Words by Ricki Pryor Photography by Nathan Hutchinson

Just a stone ’ s throw from the Madison County line and nestled in the heart of Paint Lick ’ s historic downtown , a restaurant has bloomed from forgotten timber and rubble .

Like the perennial plant from which it was named , Solidago aims to not only nourish its village , but to help it thrive .

‘ TO MAKE WHOLE ’ Marc Gumbert knows his plants .

As a biologist and owner of Copperhead Environmental Consulting , Gumbert is an ardent student of all things ecological .

It is , quite literally , his business to know about flora and fauna — especially the endangered ones .

Naturally , it was one such endangered species that

came to mind when Gumbert found himself thrust into a second career as a restaurateur .

He needed a name , and like any decent biologist , Gumbert started conducting research and enlisting the help of restaurant experts .

During a conversation with one such specialist , the biologist mentioned the several species of goldenrod found in Kentucky and its Latin name — solidago .

“ She looked it up and asked me if I knew what the Latin translation for solidago was ,” Gumbert recalled with a slight smile . ‘ It means ‘ heal or make whole .”

The name is likely derived from the plant ’ s use in medicine in earlier times . In some places , goldenrods are even considered a sign of good luck or good fortune .

The consultant then asked what the Texan-by-birth , but Paint Lick-resident-by choice ’ s

plan was for his adopted home .

The answer was in the name .

“ It just fit ,” Gumbert said as he began ticking off points on his fingers . “ I ’ m a scientist ; so there ’ s that aspect . The goldenrod is the state flower . And its name means to heal or make whole , which is what I hope to do in Paint Lick .”

‘ I HAVE NO IDEA WHY ’

In the early 2000s , Gumbert was dealing with a major roof leak in his office building at Copperhead Environmental Consulting .

When he had a roofing company come to inspect the leak , he discovered that his building actually shared a rooftop with the building next door .

“ It is actually one building ,” Gumbert explained . “ So , I could repair my part , but the leak was coming from the other side and it would need

to all be fixed .” There was one problem with that . The building that would one day house Solidago was all-but-abandoned . According to Gumbert , the building had been used mostly for storage over the years but had fallen into disrepair .

The roof had collapsed down into what is now the kitchen and dining area of Solidago and was holding about 300 gallons of water . The floors on the second floor had also rotted away and was falling into the building ’ s basement .

So , Gumbert negotiated with the owner of his neighboring building and bought it .

He fixed the roof and then set about renovating his new property .

At first , Gumbert said he was driven to try and preserve the history of Paint Lick .

“ I kept thinking , ‘ What in the world am I going to do