Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation

What Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation does

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1955 in Lexington, Kentucky, that operates as Central Kentucky's primary resource for historic preservation. The organization stewards four historic properties — Hopemont (its 1814 headquarters in Gratz Park), Latrobe's Pope Villa, Endicott Cottage, and the Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan House — and delivers a portfolio of services including a Preservation Help Desk, fee-based professional consulting (property research, National Register designation, historic tax credit applications), and a Plaque Program that has awarded 800+ plaques since the 1970s. Public-facing programs include the monthly deTours series, the annual Hopemont Lecture, the bi-annual Preservation Matters magazine, and the Tour the Historic Bluegrass virtual tour platform built on the Curatescape framework, alongside a new K-12 Preservation Curriculum.

The organization is funded through a tiered annual membership program (Limestone through Hopemont Society, ranging from under $100 to $5,000+), individual annual fund donations and major gifts, planned-giving bequests via the Heritage Society, foundation grants (notably a $600,000 Mellon Foundation grant in 2025 for the Preservation Center at Hopemont), revenue from consulting services and plaque sales, and development partnerships such as the $3.4 million Mitchell Park Companies collaboration on Latrobe's Pope Villa. Its customer base is distributed across Central Kentucky property owners, general-public members and event attendees, real-estate developers seeking designation and tax-credit guidance, community organizations, and K-12 schools.

Blue Grass Trust serves the Lexington/Fayette County region and surrounding Central Kentucky, with 15 local historic districts in Lexington (Gratz Park, established 1958, was the first). It operates with a small professional staff of 5–10 led by Executive Director Dr. Jonathan Coleman, governed by a 16-member Board of Directors and a 16-member Advisory Council. As a grassroots, membership-based nonprofit, it has no equity, no parent company, and no M&A pathway; growth is expressed through mission expansion (new programs, grants, partnerships) rather than revenue scaling in the conventional sense.

Name

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation

Legal name

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation

Website

https://bluegrasstrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, founded in 1955 in Lexington, KY, is a nonprofit that stewards four historic properties and delivers preservation education, advocacy, consulting, and tours to property owners, developers, and the Central Kentucky community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse (BPAIANAI)

Keywords

• Historic preservation services
• Historic property consulting
• Preservation education programs
• Heritage conservation advocacy
• Historic building plaques

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with tiered donor levels (Limestone through Hopemont Society) providing recurring revenue and community engagement
2. Individual Donations: Annual Fund donations and major gifts from individuals passionate about preserving Central Kentucky's heritage
3. Heritage Society Bequests: Planned giving program where members include Blue Grass Trust in their estate planning
4. Professional Consulting Services: Fee-based consulting services for property research, National Register designation, and historic tax credit applications
5. Plaque Program: Sale of historic property plaques ($150 regular, $250 bronze) with one-year membership included
6. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as the $600,000 Mellon Foundation grant for the Preservation Center at Hopemont

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation is a membership-based nonprofit that delivers historic preservation services across Central Kentucky. Its core offerings include monthly deTours of historic properties, a virtual tour platform, a free Preservation Help Desk, fee-based consulting for National Register designation and tax credit applications, the historic Plaque Program, annual lectures, the bi-annual Preservation Matters magazine, and the Preservation Awards. The organization also directly stewards four historic properties including Hopemont, its headquarters.

Product overview

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs and preservation services. Core offerings include the deTours program (monthly walking tours of historic sites), Tour the Historic Bluegrass virtual tours on Curatescape, the Preservation Help Desk (free inquiry service), Professional Consulting Services (property research, National Register designation, tax credit applications), the Plaque Program, Hopemont Lecture series, Preservation Matters magazine, Preservation Awards, Preservation Professionals Directory, and educational webinars. The organization serves Central Kentucky as the region's resource for historic preservation through advocacy, education, and direct services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tour the Historic Bluegrass: Award-winning virtual tours on a Curatescape platform offering comprehensive surveys of historic resources in Central Kentucky
• Preservation Matters
• deTours
• Hopemont Lecture

