The University of Kentucky’s Kirwan Tower dorm, as seen from the Blanding Tower dorm, near the end of construction of the 13-acre, 11-building dormitory complex in May 1967. Surrounding the two 23-story towers were eight low-rise dorms and a dining area. The 264-foot towers were Lexington’s tallest buildings until downtown’s Kincaid Towers were completed in 1979. UK officials recently announced a plan to demolish the entire complex, turning it into a campus green space. The towering canopy of oak trees, planted in 1969, will remain. The demolition is estimated to cost about $15 million, compared to a $126 million estimate for renovation to modern standards, including private bedrooms and bathrooms. When the towers opened in 1967, the final cost was approximately $22 million. In the background of the image is Cooperstown, a village of apartments, built in 1946, to house veterans who enrolled at UK. Behind that is the school’s track and field area. Click on the image for a closer look.

Construction of one of the eight low-rise dormitories in the Kirwan-Blanding complex on the campus of the University of Kentucky in March 1966.