A mad dash through Ballard County, Kentucky, last summer introduced me to several towns on US Highway 60 – towns that were formed or expanded due to the Illinois Central Railroad line – Kevil, La Center, and Barlow.
Section of the 1928 La Center quadrangle (15-minute) showing Kevil and La Center.
One my favorite historic houses from 2023 is located in La Center. This small community (population around 872) was laid out in 1902 by the La Center Land Company, whose principals entertained fancies of striking it rich from both the railroad and the possibility that the seat of government might move from Wickliffe to this more centrally located site.
Stokely T. Payne (whose brick house is in a sad and advanced state of disrepair), the manager of the La Center Land Company, was an effective booster, claiming the town to be “the center of the universe.” I like Stokely’s optimism. Alas, the pipe dreams of the company failed to materialized, but a flurry of construction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries resulted in some intriguing examples of vernacular architecture.
The facade of the frame, 1.5-story house in La Center, Kentucky.
This 1.5-story frame house, built in the first decade of the 20th century, would be less remarkable were it not for its projecting polygonal bay and the exquisitely simple and appealing wrap-around porch. The combination of the polygonal bay, which contains four windows and one door, and the porch, with its Tuscan columns and denticulation at the cornice, is perfect!
That delicious bay extends out from a side gable, two room deep section (I think), which can be seen in the photo below.
North elevation and facade.
The house has three entry doors – one each on the rear, side gable section of the house, and one within the polygonal bay. There is also a canted bay window on the south elevation, so my imagination spins feverishly over the enticing nooks and crannies -do I choose an interior space with canted walls and tall, narrow windows (a holdover from the Italianate style, which was very popular for a very long time in Kentucky) or do I pick the porch?
Façade and south elevation.
There’s only a literal handful of documented and survey historic resources in La Center – five if I am not mistaken – so I don’t have access to historic photos or any background information on this dwelling. I did take 84 photos during my brief stop in La Center, so if my ship ever comes in and allows me to pursue my own, infinitely interesting projects (like this blog), I can complete survey and inventory forms on what I saw in La Center. As always, if anyone knows any history on this most charming house, you can email me at gardens2gables@gmail.com.
