On a hot August day in 2019, I headed out for a site visit in Jackson County, Kentucky. Two months earlier, we had welcomed our son into the world, and this was my first venture out since his birth (not counting trips to the pediatrician). I relished driving slowly along the meandering road, the windows down, and my camera in my lap. A spark of that day floated back to me last week when I chanced upon the below photograph.
The view from my car window in August 2019.
The scene that greeted me – a barn, early 20th century garage, and a late 19th century house – was fascinating because I was looking at the rear of the historic dwelling.
The house was built to face west toward Station Camp Creek, but as overland transportation improved (State Highway 89, specifically), the back of the house became the new front of the house.
This is the rear ell of the house, with the side gable portion in the background being the facade of the house.
You can see a progression of additions off of the ell – two enclosed porches on the first story (right in photo), with what might be a bathroom addition jutting off of the second story. On the left side of the ell, a lovely original porch, with spindle frieze and brackets, and turned and chamfered posts.
I don’t know what the facade looked liked, but I imagine it was symmetrical, three or five bays wide, with a porch spanning all or a portion of the first floor facade. Only one brick chimney was visible, but I imagine most of the primary rooms in the house had fireplaces.
Section of the 30′ Beattyville topographical map from 1892, showing Station Camp Creek in Estill County (at far left). Irvine is visible to the north.
The barn to the south of the house bore a quilt block – Estill County has done a tremendous job in promoting their rural landscape with the quilt trail.
The house in August 2023. Image courtesy Google streetview.
My curiosity piqued by the photo of the farmstead, I began to try and figure out where it was (of course I hadn’t labeled the image or mapped the site), only to catch my breath and gnash my teeth when I zoomed onto a likely spot with Google streetview.
The house, shown with stripped away walls in August 2023, is now completely gone, and I never had a chance to go back and grab a photograph of the facade.
If anyone in Estill County knows the history of this house or happens to have a photograph of the front of the house, please let me know. It’s too late for me to document the dwelling, but at least I could record a bit more of its story for posterity.
*Also, a belated happy birthday to my now seven year old baby. Following my Estill County jaunt, he actually accompanied me on several site visits. Prewitt, your irrepressible spirit gives me hope for the future, and I love you beyond words.
He was much easier to take along on fieldwork when he was captive in his car seat…
