It will come to no surprise to anyone who knows me that one of my favorite magazines as a youngster was Old House Journal. At the back of the magazine was a regular feature called “Remuddling” – a photograph and some text about a historic house that through some well-meaning (or not) remodeling, was but a shadow of its former self. In other words, its original design and architectural integrity had been compromised by some questionable additions/changes/materials. I see lots of remuddlings as I journey around, and recently, a T-plan house in Graves County, Kentucky, caught my eye.
The silhouette of the house caught my eye from several blocks away.
The two-story brick dwelling possesses, by nature of its footprint, a distinctive and eye-catching silhouette, one that attracted my eye from downtown Mayfield. But when I circled around and found the house, I quaked.
A side elevation.
From the side or the rear, all appeared to be in order – but an enclosed two-story frame porch on the facade had irrevocably changed the “face” of the house.
A section of the 1910 Sanborn map of Mayfield, showing the house before its remuddling.
It’s likely that the disfuring enclosed porch on the facade began life as an open two-story porch (see Sanborn map above). But what exists now transforms the profile of the house into something quite…not…right.
Oh, to have a crowbar handy!
The scant information I was able to find indicated that this late 19th dwelling was used most recently for professional purposes, so perhaps the enclosed porch provided more space for offices. The Mayfield Hospital was once located next door, so it would make sense that this dwelling became home to medical offices.
Another side elevation.
It doesn’t appear that the house is used for much of anything right now, with the boarded up windows letting in even less light than the bulky front porch addition. I hope someone will swoop in and save this house, and rip that porch addition off – a proper fairy tale ending for a dastardly remuddling.
A photo of the house from the Kentucky Heritage Council files – the offending blight upon the facade is still there, but the house appears to be in use. And there was an attic dormer!
This post was written two years before a deadly tornado devastated Mayfield, as well as the towns of Princeton, Dawson Springs, and Bremen. I took the photographs in 2018. Everything that I saw in Mayfield in 2018 is now gone.
I first wondered what “remuddling” meant but now I see. I wish someone would restore that place to its original glory. Also, I would like to see some of these places have gardens with plants that were used back in the days when it was built.
Sad to see this bad job! “Remuddle” is a perfect name for such a travesty.