The Higgins Block, also known as the Fayette Cigar Store, in Lexington,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, is a 3-story brick building designed by

John McMurtry John McMurtry may refer to: * John McMurtry (academic), professor of philosophy at the University of Guelph * John McMurtry (architect) John McMurtry (September 13, 1812 – March 3, 1890) was a 19th-century American builder and architect who w ...

and constructed in 1872. The cast iron,

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

facade originally contained five storefronts on West Main Street, each with three window bays. The surviving 2-storefront building is a remnant of the original commercial block, shortened in 1912 when construction of the

Fayette National Bank Building The Fayette National Bank Building, also known as the First National Bank Building or 21C Museum Hotel Lexington, is a historic 15-story high-rise in Lexington, Kentucky. The building was designed by the prominent architecture firm McKim, Mead & ...

required demolition of part of the Higgins Block. The remains of the Higgins Block were added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1977. With A public auction of the east 18-foot exposure of the Higgins Block was held in 1900 to divide the estate of the Higgins family, and the sale may have helped to preserve what is left of the building. John Allen Higgins (1831–1880) was a planter who owned a farm near Lexington and a plantation in Arkansas. He was a son of Joel Higgins (1802–1859) and lived at Lexington's Higgins Mansion (1837–2017) until his death.

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National Register of Historic Places in Lexington, Kentucky Commercial buildings completed in 1872 Cast-iron architecture in the United States Italianate architecture in Kentucky 1872 establishments in Kentucky Tobacco buildings in the United States Cigar retailers Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Kentucky {{FayetteCountyKY-NRHP-stub