The Phoenix Hotel was a historical structure located on East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, United States.
As a prominent structure closely linked with travelers and tourism in the early history of the city, it helped to give Lexington the reputation that led it to be called "Athens of the West".
[3][4][5] A postcard from this era on display at the Lexington History Museum reads: We Make a specialty of serving private parties High-class Service, 40c Lunch, PHOENIX HOTEL, Fireproof, Lexington, Ky.Lucretia Hart Clay, the wife of statesman Henry Clay, had business ventures selling eggs, butter and milk to the Phoenix Hotel during the 19th century.
On November 9, the meeting opened in the Ball Room of the Phoenix Hotel with Madeline McDowell Breckinridge as president.
The convention offered several other items of interest to the whole community, including a presentation by Madame Rosika Schwimmer of Hungary on the international peace movement.
In 1929, a meeting of Lexington's Board of Commerce at the Phoenix Hotel resulted in staff executive Ed Wilder writing a letter to convince the U.S. Public Health Service to locate a prison in the area following the enabling of the Porter Act.
Dr. Walter Treadway later visited Lexington to acknowledge the city's interest in housing this facility as a result of the brainstorming done at the hotel.
The Phoenix Hotel Stakes, which was first run in Lexington in 1831, is considered the oldest American horse race for three-year-olds.
An article from The New York Times printed November 12, 1924, described an opening-day feature in Lexington horse racing named the "Phoenix Hotel Handicap", at a mile and seventy yards for three-year-olds and upward".
[20] The Phoenix Hotel was demolished in 1981 by Wallace Wilkinson, who planned to use the site to construct the World Coal Center skyscraper.
Phoenix Park, which is located next to a public library, features a Vietnam veterans memorial, a fountain, and seating for visitors.
[21] James Holmberg, who is an author, historian, and curator for the Filson Club, participated in the dedication of a marker honoring the historical significance of the site in November 2006.