The railroad town of Midway, Kentucky, is not only endearing, pretty, and charming, but it possesses a depth of interesting historic architecture. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed strolling the quiet streets and taking in a range of architectural styles and types. One curious house that has long intrigued me has now gone on the market, eliciting much discussion among local residents – and eyebrow raising at the asking price. But no matter the stories that swirl about the long vacancy of this home – it is worthy of preservation and finally has a chance to be saved!
Façade of the house at 129 South Turner Street in Midway, Kentucky. Photograph from real estate listing.
An “unusual brick dwelling” is the description afforded this house in the 1978 National Register of Historic Places nomination form. The property is listed as a contributing resource in the Midway Historic District (which makes it eligible for historic tax credits!). But even in 1978, its future looked murky, as it was used “for storage” at that time.
Circa 1978 photograph of the house. Image from the NRHP files.
According to many folks, the house with the square brick tower has been abandoned for almost 60 years. And this isn’t a house hidden away down a rural lane – it’s in Midway’s historic residential district. The condition of the house has vexed city leaders for generations.
The interior is gutted, but apparently most of the original woodwork is still inside (or stored on the property).
The double entry doors on the facade of the house.
Part of the reason for the hefty price tag is likely the double lot that the house occupies – the listing states that “the house on lot 1 can be purchased at a reduced rate without the adjoining lot but the second lot cannot be sold individually until the sale is the house on lot 1 is complete.” So I sense some wiggle room on the listing price.
Side elevation of house. Photograph from real estate listing.
Plenty of late-19th century houses employ towers and an asymmetrical footprint – that was pretty much a given in the late Victorian period. But I agree with the author of that 1978 nomination that this house is unusual.
An interior view showing the staircase.
The fenestration (the openings cut into the building, such as windows and doors) of the tower makes no attempt to be symmetrical – and is, as the nomination states, an “unconventional window arrangement on two sides.”
A two-story polygonal bay is located on either side of the house, and a two-story, one room deep ell extends to the rear of the dwelling.
Circa 2015 view of the house.
The heavy-looking front porch (partially enclosed) really detracts from the facade, and was likely added in the 1930s or 1940s. The original porch was a frame, wrap-around affair, one that likely contributed an air of lightness and liveliness to the brick mass of the house.
The house (denoted by the blue arrow) on the 1915 Sanborn Fire Insurance map.
What I love most about this house is not the shroud of mystery that hangs about it (and there’s quite a story there I am sure) but the gorgeous stone lintels and sills at the windows and doors. That simple and lovely stone still shines against the brick of the walls.
The whole house could shine, in the hands of the right owner. I sincerely hope that person steps up and this diamond in the rough is saved.
The link to the Zillow listing is here: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/129-S-Turner-St-Midway-KY-40347/194824712_zpid/
Lovely and informative piece regarding the house on Turner. I did not know it had been abandoned for so long. Thanks J-R.
Interesting that Zillow tags this property as “We estimate this home will sell faster than 97 % nearby.” but gives it a Zillow estimate of $254,500. It will be interesting to see if they get anywhere near the asking price of $450,000. That would be a reasonable price after the necessary “total restoration.”
That is a lot of money for a house that has been gutted and left with a jigsaw puzzle of interior woodwork (some of which is likely missing as there are no mantles in any photograph); questionable looking new work; unusable to non-existent electrical, plumbing, and HVAC; and noticeable masonry damage on the interior and exterior. What I also see are owners who have allowed this house to rot for many, many years and who are trying to cash in on a red-hot real estate market and proximity to Lexington.
About forty years ago, that house sat on a large piece of property which has now been subdivided and turned into single family house lots. It basically was two lots wide and a block deep.