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Grace Abernethy

Grace Abernethy is a historic preservationist and artist who specializes in caring for and recreating historic architectural finishes. She earned her Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Clemson University in 2011 and has worked on historic buildings throughout the eastern United States. Abernethy was a recipient of the South Carolina Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation Award in 2014 and won 2nd place in the Charles E. Peterson Prize for the Historic American Buildings Survey in 2011. She and her husband, Brendan, moved to Hopkinsville from Nashville in 2020. She works as an independent contractor and is a board member of the Hopkinsville History Foundation.

Brick & Mortar Monthly: How firm a foundation in Lewis Powell

Columnist Grace Abernethy explores the life of a Methodist minister who lived in the Dalton house when the East Seventh Street residence was a parsonage.
By Grace Abernethy
dalton-house

Brick & Mortar Monthly: An ode to linoleum

Linoleum, the middle child of flooring products, has a hard time living up to stately hardwood, durable tile, and elegant carpet. But Grace Abernethy says some of the best things she've found in the Dalton house are scraps of old linoleum.
By Grace Abernethy
Circa 1930 closet linoleum at Dalton house. (Photo by Grace Abernethy)

The most wonderful time of the year 1910

Brick & Mortar Monthly columnist Grace Abernethy mines childhood memories from a diary and clues found in old newspapers to shed light on Christmases in Hopkinsville during the early 20th century.
By Grace Abernethy
Children gathered in the early 20th century for a Good Fellows Christmas party at the Hotel Latham in Hopkinsville. Benefactors held the party a few days before Christmas each year from 1913 to 1923 (excluding 1916 and 1917) for children in need. Each child received a toy and a stocking with fruit and candy. (Photo from the collection of Christian County Historian William T. Turner)

Holiday Humor: The Trojan horses of Thanksgiving 2013

A tainted turkey and a pecan pie surprise turned Thanksgiving 2013 into a chaotic holiday disaster for Grace Abernethy.
By Grace Abernethy
Clover Bottom Mansion

The Rex Theatre: A who’s who in Hopkinsville construction

"Hopkinsvillians in 1913 cherished the building, not just because of its entertainment potential but because of its beauty. It was a testament to what a group of people in Hopkinsville could achieve when they united for a single cause," writes columnist Grace Abernethy.
By Grace Abernethy
Rex feature

Thoughts on being an outsider

What does it mean to belong somewhere—and what happens when you don’t? Historic preservationist Grace Abernethy reflects on this question and the journey that brought her to Hopkinsville.
By Grace Abernethy
Brendan and Grace Abernethy

Brick & Mortar Monthly: Hotel Latham is seared into Hopkinsville’s identity

Eighty-five years after it was leveled by a fire, the Hotel Latham still exists in Hopkinsville's psyche and in the architectural flourishes of surviving structures such as the Dalton House.
By Grace Abernethy
A postcard image of the Hotel Latham. (Photo from the collection of William T. Turner)

Run for the hoses: Demolition Derby night at the Western Kentucky State Fair

The demolition derby’s inception was likely rooted in the growing realization that spectators at motor sporting events actually enjoyed crashes more than the racing itself.
By Grace Abernethy
Two drivers battle to have the last car running Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Western Kentucky State Fair's Demolition Derby. (Hoptown Chronicle photo by Grace Abernethy)

Brick & Mortar Monthly: Graduation customs reveal historic dressmaking businesses in Hopkinsville

Finding the right dress for a 1913 graduation was crucial for a young woman like Margaret Dalton at Hopkinsville High School.
By Grace Abernethy
Brick seamstresses, William

Brick and Mortar Underground: Hopkinsville’s sanitation history, from cesspit to sewer system

Grace Abernethy didn't realize that some heavy lawn work at the Dalton house would led to a lesson in the history of public sanitation in Hopkinsville.
By Grace Abernethy
Dalton cesspit Grace

Pulled pork, hot slaw, and a side of scholarship: Rotary Diner’s best bites

Hoptown Chronicle columnist Grace Abernethy and her husband, Brendan, sampled as many dishes as they could. Here's their take on the must-try sandwiches, sides and sweets fueling both appetites and philanthropy during Rotary Auction week.
By Grace Abernethy
man next to smoker

A beaten path to the Dalton kitchen

Grace and Brendan Abernethy are taking their kitchen back to its origin, which will include space for the venerable beaten biscuit machine.
By Grace Abernethy
beaten biscuit
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