The Leonard Cox House stands out among its 19th century neighbors in the Northside Historic District. It’s not because of the hipped red tile roof (which is awesome), but for the Arts and Crafts/Prairie style influence of the 2.5-story dwelling, so clearly “other” from the Federal, Italianate, and Richardsonian Romanesque houses within the same block.
Façade of the Leonard Cox House, September 2023.
Built in 1906, the house has a stone first story, and stuccoed second story, with a front porch (supported by wonderful stone posts) and an open terrace extending from the porch.
Façade of the house, March 20, 1974 . Photograph by Clay Lancaster. Image from the Clay Lancaster Slide Collection at the University of Kentucky.
While the terrace extends the house outwards, the deep overhanging eaves of the roof and the horizontal emphasis of the form and the fenestration link this “unusually sturdy-looking house” with the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School. *
Circa March 20, 1974 photograph of the facade and side elevation by Clay Lancaster. Image from the Clay Lancaster Slide Collection at the University of Kentucky.
Leonard Cox, for whom the house was built, co-founded (with George Graves) an eponymous men’s clothing store, Graves Cox & Company, in 1888.**
Advertisement from the Lexington Herald, April 13, 1905.
In 1905, he purchased “43 feet on West 3rd” street, a lot that previously held a 19th century double house. Leonard and his wife, Margaret, remained in the house until their deaths – the former in 1957.
Article from the April 13, 1905 edition of the Lexington Herald
According to Clay Lancaster, the interior of the house has “an abundance of natural oak paneling and exposed beams” – and I imagine, an interior that stressed the importance of shelter, light, and clean, simple lines – an architectural retort to the excesses of ornamentation of the Victorian period.
Since Cox lived next door to this when be bought the property – do we know WHICH neighboring house was his/his wife’s?
What an exciting structure!
Graves Cox was a wonderful store to shop.
Leonard Cox Jr. and his wife Leigh, lived at the Oaks Condominiums in the late 1970’s and ’80s. I was the Assistant Mgr. and Maint. Supervisor at that time and knew the Cox’s well. They were very nice folks. Mr. Cox owned a large Cadillac car, and , while trying to park the behemoth, repeatedly damaged the garage door jamb, (which I had to repair.) Mrs. Cox was a lovely lady. At the bottom of the stairs to their lower level hung a 3’x4′ oil portrait of her, in her college days, in a formal gown. It always took my breath away, she was so beautiful.
Love this! Didn’t know this was where Len and Lil lived. I only knew their place off Versailles road. Thank you!!!