<Click
on a numbered house above>
Wallace
Woods Walking Tour
City of
Covington Economic Development Department
638 Madison Ave.
Covington, KY 41011
September, 1991
Prepared by Heidi Sahrbacker
The information
contained in this brochure would not have been possible without the
efforts of
Joe
Gastright and Walter E. Langsam.
The information
contained on this page would not have been possible without the efforts
of Joe Gastright and Walter E. Langsam. The City of Covington would
like to welcome you, as you embark on one of seven tours designed
to celebrate our thirteen National Register Historic Districts. The
National Register of Historic Places, established under the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966, is a listing of "districts, sites,
buildings, structures and objects of significance in American History,
architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture." The City of Covington
is proud of its abundant collection of important structures; they
are a treasure that we wish to share and keep alive, both for our
citizens and the many visitors who come to our city each year. We
thank you for your interest and are confident that you will find your
experience in the Wallace Woods Historic District to be informative,
enjoyable, and positively memorable!
History
In the mid nineteenth century, three Cincinnati merchants, Robert
Wallace, Eugene Levassor and Daniel Henry Holmes, each purchased a
substantial number of contiguous acres and built three large estates
just south of Covington's city limits. This land, an undeveloped tract
between Covington and what is now Latonia, offered the advantages
of city life without the high taxes and crowded atmosphere.
By the turn of
the century, Covington's population had grown to such an extent that
additional land was needed to accommodate the influx of residents.
Pressure to annex was felt by many such outlying areas, and Wallace
Woods became part of the city in 1909. All of the farms were eventually
subdivided, and in a time span of only twenty years this tract of
farmland was transformed into a fashionable and well-populated suburban
community.
This tour will
take you through the community of Wallace Woods, a district that lies
completely within the boundaries of the old Wallace farm. Unlike most
neighborhoods in the city, which saw rapid growth prior to the 1880s,
this area developed later, near the turn of the century. In an attempt
to provide an escape from city life, this area was designed as a suburb,
complete with large yards and sprawling homes that contrast greatly
with the adjacent urban environment. It is this unique combination
of a park-like setting with close proximity to the city that has,
for nearly a century, provided the residents of Wallace Woods with
the best of both worlds.
Tour
Your tour will begin at the intersection of Wallace Avenue and Scott
Street.
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1. 28 Wallace
Ave., c. 1910 This commanding Queen Anne style mansion relates well
to the larger homes farther east on Wallace Avenue. Note the distinctive
domed turret that is indicative of this exuberant architectural style.
Continue south on Scott Street.
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2. 2214 Scott
St., c. 1908 This brick and stone residence with exposed rafters and
gabled dormers incorporates elements of the Arts and Crafts style,
the dominant style in American vernacular architecture from 1905 to
the early 1920s. Continue east on Sterrett Avenue.
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3. 120 Sterrett
Ave., c. 1915 A massive portico of the Ionic order dominates this
more recent Colonial Revival structure.
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4. 202 -208 Sterrett
Ave., c. 1900 These four L-shaped vernacular houses may have served
as rental units for new home builders in the early Wallace Woods subdivision.
Note the swags on the porch frieze and the Palladian gable windows
that suggest Colonial detail applied to a simple turn of the century
structure.
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5. 211 Sterrett
Ave., c. 1910 Though Colonial Revival in plan, this house may be better
described as turn of the century eclectic. Adorned with Queen Anne
detailing, this home boasts fine stained glass transoms, gable pendants,
and decorative carved wood tracery under the porch landing.
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6. 217 Sterrett
Ave., c. 1900 This highly unusual building is unlike any other in
the Wallace Woods neighborhood. An example of eclecticism at its best,
this structure combines elements from the Romanesque tower to the
Tudor arched doorway. Its most distinguishing feature, however, is
the polychrome patterned brickwork that gives this home its unique
and commanding appearance.
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7. 2205 Sterrett
Ave., c. 1905 This charming Dutch Revival cottage with its steep gambrel
façade is further enhanced by delicate Eastlake shingle siding and
a carved, bracketed gable. When you reach Wallace Avenue, continue
east.
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8. 411 Wallace
Ave., c. 1905 This ornate Tudor revival home boasts a stone first
floor and wood and stucco upper stories that are typical of this style.
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9. 419 Wallace
Ave., c. 1900 A shingle style house such as this one is a rare find
in Northern Kentucky. Unlike most nineteenth century styles, it does
not emphasize decorative detail. Instead it is typified by a uniform
covering of wood shingles from roof to foundation.
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10. 425 Wallace
Ave., c. 1900 This unique conglomeration of architectural styles can
best be described as eclectic, incorporating elements from the Queen
Anne stick style siding to the Tudor front gable and diamond shaped
windows.
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11. 435. Wallace
Ave., c. 1905 This single family home is representative of the Mission
style. Though it lacks the shaped parapet wall that is often indicative
of this style, it still boasts the tile roof and exposed rafters that
are reminiscent of a seventeenth century Spanish mission. Note the
unusual tile detail that adorns the façade.
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12. 504 Wallace
Ave., c. 1910 This sprawling complex, known as the Martanna Apartments,
was also erected in the Mission Style, suggesting a Spanish influence.
