Life

Elizabeth Wallingford was born on August 22, 1912, in Mason, Kentucky, to Nancy Tucker, age 31, and Wood Ward Wallingford, age 33. Her brother Wood Ward Jr was born on August 11, 1915, and died on December 28, 1991, in Mason, Kentucky. Elizabeth Wallingford died on April 26, 2004, in Maysville, Kentucky, when she was 91 years old and is buried in the Washington Baptist Cemetery.

Formation of Elizabeth Wallingford Old Washington Preservation Inc.

Elizabeth Wallingford was a retired Maysville High School teacher who had a deep interest in Washington KY, and wanted to preserve the historic village. According to her friend and fellow DAR member, Luellen Pyles of May’s Lick, Elizabeth would park at various spots in Old Washington, such as Paxton Inn, the Presbyterian Church, and others, just to sit and observe the town.

Luellen said Elizabeth often said of the village “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Williamsburg (Virginia) in Kentucky?”

Elizabeth also had a vision of what Paxton House and Paxton Inn could be one day, which was to have both buildings open to the public so visitors could see that the two are connected by doorways on the first and second floors.

Luellen said Elizabeth’s comments at one Limestone DAR meeting, which are held at Paxton Inn were, “That door should be opened so people should realize that these two buildings were one and they should be able to go from one building to the other.”

When Elizabeth died in April 2004, she left her estate in a trust to acquire, preserve and improve the historic structures in the Washington Historic District that are eligible for tax treatments for non profit organizations, Luellen said.

“She wanted Washington preserved at any cost,” Luellen said.

Paxton House – Paxton Inn was the first project Elizabeth Wallingford Old Washington Preservation Inc. undertook. Now complete it is again an integral part of the Washington community and the current home of the Washington Visitor’s Center.

“Putting these two buildings together is a dream of many of us,” Luellen said when she walked around Paxton House and took in the completed transformation.

“No one was more devoted to Washington,” she said of her friend Elizabeth Wallingford, whose generosity and love of the village has brought dreams to reality. Read the complete Ledger Independant article.

Elizabeth Wallingford Old Washington Preservation Inc.

Buildings


Building		Acquisition
Year
Action
Goforth House.2005Purchase
Paxton House2007Purchase
Paxton Inn2008Purchase
Washington Hall2012Purchase
Marshall Key House2020$1 / Yr Lease from
City of Maysville
Federal Hill House2023Donation

Board of Directors

Virginia Butler President
Robert I GallensteinVice President
Barb ClarkeSecretary
Vicki TichenorTreasurer
Philip BreenMember
Kathryn FeliceMember
Mark HumphriesMember
Bill MarshallMember