Historic digitized newspapers are one of the great positives of the Internet age, and capable of diverting my attention for hours upon end. I’ve often chuckled over the name of a long-vanished Kentucky newspaper, The Spout Spring Times, which made its debut on January 18, 1896. To my delight, I found myself in that same Spout Springs yesterday.
Spout Springs, Estill County, on a 1952 topographic map. (Blame the USGS for labeling it as “Sprout” rather than Spout.)
Sadly, the crossroads community, named for several springs in the area, bears little resemblance to its publisher’s late 19th century lofty claim as the “the future metropolis of Estill County.”
I didn’t venture down Spout Springs Road, off of Kentucky Route 82, so there may be some historic buildings I missed – but the Spout Springs Post office (established in 1892) closed in 1937, so I imagine most commercial activity in the hamlet ceased around the mid-20th century.
The front page of The Spout Springs Times.
Immediately after the sign trumpeting my arrival in Spout Springs, however, was an arresting ruin of a house, its decline incongruous in the bright sunshine.
Log and frame house in Spout Springs.
I’ve seen and documented many a dilapidated house – but I was struck by how this 19th century example appears to be melting away. The facade wall has fallen, and the roof fallen in, but the (broken) bones of the building are still visible.
Facade and south gable end.
The house faces south, and was constructed in at least two phases. The first section, on the north end (on the left side of the house as you face it) was a two-story log dwelling, with half-dovetail notching and an exterior gable end stone chimney.
Half-dovetail notching is probably one of the best techniques for joining log walls, as the cut angles shed water out of the notches and away from the logs. I don’t know if this house was clad in weatherboards originally, but it was clear that the logs were covered at some point (always a good thing, as it protects the logs).
North gable end of house, showing the ell addition at rear.
Although the collapse of the front of the house makes it difficult, it is likely that the log part of the house was a hall-parlor plan originally – the single log structure being divided into two rooms on the interior by a frame partition wall. At some point, another room, this time using milled lumber, was added laterally on the south side of the original house.
The brick firebox on the frame side of the house.
Several outbuildings and barns clustered around at the rear of the property – but I remained in the public right-of-way to take my photographs, so I didn’t venture further for exploration.
Sadly, it doesn’t appear that this historic house (and it would have been a beautiful property at one time!) was ever documented the Kentucky Heritage Council (State Historic Preservation Office), so no official record is available that preserves an image (or history) of what this house once looked like before it started slipping away.
An interior view of the collapsing building.
As always, I send this words out into the world hoping that someone will recognize this piece of Kentucky history, and share the story with me (and with you, the readers). I believe that J.E. Burgher, Jr, the owner, editor, and publisher of the short-lived Spout Springs Times (and later the founder of the Clay City Times in Powell County) would approve of this appeal.
If you want to browse the editions of The Spout Springs Times (1896-1902. At some point during its lifespan, the masthead combined “Spout” and “Springs”), you can find them online at the Kentucky Digital Library
This a good one Janie-Rice. 11 more and you would have a companion editions go with the Asthetically Abandoned Antique Automobile Calendar
Maybe I need to try and publish a calendar like that in 2020!