Note the shaped parapets and tiled roofs that are common to this style.
Return west on Wallace Avenue.
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13. 426 Wallace
Ave., c. 1920 Built in the 1920s, this building is a late example
of the symmetrical Colonial Revival style.
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14. 422 Wallace
Ave., c. 1910 Like 411 Wallace Ave., this structure boasts the decorative
half-timber upper stories that are indicative of the Tudor Revival
style.
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15. 418 Wallace
Ave., c. 1898 This rare, early example of the Chalet style may have
served as a prototype for other buildings in this neighborhood. The
large braces and brackets, carved gable, turned porch columns, and
cut-out porch balustrade help to suggest this Swiss influence.
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16. 408 Wallace
Ave., c. 1915 This later vernacular structure illustrates the disappearance
of the more opulent Victorian era. Horizontal in plan, this structure
introduces elements indicative of the Arts and Crafts style. The use
of buff brick, low rooflines, broad eaves, and heavy columns serve
to date this structure from the early twentieth century.
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17. 400 Wallace
Ave., c. 1890 This asymmetrical structure is another example of the
Queen Anne style. An ornately carved Eastlake porch once graced the
façade of this home, but was replaced during later attempts at modernization.
Like the neighboring mansion, this structure was one of the first
homes to appear on the streetscape of the old Wallace subdivision.
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18. 229-233 Wallace
Ave., c. 1898 These three Queen Anne style houses were built as rental
properties by the daughter of Robert Wallace. Notice the Stick Style
siding, fish scale shingles, and Palladian inspired gable windows
that suggest this Victorian era stylistic approach.
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19. 328 Wallace
Ave., c. 1860 Once a Stick Style mansion known as Edgewood, this building
was damaged by a fire in the early twentieth century. Only the porch
detail and east side bays remain as evidence of the original structure.
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20. 221 Wallace
Ave., c. 1898 This turn of the century structure is one of three contiguous
buildings that comprise Wallace Row. Built in the Stick Style, this
home boasts clapboard siding that has been lost on the other two structures.
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21. 214 Wallace
Ave., c. 1910 This later Colonial Revival home boasts a commanding
front portico, supported by paired columns with Corinthian capitals.
Though this home incorporates many of the same stylistic elements
seen in # 24, such as the entry portico and roof dormers, note how
they vary in scale and design. At this point, travel south on Greenup
Street for #22 and #23, then return to Wallace and continue at #24.
Travel west on Wallace.
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22. 2210 Greenup
Street, c. 1858 Known as the Shillito cottage, this modest structure
was built by the daughter of Robert Wallace and her husband, John
Shillito. Erected in the Carpenter Gothic style, this home has long
since lost its front gable and gingerbread vergeboard.
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23. 2219 Greenup
Street, c. 1898 Faced with a combination of clapboard and shingles,
this is one of the finest examples of Queen Anne style in this neighborhood.
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24. 202 Wallace
Ave., c. 1905 This sprawling home is a fine example of the Colonial
Revival style, popular in the early twentieth century. Note the large
entry portico and oversize dormers that adorn the façade of this imposing
brick residence.
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25. 125 Wallace
Ave., c. 1897 This imposing three-story brick Colonial Revival house
boasts a symmetrical façade adorned with circular design elements
on each floor. Note the circular front porch, rounded bay window,
and diminutive barrel-roofed dormers that flank either side of the
larger central dormer.
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26. 120 Wallace
Ave., c. 1905 This large asymmetrical Colonial Revival residence,
built by the Wallace family, boasts an unusual conical roofed dormer
that mimics the larger adjacent tower.
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27. 117 Wallace
Ave., c. 1909 This high style Classical Revival mansion combines elements
of both the Colonial Revival and later Prairie School styles. In plan,
this structure is Colonial, with its symmetric façade and commanding
front portico. However, the projecting eaves shading the small horizontal
third story windows are suggestive of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie
School.
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28. 111 Wallace
Ave., c. 1894 This Colonial Revival structure occupies the site of
the original Wallace farm called Longwood. The old frame structure
was torn down in 1894 to make way for the growing subdivision now
called Wallace Woods. Note the decorative Queen Anne dormer with Palladian
window that adorns the façade of this building.
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29. 106 Wallace
Ave., c. 1897 This sprawling Queen Anne style home was built by the
Holmes family prior to the turn of the century. Adorned with both
stucco and wood siding, this home boasts a commanding second story
projecting curved bay and Palladian windows that exemplify the variety
of elements typical of Victorian era homes.
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30. 103 Wallace
Ave., c. 1908 Another fine example of the Colonial Revival style,
this structure is noteworthy for the Ionic capitals that rest on banded
brick corner pilasters.
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31. 100 Wallace
Ave., c. 1906 This eclectic structure that sits on the corner of Wallace
Avenue and Scott Street is known as the Virginia Flats or Apartments.
Indicative of many such early twentieth century apartment dwellings,
this building boasts elements of both the Colonial Revival and Romanesque
styles. Note the series of inset and protruding bays and porches that
are complemented by a Colonial modillioned cornice and Romanesque
arches.
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