Bellevue traces its roots back to 1870 and, as such, our community offers a variety of unique historic buildings. Especially over the last few decades, our residents and businesses have taken great pride in these buildings, ensuring Bellevue’s appeal is well-kept and preserved. While not intended to inhibit continued growth and new development, certain areas of Bellevue are regulated as historic districts to ensure our historic integrity is maintained.
The City of Bellevue was proud to become a Certified Local Government (CLG) in June of 1987. Jointly administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service, Kentucky’s CLG program is a local, state, and federal partnership that promotes historic preservation planning and protection of prehistoric and historic resources at the local level.
We have two historic districts in Bellevue, as shown on the map at right. The Fairfield Avenue Historic District begins at 201 Fairfield Avenue and terminates at O’Fallon Avenue, running along the span of Fairfield. This historic district is also our Main Street district where we utilize the Main Street 4-Point Approach for Commercial Revitalization. This volunteer-driven economic development program called In Vue is based in historic preservation and has achieved accreditation at the state and national level. The Taylor’s Daughters Historic District extends south of Fairfield Avenue to the railroad tracks and Center Street.
Our community has worked hard to rehabilitate, repair, and renew our historic building stock. We believe these continued historic preservation efforts enhance Bellevue’s identity both aesthetically and economically. If you are a current business owner in one of these two districts, are a resident or property owner, or are considering purchasing a building for commercial and/or residential purposes, we have many resources available to help you determine those permitted and prohibited activities applicable to you.
First, you can download this brief guide about Living in an Historic District, which will help answer questions as they relate to residents and residential property owners. In 2015, we also published a comprehensive Design Review Guidelines Manual. This resource manual provides detailed assistance when considering the extent to which an historic facade may undergo exterior renovation.
It is critical to note that buildings in either of our historic districts require submission of a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for most proposed modifications to the exteriors of the properties.
Click here to find the appropriate COA application.
Additional Video Links documenting Bellevue’s and the Northern Kentucky region’s efforts to preserve its historic building stock can be found here:
Follow our Facebook page: Historic Preservation in Bellevue, KY at www.facebook.com/PreservationinBellevueKY to learn about and celebrate historic preservation.