The “Kentucky Central” letters were taken down in July 1980 in recognition of the building’s new owners, the Ashland Oil Company. Ashland Oil bought the 12-story , 300 room downtown office building for $3.5 million from Kentucky Central Life Insurance Company. The building was originally the Lafayette Hotel and had its grand opening on Dec. 2, 1920. The hotel, built to rival the Phoenix Hotel, farther west on Main Street, closed in 1963. At that time, Garvice Kincaid, CEO of Kentucky Central Insurance Co., moved his company into the building. Kentucky Central moved into Kincaid Towers on Vine Street prior to selling the building. In 1982, the Urban County Government bought the building and moved from the old city hall offices on what was then Walnut Street. Photo by Frank Anderson | Staff