Products and services

• deTours Monthly in-person and virtual tours of historic places in Central Kentucky not normally open to the public, held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6pm, free and open to the public.
• Tour the Historic Bluegrass Award-winning virtual tours on a Curatescape platform featuring geolocated stops with in-depth histories, maps, and historical photographs covering historic resources across Central Kentucky.
• Preservation Help Desk Free community-facing question clearinghouse connecting users with trusted information, guidance, and resources related to historic preservation in Central Kentucky.
• Professional Consulting Services Fee-based consulting services covering property research, National Register designation, and historic tax credit applications for property owners and developers.
• Plaque Program Recognition program awarding historic property plaques ($150 regular, $250 bronze) to buildings of architectural or historic significance that are at least fifty years old, with over 800 plaques awarded since the 1970s. Each plaque purchase includes a one-year membership.
• Hopemont Lecture Annual lecture series bringing the nation's foremost preservationists and historians to Central Kentucky, named after the 1814 home that spurred the creation of the Blue Grass Trust.
• Preservation Matters Magazine Bi-annual magazine covering preservation stories, initiatives, and future plans for historic preservation in Central Kentucky, with a 2025 special 70th anniversary edition.
• Preservation Awards Annual awards program recognizing individuals, organizations, and projects making positive preservation impact in Central Kentucky, with a 30+ year tradition.
• Preservation Professionals Directory Free directory connecting property owners with specialized professionals who have skills for maintaining, restoring, and rehabilitating historic structures.
• Walking Tour Brochures Printable PDF brochures for self-guided walking tours covering Bell Court, Constitution Historic District, Fayette and Elsmere Parks, Gratz Park, Mulberry Hill, South Hill, Western Suburb, and Woodward Heights.
• Navigating Historic Home Rehabilitation Webinar Series Video tutorial webinar series featuring window restoration, paint specialist, and masonry demonstrations for historic home rehabilitation.
• K-12 Preservation Curriculum K-12 educational curriculum launched in 2025 with local school partnerships, including a 'House Detective' lesson and architectural feature identification activities, led by the Lead of Visitor Experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ historic plaques awarded since 1970s
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mitchell Park CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2025Development partner for Latrobe's Pope Villa $3.4 million rehabilitation project. Mitchell Park Companies is working with Blue Grass Trust to ensure the rehabilitated building's long-term use and protection while enabling public access to Pope Villa's principal historic rooms.
• Kentucky Heritage CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Historic Preservation Office partner for Section 106 review processes and preservation initiatives. Working with Blue Grass Trust on Pope Villa rehabilitation and other preservation efforts.
• Aylesford ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity advocacy partnership opposing rezoning and demolition of historic properties on E. Maxwell and Rose streets. Joint campaign successfully challenged Core Spaces development proposal.
• African Cemetery No. 2minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity action partnership following the 2023 Hopemont Lecture. Blue Grass Trust volunteers assisted with headstone cleaning, grounds work, and monument stabilization.
• Mulberry & LimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for special tours of historic properties like the Matthew Kennedy House, with proceeds benefiting Blue Grass Trust.
• Kentucky HumanitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of new virtual tour 'Tour the Historic Bluegrass' surveying earliest stone and log structures in Fayette County.
• National Trust for Historic PreservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational preservation organization; co-sponsored Tour the Historic Bluegrass virtual tour initiative.
• VisitLex and The Brand ThreadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWebsite sponsors providing marketing and branding support for Blue Grass Trust's digital presence.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The U.S. national preservation nonprofit; co-sponsors Tour the Historic Bluegrass and operates the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund that has partnered with Blue Grass Trust on the Palmer Pharmacy rehabilitation. Operates as a national umbrella while Blue Grass Trust focuses regionally.

Direct peers

• Preservation Kentucky: The statewide preservation nonprofit that has awarded Blue Grass Trust multiple Ida Lee Willis and Helen Dedman service awards since 1996. Direct peer in the same state, serving overlapping audiences of property owners, advocates, and local historians.
• Kentucky Historical Society: State-affiliated historical organization that has recognized Blue Grass Trust with the 2022 Kentucky History Award and the 2024 Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence. Comparable in mission to interpret and steward Kentucky history for the public.
• Shakertown at Pleasant Hill: A 19th-century restored Shaker village and National Historic Landmark in Kentucky that Blue Grass Trust helped save from demolition. Operates as a heritage tourism site with interpretive programs — directly comparable historic site operator.
• Historic Lexington Foundation: Local Lexington preservation nonprofit focused on protecting historic neighborhoods and architecture. Closest geographic peer, operating in the same market with overlapping advocacy, education, and property-stewardship missions.
• African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund: A program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation focused on Black history sites; provided a $50,000 matching grant to Blue Grass Trust for the Palmer Pharmacy rehabilitation. Direct peer with shared mission of advancing underrepresented preservation narratives.
• Preservation Alliance of Kentucky: Statewide preservation advocacy network focused on protecting Kentucky's historic resources through policy engagement and public education. Comparable nonprofit advocacy model serving overlapping stakeholders in Kentucky.
• Mary Todd Lincoln House: Lexington historic house museum saved by Blue Grass Trust advocacy; operates as a heritage tourism site with public tours and educational programming in the same regional market.

Regional players

• Lexington History Museum: Local history museum currently housed in the Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan House stewarded by Blue Grass Trust. Operates a shared physical site and serves overlapping audiences interested in Lexington's heritage.

Others

• VisitLex: Lexington's official destination marketing organization; sponsors Blue Grass Trust's digital presence and partners on heritage tourism promotion. Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than direct preservation peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BlueGrassTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-blue-grass-trust-for-historic-preservation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation