A Walking Tour of Old Covington taken from a book of same name by Gertrude Lacy
Photographs by Stephen Nicholson
1. ALLEGHANY COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Main Street, Covington, Virginia
The original courthouse on this site was built in 1823. It was succeeded by a brick building in 1877. The present limestone structure was constructed in 1910 for $42,900. The style of architecture is Greek Revival. This type is characterized by large impressive columns and a gabled pediment on the front, copied from Greek temples. A cornice with dentils surrounds the building at the roof line.
Compared with some of the other buildings on the tour, the courthouse is not old. But it is architecturally interesting. It makes a good beginning and ending place for the walk. The interior of the building, as well as some exterior windows, has undergone recent change in order to conserve energy. How much better to do that than to abandon the grand old building for some new, stereotyped, insignificant structure! Inside, the stairway of symmetrical, divided flights remains unchanged.
The monument on the front lawn was erected to the memory of Alleghany soldiers who served in the Confederate Army by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. When it was dedicated September 15, 1911, a member of the band who had recently arrived from Pennsylvania, was asked not to play for the occasion as it just didn't seem fitting. I know this for a true fact, for he was my husband's father.
Bronze plaques honoring Alleghany County's men who were killed in service during World Wars I and 11 flank the entrance.
Built in 1918, it no longer exists having been toppled by the wrecking ball. Once the local opera house, it sported a real stage, flys, boxes and a balcony.
Across the street from the Strand where the Post Office now stands is the place where Hugh Paul Taylor's brick 8 room house stood. Built about 1850, it was the largest house in town. At that time there were 43 houses on these two streets. 9 of these were still in existence in 1925. The railroad arrived in 1870 and as late as 1890 the total population was only 700. However, 20 years later it had grown to 4,000 and by 1920 the population was 5,623.
The house which is occupied by the Covington Chamber of Commerce was built in 1825 by William Scott. Some of his direct descendants still reside in Covington. Mr. Scott came here from Abingdon to build and operate a store near his home. The store was located on Main Street also, but is no longer in existence. His daughter and her husband, a Dr. Hammond, were occupying the house at the time the Civil War began. Dr. Hammond was away in the service when Averill's men came through Covington. The soldiers did no bodily harm to the ladies who were left at home unprotected, but felt no reticence at entering houses and taking whatever food and belongings they could carry. Mrs. Hammond's servant girl came into the living room just in time to see a soldier taking the rings from Mrs. Hammond's fingers. She reached outside the door and grabbed a wet-mop which had frozen into a large hard ball and beat him on the head with it. He managed to escape, but without the rings. His superior officer soon came along and asked if he could warm himself by the large fireplace. When the incident was recounted to him, he made restitution by giving Mrs. Hammond 200 pounds of sugar and 100 pounds of coffee from the supply wagon. The fireplace is in the front office of the Chamber of Commerce, and the hand-carved mantle quite lovely to see. How fortunate that is is located there, so that many have the opportunity to view this choice remnant of Covington's past. The interior logs and stairway are also interesting. Recently, a scale model of the house, as it was before any remodeling, was placed in the front window. It was built by Howard Hammond, a direct descendant of William Scott.
The Catholic Church has had a face lift, but has retained the beauty of its Medieval Gothic structure, with steeply pitched roof and buttressed side walls. This simplicity of line enhances the beautiful detail of the door with forged iron hinges, the quatre-foil rose window, and the forged iron cross above.
The law offices nearby lend variety to the buildings along Main Street with a facade of faux dormers and chimneys above a columned portico. The rooftop of an old residence may be glimpsed rising behind the store fronts. The stores built in front of and around it have long since engulfed it.
Oliver Callaghan House-301-303 W. Main at Court
The lot for this building was purchased from Dr. James Merry who laid off the original 120 lots for the town in 1820. The two story house has undergone no major changes, but several minor ones in order to convert it to an attractive business establishment. Presently, at age 130 years, it houses two businesses and contributes its own special look to Downtown Covington. The old bricks, laid in Flemish bond, the wooden lintels at the windows, and the cut stone foundation should be noted. Inside, there is one original mantle, but the old stairway has been removed. Some may remember when the double front porch was in existence.
While walking along Main Street between Court and Maple Streets, look across the street at the second stories of this cluster of buildings. The interesting variety of pattern in the architecture is Commerical Victorian. It is very charming and architects are beginning to call attention to the fact that this type of assemblage has a cultural depth not to be found in shopping centers. Commerical Vernacular is a term used to describe this incorporating of elements of different styles in our commerical buildings.
Continue on to the corner where you see Covington's "skyscraper" which once was the People's Bank building. It is now the home of Park's Studio (for many years, Burr's Studio). It stands on the spot where the old Skeen Hotel once stood. Robert Skeen's hotel was part brick and part log and in 1856 was listed as one of the eight voting places in the entire county.
Walking along Lexington Avenue between Main Street and Riverside Street will take you around Covington's large and elegant home of First Virginia Bank. This is the third building it has occupied during its 90 years in Covington, having opened for business in 1891. It holds the distinction of being the second oldest continuous business, locally owned.
The building is Greek Revival in style and has a pediment supported by columns as does the Courthouse. The overall appearance is reminiscent of Colonial Williamsburg architecture, with walls of brick laid in Flemish bond, white trim, complete with cupola and Widow's Walk on top.
On the opposite side of the street at 302 N. Lexington Avenue is a typical late Victorian town dwelling built in 1905. B. T. McPeak is credited with having built the house, but it was owned for many years by the Pedigo family. Their daughter, Mrs. Clinton Grant is the present owner.
The basic lines of this fine old house do not require change. Its simplicity and restraint keep it in style. The wide porch has a fine balustrade of turned balisters which match the supporting posts. The front door has the original full length beveled glass panel. Inside is a 3 flight staircase made of apple wood. The house boasts a summer kitchen-slightly isolated so as to keep the rest of the house cool while cooking is being done in warm weather.
The house is complemented by the exquisite little house next door owned by the Zimmermans. It is said to have been built by the same carpenter. This house is full of interesting detail and the two make attractive neighbors.
11. CRAWFORD RESIDENCE 441 W. Riverside
The two front rooms of this house were built in 1800 by Dr. James Merry, a physician. It is the oldest house in Covington. Twenty years later he laid off the 120 original lots for the town. He operated a store near the river which was called "Merry's Stand." Later the house and store were one. The house has a stone foundation and is a log structure which has been stuccoed. It has been moved to face on Riverside St. In moving it, it was discovered that the logs used are of solid walnut. Although the house has been changed somewhat and added on, the original floors, mantles, chimneys of the two front rooms survive. The mantles are 7 feet long, 5 feet high and 9 inches wide, hand-carved in a sunburst design like the one in the Scott house.
The house was used as the manse for the First Presbyterian Church when Mr. Pharr was minister. For many years Mrs. Barnwell, a descendant of the well known eastern Virginia Mortons, lived here. The present owners, the Richard Crawfords, bought the house in 1976, and were so charmed by the house that they had their wedding in the front room of "Merry's Stand."
Continue on Riverside St. to the Maple Ave. intersection. On the corner is Loving Funeral Home. This building was erected in 1896 and was the First Presbyterian Church from that time until 1924. After being used by other churches, the bell tower was finally removed and in 1941, the Loving family converted it to its present use.
When this house was built by Mr. Cunningham in 1834, it consisted of the front part, having three exterior chimneys. The rear one has been enclosed by a later addition to the house. The front windows have 9 panes over 9 and are double sashed. The six molded front door has a transom above and the decorative carved pilasters on either side are a fine detail. The wall construction is one course brick covered with clapboard. In the late 19th century, the house was bought by Mr. Pitzer. He operated an ice business from this location, cutting ice in winter from the river behind his house. In recent years, besides being used as a residence, the house has served as an Interior Design Shop, a Carpet Shop and a Florist Shop. This house was razed and its location is being used by Dr. Adrales.
