.S. Civil War Union
supporter. Adamstown supported Rose Street
and Macedonia Baptist Churches, later
merged as Consolidated Baptist Church.
Adamstown was a center of education,
community improvement, and social
involvement for area residents. This 22 acres
of land was situated between E. Winslow
(Avenue of Champions) and Adams Streets
(located behind Memorial Coliseum) and
bordered by Rose Street and Lexington
Avenue. The neighborhood continued to
shrink over time as the University purchased
properties for academic expansion and
eventually disappeared after the construction
of Memorial Coliseum.
Pierre Whiting
Believed to be the first African-American
employee of the University, Pierre
Whiting was an Adamstown resident. A
native of Woodford County, Kentucky, he
was hired in 1888 and worked at the
University for 57 years until his
retirement in 1945. As a young man,
Whiting carried water and mortar to men
who were working on the Main Building.
He served first as a janitor at the men's
dormitory White Hall,
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but he went on to
become the janitor at the Main Building
for the remainder of his service. Like
Whiting, other skilled Adamstown
residents contributed significantly to the
development of the University of
Kentucky and the city of Lexington whose
growth would not have been possible
without their contributions.
Location. 38° 2.373′ N, 84° 29.963′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. Marker can be reached from College View Avenue north of Rose Street when traveling north. Marker is in the parking lot at the southeast corner of Memorial Coliseum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lexington KY 40508, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . 1. Adamstown in Lexington, KY. Notable Kentucky African Americans Database entry on the defunct community. (Submitted on March 31, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Whiting, Pierre, Sr. Notable Kentucky African Americans Database entry on the longtime University of Kentucky employee. (Submitted on March 31, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 27, 2021
3. Adamstown / Pierre Whiting Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 31, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 257 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on March 31, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
