LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — More cleanup is underway in Lexington after a 100-year-old greenhouse at the Kentucky Native Cafe was destroyed by a large tree that crushed its framing.
The Kentucky Native Cafe off Maxwell Street in downtown Lexington is a staple for many and was first built in 1901. The outside seating area offers a relaxing ambiance, while the greenhouses display beautiful plants to look at.
The historic structure has been in Robyn Michler's family for generations. This makes him the fifth-generation owner alongside his father, John Michler. "So the original steel trust and frame structures is older and it's been here since right after World War II."
Devastation cracked through the cafe after strong winds from Hurricane Helene pushed over a more than 100-year-old Hackberry tree onto one of its greenhouses. It crushed several plants and bent the cast iron framework. Additionally, the canopy that the tree provides for the outside patio and specific shade plants and beer gardens is gone. The cafe's kitchen was not destroyed and is still operational.
The Hackberry tree can mature up to 18 meters tall and live to about 200 years. It was valued among Native Americans for its medicinal, food, and ceremonial purposes. The giant tree weighs 37 pounds per cubic foot, and although it's heavy, it is not strong. Like an Elm tree, the Hackberry tree is soft and can easily fall over if pushed hard enough.
Michler says staff was working in the area right under the tree when it fell. Luckily, nobody was injured, and the cafe's next steps are to move forward and look at the space with fresh eyes to plan for its new future.
"As we're dismantling these parts of our past, is to just share those stories of the structures and of the past and share them with the community and document them for ourselves. As we sort of clear this space and move forward into the future," says Michler. “The loss is really the spaces and the stories and the history. This type of greenhouse structure we have behind us is not an off the shelf product, so these pieces it features the gutters are cast iron. These are not features your local utility store has.”
Michler is unsure how long it will take to restore the area, but the cafe and the other greenhouse are still open to the public. He asks the public to avoid the taped-off areas when visiting.