14. FARLEY RESIDENCE 308 W. Riverside
There is a great deal to be looked at, appreciated and enjoyed here. This house, belonging to Mrs. Robert Farley, is a typical turn-of-the-century urban residence. It is enriched by decorative carpentry such as the fan shaped panels at the gable eves and above the bay window. Small scroll brackets support a molded cornice around the house and porch. The turned posts and balustrade are exceptional. It is a good example of Victorian architecture.
The Covington Baptist Church is an architectural lesson in itself. Dave Edwards, in making a study for the Virginia Landmarks Commission described it thusly: "A wood cornice with a row of dentils surrounds the church. The stained glass windows have pointed arches and brick hood-molds, stone sills and stone imposts and keystones. The main entrance with tower has pointed arch transom above. The corner bell tower is in three stages marked by brick moldings, stone panels and carved wood panels. The bells are enclosed behind round arch vents. The tower has a flat roof with corner finials." The land was deeded to the church in 1874 and the sanctuary of the present building was built in 1902.
The C. P. Childs residence at 232 W. Riverside was built in 1823 by James Burke. The lot was purchased from Dr. James Merry whose house is on this tour. When Burke built the house, it consisted of only the center section, having one room up and one down with one fireplace, and an off-set front door. The kitchen was a separate building and no longer exists.
Mr. Burke operated a successful trading post where wolf and bear pelts could be traded for merchandise. In 1887 John Baker purchased the house. He was a member of a prominent family who had come to this area in 1823 from Milton, Delaware. The Bakers were descended from Lord and Lady Truitt, members of English nobility. Lady Truitt was reported to be a niece of George 111. John Baker served in the Civil War and was with Stonewall Jackson when Jackson was shot. Baker's daughter, Eula, who occupied the house for many years was the first woman to become a Justice of the Peace in Virginia.
The Childs purchased the house in 1955, becoming the third family to own it. They have completed a wing, restored and modernized the house, being careful to keep it as near the original as possible, The house is a typical town dwelling of the early 19th Century. The wood work inside and out is particularly noteworthy. The mantles and staircase are handcarved. The beams are exposed in the downstairs room. Deeply recessed windows have 6 over 6 panes upstairs and 9 over 6 downstairs. Inside the recesses are paneled. Outside, they have stone lintels and flat brick arches above. The molded cornice and dentils at the roofline are attractive details. The exterior brick is laid in Flemish bond on the front, English bond on the ends.
The James Burke House is current being utilized as an attractive cafe.
This house at 212 W. Riverside Avenue was built by Jacob Bishop in 1832. Little is known of the Bishops, as the family moved to Indiana in 1854. The house was bought by Mrs. W. E. Allen in 1909. She was the wife of "Lawyer Allen", Commonwealth Attorney from 1904 until 1916. She bought half interest at first, then later the other half from heirs in Canada for $150.
Their daughter, Mrs. Mary Skeen is the present owner. She and her husband installed modern conveniences in the house around 1920 and lived in it for 5 years. The house is presently occupied by the Glenn Hawkins family. It is typical in style of the houses built in the valley of Virginia by early settlers coming from Pennsylvania. It has a gabled roof, end chimneys, a facade with three openings above located directly over three openings below. It is an established fact that the bricks for this house were made on the place. They are laid in Flemish bond on front and south walls with 7course English bond on the rear and north walls. Note the molded brick cornice at the roofline. Often in the north this style of dwelling was built of wood, while brick was more commonly used in the south.
MIDLAND TRAIL ROAD
Main Street was first named Bath. Riverside Street was called Water Street until the 1920's because of its proximity to the Jackson. Route 60 was called Bridge Street, because of the bridge which crosses the river here. This bridge was a covered wooden bridge until 1929. Averill set fire to it on his retreat west after a skirmish south of Covington in 1863. A bucket brigade was formed which successfully extinguished the blaze.
