Martin Luther King in Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Wolf Wile Department Store Building
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022
1. Wolf Wile Department Store Building Marker
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1949.
Location. 38° 2.625′ N, 84° 29.66′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. It is in Martin Luther King. Marker is at the intersection of East Main Street (Business U.S. 25) and Quality Street, on the left when traveling west on East Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 248 E Main St, Lexington KY 40507, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Historic LGBTQ Site (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Jeffrey Wasson (about 300 feet away); Living Faith (about 400 feet away); Fairness Ordinance (about 500 feet away); Central Christian Church (about 600 feet away); Site of Masons Hall (about 600 feet away); Birthplace of Grand Lodge of Kentucky, Free and Accepted Masons (about 600 feet away); Beck House (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lexington.
Regarding Wolf Wile Department Store Building. Excerpt from the National Register
this page online
The Wolf Wile Department Store Building was the mid-20th century location for the Wolf Wile Department Store business which was located in downtown Lexington from its founding in 1912 until the closing of the business in 1992. Constructed in 1949-1950, the structure served as the headquarters for the Wolf Wile Department Store from the post-World War II expansion of commerce in Lexington through the subsequent development of retail uses into suburban shopping malls and the resulting reduction in Main Street retail businesses – serving as the sole remaining family-owned department store business until its closing in 1992. The building was described at the time of its construction by newspapers as “futuristic”, “modernistic”, and “swanky” —recognizing the unusual design characteristics in the context of the local built environment which the building embodied at its completion. This structure is significant as the only building of its type in the community with very few examples in the broader region of Kentucky.
Also see . . .
1. Wolf Wile Department Store Building (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 1996. (National Archives) (Submitted on July 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Lexington's Wolf Wile Department Store: A Mid-Century Achievement in Urban Architecture (PDF)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022
2. Wolf Wile Department Store Building Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 186 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 28, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
