Cadentown Missionary Baptist Church celebrates Juneteenth with project announcement
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Several events have led-up to the Juneteenth holiday in Lexington, that includes a campaign launch, “A Sense of Place” held Monday morning at Cadentown Missionary Baptist Church.
The A Sense of Place Steering Committee is focused on ensuring hamlets are celebrated, respected, and remembered.
With more than 20 historic hamlets identified in Fayette County, rural historically black settlements founded between 1800 and 1920, this project, examines ways to preserve historical artifacts and buildings.
“Jimtown was established in the late 1800’s, right after slavery was ended as a it was bestowed on us at a little price by Jim Sidener , who was the son of a former slave owner.
That’s why the name Jim Town came about,” says Gloria Edwards who lived in one of the hamlets, Jimtown.
Juneteenth, brings a multitude of emotions, for some it’s a prosperous time, “I’m so glad that it came round this way. Finally, when, when they first started talking about it, I wasn’t familiar with the concept. I didn’t realize that we didn’t know that we were free until some time after the Emancipation Proclamation had been declared,” added Edwards.
Edward’s family lived in the historic town of Jimtown, “when I was growing up in the sixties and seventies there, Jimtown was filled with children, adults, working people.
There were no doctors, there were no lawyers or engineers.”
The project announced at Cadentown aims to preserve history for years to come with specific artifacts.
Councilmember Kathy Plomin is the woman behind the idea, she spoke on their efforts to fundraise for it.
“Our first phase is $500,000, what we want to do with these monies is to renovate and repair the school that is right down here, as I said, will be serving as a receptacle. We need to work on the ground,” added Plomin.
To make a donation you can fo so to the Bluegrass Community Foundation, or click here.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not free all slaves, Kentucky allowed slavery until the 13th amendment was ratified in December of 1865.
