formed a common bond between everyone and their town. As our newfound friends began to list the “must see” highlights for us to do around town, we could feel the deep affection they had for each other and their hometown. After all, when you’ve grown up hearing personal tales passed down from your great-grandparents about the Flood of 1884 and you’ve taught your kids about the desperation everyone felt when the town lost its livelihood due to the decline of the tobacco industry in the 1990s, there is a connection that goes far beyond just being neighbors. Perhaps most impressive was to learn that the town’s leaders had all invested in the downtown area by buying the historic buildings, restoring them, and keeping them in good shape. So, the charming architecture of Maysville’s historic streets that had initially caught our attention from over in Aberdeen looked as jaunty and as colorful as it did because these buildings were truly loved. We strolled the streets many times
during our stay, and our favorite areas were Market Street, which is paved with brick and lined with buildings standing cheek-by-jowl at varying heights, as well as the seven row houses at the far end of town that were named for the days of the week. One of the most unusual buildings is the beautiful brick Cox building, a former Masonic temple that now houses the Visitors Center. We went inside looking for some literature about the area and were surprised when a petite woman with a huge smile, Susie Pratt, began telling us unusual details about the building. A terrible fire had destroyed much of the structure in 2010, and it had fallen upon her to oversee the building’s renovation. In the process, she had found some architectural peculiarities that the Knight’s Templar York Rite Masons had built into it. “I’ll give you a tour,” she said, and soon we were observing oddities like staircases that went nowhere and a door that opened into an open
The historic Cox Building showcases the magnificence of Richardson Romanesque architecture.
MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2024 | 24
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