This immediate area was chiefly residential with commercial properties primarily located on College and Adams Streets. Sandwiched between those two major streets was a neighborhood, a place that people called home. The variety of houses built here reflected the personal style and economic means of the owners. Most of the houses were built during the late-nineteenth century and were of modest construction.
Homes Build with Local Materials
Fortunately good building materials were available locally. Limestone for basements, foundations or piers was cheap and plentiful as Warren County boasted several significant quarries. Brick was available from local makers, and this neighborhood boasted the Frank J. Kister Planing Mill, one of the largest in the region. Popular and hardwood lumber was of local origin, abundant, and thus comparatively inexpensive.
A Front Porch Was Essential
One inescapable feature of homes in this neighborhood was a front porch. Even the tiniest homes included a covered porch area, which provided a cool respite for the family and a welcoming spot for visitors and passersby. Home owners used ornament sparingly, but some decorative brackets and turned posts were used on porches, while from gables occasionally boasted fish scale shingles and fanciful attic vents. Many homes were added
to as families expanded or financial means improved, these additions are easily discernible in photographs.
A Variety of Styles Enlivened the Neighborhood
Housing styles in the area varied greatly. The older homes on College Street and several on Center were larger and of masonry construction, but the remainder consisted almost exclusively of smaller frame dwellings. Many of the homes were constructed simultaneously by the same builder creating a "cookie-cutter" appearance on the streetscape. As lots were subdivided, smaller homes - cottages and modified shotgun plans - filled the gaps.
inset photo caption: Home of Ora Porter, one of the first registered nurses in Kentucky.
Comments 0 comments