Wrecking Ball Watch: The J. Stone Walker House, Richmond, Kentucky

July 22, 2020 by Janie-Rice Brother

 

Institutions, in my experience, are not the best stewards of historic buildings. So it comes as no surprise to learn that Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond, Kentucky, is preparing to demolish a house once lauded as one ofΒ  “Richmond’s best examples of Italianate-style architecture.”* And the late 19th century brick house, with its elaborate hoodmolds, ornamented porches, and cornice decked with brackets, is lovely and worthy of praise. It was also the home of a man who helped found the predecessor to EKU, and whose wealth made the founding of the eventual campus possible.

The facade of the J. Stone Walker House in Richmond, Kentucky. Photograph taken March 2016.

J. Stone Walker, a financier, investor (railroads, coal mines, real estate – he had fingers in multiple pies across Kentucky), and bank president, had this home built in the late 19th century on Lancaster Avenue. The Italianate style, with low hipped roofs, elongated windows, and cornices fairly dripping with brackets and modillions, was the “trending” residential style of the day.

After the Walker family sold the house, it was home to the Thomas Collins family. At some point in the 20th century, the house was converted to apartments.

The Walker House, circa 1982.

EKU may trace its official founding back to an act of the legislature in 1906 – but it also traces its existence to a short-lived school known as Walters Collegiate Institute. Thanks to that institution, EKU inherited buildings and grounds at very little cost.

Cost, of course, is at the heart of this planned demolition. Thanks to a spouse who works in higher education and knows way more about the budgets of our state colleges and universities than I would ever wish to know, I’m fairly enlightened as to how EKU’s allocation from the state continues to shrink. Does the university have the money or the need for this historic building? Given the impetus behind my writing of this post, I feel confident in venturing that the answer is an unequivocal no.

But should finances improve – I am sure EKU welcomes the opportunity to have additional green space on which to build in the future. Sadly, the lifespan and quality of that new construction will pale in comparison to the departed Walker House.

The Walker House, spring 2016.

That doesn’t make me any less outraged by the plan to reduce this house to a pile of rubble for the landfill. It’s wasteful and like so many cases of demolition by neglect, was avoidable. I imagine the roof leaks, and the box gutters are rotten, and plaster is crumbling, and perhaps termites are feasting on old-growth joists and sills. None of that had to happen.

My co-workers at the Kentucky Heritage Council (KHC) grumbled concern about this historic resource a decade ago. But no one can force private owners to do things with their property (in case you didn’t know, Kentucky’s love affair with property rights remains torrid and steadfast), or to sell said property to someone who would appreciate and save the building. The KHC has no authority with the university or any property owner, and can no more stop a demolition than we can wish away a Pandemic.

The Walker House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. That does not prevent its demolition. Listing in the NRHP also does not, contrary to popular belief, dictate how you use a house, what colors you paint it, or what sorts of materials you use when you carry out work on the building – unless you are utilizing historic tax credits. It’s unfortunate that the Walker House could not have been purchased by someone who wouldΒ  restore the house using historic tax credits, and instead fell into the lap of an institution that views it as a liability, not an asset.

 

 

*After I published this piece, I was alerted to a post on the Facebook page Memories and pictures of Richmond, Kentucky:

πΈπΎπ‘ˆ π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝐽 π‘†π‘‘π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘Šπ‘Žπ‘™π‘˜π‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘ π‘’:

π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ πΈπΎπ‘ˆ π‘Žπ‘‘π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘›π‘œ π‘–π‘šπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘›π‘  π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝐽 π‘†π‘‘π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘Šπ‘Žπ‘™π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘¦. π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘’π‘›π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘–π‘‘π‘¦ 𝑖𝑠 π‘Žπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘™π‘¦ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘£π‘–π‘’π‘€π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘–π‘‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘’π‘‘π‘ Β π‘‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘›π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘™ π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘–π‘‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘›π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π‘’π‘ π‘  π‘Žπ‘  πΈπΎπ‘ˆ π‘ π‘’π‘’π‘˜π‘  π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘Ž π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘π‘Ÿπ‘’β„Žπ‘’π‘›π‘ π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘› π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘™π‘™ πΈπΎπ‘ˆ π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘’π‘‘π‘ . π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘§π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘œπ‘“ π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦ πΈπΎπ‘ˆ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘¦ 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 π‘Žπ‘™π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦π‘  𝑏𝑒 π‘Ž π‘™π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π‘Žπ‘› π‘’π‘“π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘’π‘π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ β„Žπ‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘’π‘›π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘–π‘‘π‘¦ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ πΆπ‘œπ‘šπ‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘–π‘‘π‘¦.

I haven’t seen an official statement from the University, and think it would be great if they would issue one (I like items like this to be signed and on letterhead!). Whatever is planned for the building right now, I believe the best outcome for this historic dwelling is for EKU to sell the property with deed restrictions, stipulating its restoration.

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Categories: Demolition, Madison County

Tags: #demolitionbyneglect, #jstonewalkerhouse, #kentuckyarchitecture, #richmondky

Comments

  1. Carolyn Kenney says:
    July 22, 2020 at 9:20 pm

    Would that those words reach some receptive ears.

  2. Randy Davis says:
    July 22, 2020 at 9:57 pm

    What a tragedy!

  3. Bill Johnston says:
    July 23, 2020 at 9:13 am

    So well stated, as usual. And so infuriating!

  4. Sally Davis says:
    July 23, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    Another possibility might involve the IET Department on campus which used to teach construction as well as other things involving technology. Restoration of old buildings is a viable occupation in many places.

  5. Bev Harber says:
    July 23, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    What’s the use of teaching history of any sort when it’s being torn down right in front of the university’s eyes.
    Nothing like this can ever be replaced. 😟

  6. Margaret says:
    July 23, 2020 at 1:18 pm

    Well, good luck. For 22 years now with a restoration company (now disbanded) and a restoration carpenter (died of a heart attack two years ago) I have worked on my 1834 farmhouse outside Bowling Green on the family farm. It’s a rare breed that wants to do the work and even if they do, finding the special materials is a challenge and sometimes they are long since discontinued. We have had to beg people to do the work. It’s a lot easier to work on newer homes. It’s not just the United States either, I follow a blog about old buildings in Ireland and people couldn’t understand why on a derelict farm with a fine old shell of a brick building…sides straight…why did they choose to build a quick cheap modern house in front of it? I knew the answer. It’s cheaper and quicker. Restoration work takes special people, specialized tools, special materials that might not even exist today and most of all….an understanding that all this takes a lot of money and time. Plus, the worst thing of all, keeping it looking all old and natural like the good old days…it doesn’t hold up like the newer things. You have to replace it more often. It’s a recipe for the wrecking ball. There’s a special place in Heaven for those that know all that yet continue to do it…and they are few and far between.

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