Source: The (Lexington, KY) Morning Herald, 27 June 1902

The renumbering of houses in Lexington is well underway and is expected to be completed in about a week. Over half the houses have been renumbered. A plat of the city has been made with the new numbers, and from this plat the two directories being compiled have taken their data.

The new plate numbers are attractive and durable. They are made of a composition principally containing steel, and the figures project from the plate and are nickled, while the plates are black. A force of men is taking them around, carrying a plat of the city with them and place them above the doors for fifty cents.

The dividing lines are Main and Limestone Streets. All streets crossing the two streets begin with the number 100 and each block represents an additional hundred.

On account of the lack of system in laying out the streets in Lexington, much difficulty was experienced in numbering the houses. Some time was spent by Superintendent Applegate and Mr. O'Neil, the city engineer, in forming a system. They decided to ignore many smaller streets in placing the numbers. For instance, Church and Barr street are not counted. This system works to a disadvantage in many places. Vine street is ignored on South Limestone, but is counted on Mill, Upper, Broadway and other streets. Consequently, the new numbers on South Limestone run from 200 to 290 between High and Maxwell streets, while on South Upper street, they run from 300 to 399 between High and Maxwell streets. This will doubtless prove misleading to many persons, and by this method but little can be had of the distance from the center of the city of any house from its number. On the other hand, Mr. O'Neil says that a stranger coming here looking for a certain number on South Limestone street would ignore Vine street, as it does not cross Limestone, but he would not ignore Vine on South Upper, as it does cross South Upper.

It is expected that both of the new directories will be ready for distribution in about a month.

Transcribed by pb, March 2000