511 W 6th Street, Covington, KY 41011
On the banks of the Ohio River – just across the way from Cincinnati – stands the city of Covington, Kentucky. Known for its Oktoberfest, Covington also sports an historic district filled with great old houses. And lucky for us, we get to take a peek at one Italianate fixer-upper that just came on the market! She’s not only a beauty, but she’s also joined by other Italianates on the block. All the more reason to move there and own a piece of northern Kentucky history, I say. Here are some things to tempt you.
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ARCHED WINDOWS
If you’ve been following this Fixer-Upper column for a while now, you’ll know that I’m a sucker for two-over-two wood windows – and these are arched to boot! The combination is so striking here. Would you agree that the windows and their curved lintels kind of look like eyes with expressive eyebrows? Someone once described them that way to me and now I can’t see anything else. And I can’t help but point out those amazing floor-to-ceiling porch windows. Speechless!
AN EYE FOR DETAIL
Let’s head back outside to the street and admire this home’s curb appeal. Of course, there’s that great porch, a turn-of-the-20th-century addition. I love the paired brackets at the cornice and how they continue to the sides of the house. It’s nice when the same level of detail is shown on more than just the street facade, right? And while we’re looking at the sides, you can see that this house is surprisingly massive. Yep, three floors totaling nearly 5,200 square feet!
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BEAUTIFUL STAINED WOOD
That leads me right to the beautiful woodwork found in this home. From the window casings and stairs to the decorative wood frames around the fireplace mirrors, the stained wood here will be quite the complement to however you plan to decorate. It’s also pretty great to see those solid wood paneled doors still in place (some even feature stained glass transoms up top!). The kitchen cabinets may not be historic, but it makes me smile that the upper panes are arched. Italianate in spirit, I’d like to think.
MAINSTRASSE VILLAGE LOVE
What I love even more about this house is that it’s set in historical MainStrasse Village. With a wonderful name like that, I had a hunch there’s some German history here, and there is! (Okay, maybe that was obvious.) Our lovely Italianate was built c. 1860 and it forms just one part of a vibrant community that adores its old homes. It’s already pretty special to own a historic house like this, but add to that a neighborhood full of old house lovers and this sure is the cherry on top.
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Ready to roll up your sleeves? Click through here to see the full listing!
AUTHOR AMANDA DAVIS
Amanda is an historic preservationist living in New York City with a particular fondness for fixer-uppers. She can be spotted checking out quirky historic details here, there, and everywhere in her handmade dresses. Every time Amanda sees a cozy room with large windows and beautiful built-ins she can’t help but imagine her very own sewing nook with oldies music playing in the background.
