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311 North Third Street Bardstown, KY 40004 (Across from Baskin Robbins) Map It! Phone: 502-348-8584 Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:30pm Sat 8:30am - Noon |
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| Dr. Ramona Porter Clifton's optometry practice began in 1947, in a leased professional office atop the old Farmer's Bank building. It wasn't until October of 1956 that Dr. Clifton, the first female optometrist in Nelson County, was able to construct her own building at 311 North Third street. Most banks of the period would not loan money to a woman for such an undertaking unless the note was cosigned by a man. But she persevered and became the first woman to obtain a loan on her own signature from a local bank. Her new building was one of the first commercial structures in town to have modern sheetrock walls instead of plaster ones and a central air conditioning system. She only used half the building for the first several years of its existence, renting the other half to Dr. A.D. Steely, a local physician. Eventually, she converted the entire 1885 square foot building to the practice of optometry, making it the first free standing eye care clinic in the region. Her retirement in 1993 left her practice and patients in the care of Drs. Lisa and David Woody, who endeavored to sustain her pioneering spirit. They were the first husband and wife team to practice optometry in Bardstown and established the first Low Vision Clinic in the county to be approved as a treatment center/vendor by the Kentucky Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The expansion of Bardstown Eye Care Center in 2006 marked a new chapter in the history of the practice. It was the first time that a home in the historical district had been moved to a different location on the same property to make way for new construction. The project plan, developed with guidance from the Historical Review Board, JRA architects, and the Joint Planning Commission, allowed the practice to remain in its same location and preserved the historical components of the property. Renovation of the home and the surrounding property is ongoing. |
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