Each November, the Louisville Historical League is proud to host the Fenwick Lecture series, which has been presented since 2003. 

Jason McCool Fenwick, in whose memory this annual lecture is held, died in March of 2000, at the age of 53. Jason was a native of Kosciusko Mississippi. The Commonwealth of Kentucky was his adopted state.

After receiving a BA in Anthropology from the University of Mississippi in 1970, he attended the University of Kentucky, where he was awarded an MA in Anthropology. 

Early professional pursuits included fieldwork in archaeology in both Mississippi and in England. While employed by the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works in Great Britain, he worked on archaeological restoration projects as diverse as Iron Age hill forts, Roman villages, and Medieval buildings. 

In 1977, Jason returned to the United States and joined the staff of the KY Heritage Commission, now known as the KY Heritage Council, as staff archaeologist.

As the years progressed, Jason became increasingly interested in the restoration of historic structures. From 1981 to 1983, Jason served as state curator and coordinated the restoration and rehabilitation of the KY Executive Mansion for Governor John Y. Brown and First Lady Phyllis George Brown. Jason relished all of the detailed work it took to restore this Kentucky landmark.

When Jason died in 2000, after a short but valiant battle with liver disease, he was working for the National Parks Service in Washington D.C., where he worked with the historic tax credit program as an architectural historian.

Jason was a remarkable individual, known equally as much for his impeccable taste, love of champagne, great Christmas parties and for his wonderful collection of Kentucky art. He was also known to be opinionated, cantankerous and a bit cranky, especially when someone dared to violate the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

He certainly had an uncanny ability to reinvent himself: after all, Jason started his professional career as a pre-historic archeologist but went on to become a self-taught architectural historian. Jason’s memory is honored every year through the Jason M. Fenwick Lecture in Historic Preservation.

2018  Charles Cash, Vital Sites Historic Preservation, Downtown Library

2017  Scott Erbes, Curator, Decorative Arts & Design at Speed Museum: “Art & Mystery of Kentucky Antiques”  at Calvary Episcopal Church, 821 S. Fourth Street

2018  Tom Owen, Ph D: "Taking Stock: Forty-one Years as a Local History Practitioner" at 

J B Speed Art Museum 

2015  Janie Rice-Brother: “From the Bluegrass to Britain and Back Again: Lessons of the English  Country 

House” at Chao Auditorium 

2014 Carolyn Brooks: “Distillery History of Louisville” at Brown Forman Distillery 

2013   Daniel Vivian, Assistant Professor of History: “Rethinking Historic Preservation for a New Age” at the old Marcus Lindsey church

2012  Daniel Carey, Executive Director of Historic Savannah Foundation: “ Historic Preservation in the 21st  Century:  Not Your Grandmother’s Movement (…but maybe it should be)” at Gardencourt

2011:  Mark Hewitt, FAIA: "Preserving the Country House for the 21st Century" at Gardencourt

2010:  Sam Thomas and Gwynne Potts: Interior restoration of historic Locust Grove

2009:  Donovan Rypkema: “Historic Preservation: The Core of Sustainable Development” at Glassworks

2008: Jay Stottman: “Privy to History: Public Health and Sanitation of Louisville” at the old Medical School, First and Chestnut Streets

2007:  Winfrey Blackburn and R. Scott Gill: “The Kentucky Houses of Stratton Hammon” at Gardencourt  

2006:  Rex Lyons on “Historic Interiors” at the Henry Clay

2005: Ken Von Roenn, Architect and Stained Glass Sculptor at Calvary Episcopal Church 

2004:  Prof. Patrick Snadon on "Kentucky's Contribution to Neo-

classical Interiors in America" at the Scottish Rite Temple

2002: Historic Interior panel discussion at Speed Art Museum