Ralph Anderson

On February 13, 2010, we lost a treasured preservationist with the passing of Ralph Anderson. The following is a tribute written by Helen Dedman:


Much has been said about the loss of Mr. Ralph G. Anderson, but not enough can be said for a great and generous man like him. I dare say there is not an organization or person in Mercer County that has not benefited from his philanthropy—Mercer County Library, Anderson Dean Park, Ragged Edge Theater, Harrodsburg Historical Society, Fort Harrod Drama Productions, Shaker Village, Kentucky Agricultural Heritage Museum, and Economic Development to name a few.

In the world of preservation he endeavored to save the structures and houses that his friend Francis Keightley Moseley told him were important. That preservation started with Walnut Hall, Wild wood, and The Bluefront. After he gave the land for the Park the plans called for the old Victorian house on the property to be torn down, but in the process it was discovered an early brick house was the core of the house. Mr. Anderson stopped the demolition; put a protective roof on the house while the county and the James Harrod Trust worked on the grant to restore the Thomas Logan House. Today one of the earliest brick houses in Mercer County sits on a hill at the Park and houses the Park office.

When the Hat Factory was slated to be torn down he sent Belcan engineers to study the possibility of moving it to another location. Unfortunately, to no avail but he ever denied us the assistance.

Mr. Anderson never stopped preserving—the acquisition of farm property to continue the farming process and not the development of land has protected much of our county, preserving our view sheds.

The latest restoration of the Opera House at the Bluefront was truly a gift to us all. With painstaking research of the correct paint colors to the intricate stenciling he gave us a glimpse of what a Victorian theater was like. It is a gift as he could never open it for a business or events because of the zoning/ADA laws.
Obviously I could go on and on just about his preservation efforts not even touching on the scholarships and major donations he gave to many colleges, not just his alma mater, University of Kentucky, or the many organizations throughout the Untied States that he has helped throughout the years.

But time and word limit will stop me here. But let me say that he was a kind, positive man that we can all learn from—remember where you came from, and never forget your friends. He was a great friend of Harrodsburg/Mercer County, the likes of which we may never see again. I am proud I knew him.

Helen Dedman