LEXINGTON, Ky. — People gathered for a ceremony to listen to speakers and witness Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton give the keys of the Palmer building to the United Way.

What You Need To Know

  •  The historic Palmer building in Lexington will be repurposed as a WayPoint Center.

  •  Mayor Linda Gorton gave the keys to the United Way of the Bluegrass.

  •  WayPoint centers have resources available to support underserved communities. 

  • Dr. Zirl Palmer was an African American pharmacist that made many contributions to his community.

The organization has a WayPoint Initiative to provide services to people that live in underserved communities. The Palmer building will soon be used for that purpose.

Dr. Zirl Palmer owned the building during the 1960's. The building is significant because it was the only Black-owned pharmacy in Lexington at the time. 

Palmer was not only a pharmacist, but was also a philanthropist that served his community in several ways, including participating in the local branch of the NAACP.

“I can’t think of a better time to receive the keys to this historic landmark than in the midst of Black History Month," said Timothy Johnson, the CEO of the United Way of the Bluegrass. "At a time where we celebrate the accomplishments of so many distinguished African Americans, we look forward to honoring the legacy of the former owner of this space, and adoptive son of Lexington, Dr. Zirl Palmer Senior.”

The Palmer building has been vacant for about 10 years. The restoration of this building is expected to be completed later this year and there are plans to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony when the new WayPoint center is ready to open its doors.