We have quite a historical and famous octagon here at the Red Mile harness track in Lexington, Kentucky. The Red Mile, which started as a country fair association in 1875, is now owned by the Lexington Trots Breeders Association. We will celebrate our 108th continuous year of harness racing this fall. The octagon (above right) has become our most famous landmark.

It was built in 1879 by John McMurtry, a local architect, as a floral exhibit hall for the county fair association and was also used for selling auction pools (betting) on the races. Known variously as “Floral Mall,” the “round barn,” and the “Berry barn” (for the famous trainer Tom Berry), the building is now a museum, the Standardbred Stable of Memories.