The name Bridge Street has been changed to Midland Trail Road, as the bridge and this street have historic significance because of their location with respect to the rugged terrain surrounding them. The Old Midland Trail was the thoroughfare connecting the east part of Virginia with the states of the Ohio Valley. It follows the old emigrant trail by which pioneers going west to the Mississippi Basin traveled. A 1919 automobile tour guide cites it, as the shortest motor road from coast to coast.
In describing each town on the route, it says of Covington, "Bridge & Water Streets: Covington is the center of a large territory in which wood, pulp, paper and many other commodities are manufactured, and enjoys a prosperity based on very solid conditions."
Near the bridge is the confluence of Dunlap Creek and Jackson's River. The historian, Howe, says that in 1840, in high water batteaux went up river as high as Covington. Navigation ended at Dunlap Creek. Before Covington was named, the settlement was referred to as "the Head of Navigation."
Westvaco Corporation built a paper mill here in 1898 on land purchased from Thompson McAllister. It is a large pulp & paper manufacturer which has had an important impact on life in Covington since that time.
2,128 acres of land on the west side of Jackson River became the property of Thompson McAllister who came here from southern Pennsylvania. In 1856 he built the beautiful mansion, Rose Dale, which became Rosedale and the name by which this entire section of Covington is called. McAllister was a captain in the Civil War. During the war this house was threatened many times. It is a fine example of Georgian architecture. The design is symmetrical with a hipped roof. The. 18th Century English style is reflected in many of the classical details, such as dentils, molded cornices and Palladian windows. The cupola on top and the large chimneys at each end are typically Georgian. The windows have stone lintels and sills with six over six panes. The front of the house has pilaster strips dividing it into sections. There is a bracketed frieze above the dentils. The stone used in the house came from his own acres, as did the timber which he sawed and cured there. The bricks were made on his own land. The house is reported to have been,built in a year.
At 510 Midland Trail Road was the home of Frank Hammond, built by his father in 1911. Mr. Hammond is the great grandson of William Scott who built the Scott house on Main St. in 1825.
This house of yellow brick with gable roof has a full entablature consisting of a plain frieze, dentils, modillion brackets and a molded cornice surrounding the porches and house rooflines. The porches are supported by fluted Corinthian columns and half-columns. The elaborate entrance has elliptical fanlight with tracery arid flanking sidelights.
The interior is equally beautiful with Indiana red gum paneling and staircase. The wide doorways are flanked by fluted columns.
If you care to walk past two more houses you will come to an excellent example of the Queen Anne type of Victorian Architecture. This style is characterized by a large, asymmetrical shape, and the use of many different textures, towers, turrets, gables and balconies. Tall chimneys are made interesting with decorative caps and recesses.
This house was built in 1898 by Westvaco for Judge Moore, an attorney who handled the legal matters for establishing the paper mill in Covington. He was a wellknown after-dinner speaker who was considered second only to Chauncy Depew. His talents along that line made. him much sought after throughout the East. The house then became the official residence of mill managers for the next fifty years. The last to live here was Paul B. Lacy whose widow still resides here and is the present owner.
As you walk back toward the bridge and town, you may view an interesting architectural pot-pourri of houses on the other side of Midland Trail Road. There is a Dutch Colonial, a Victorian Eclectic, a Georgian style ante-bellum, a modern day version of early colonial and nearest the bridge a house reminiscent of a Bavarian cottage.
Henry Hoke built this house. The back portion was built first and now serves as the rear ell. The more imposing brick addition in front was built by him in 1833. It was common practice in building colonial homes to build a I V2 story house to be used as the family's living quarters until a larger house could be built. After moving into the larger house, they would use the old house as the kitchen. Finally the kitchen would be attached to the new house, creating a central section and completing the structure.
The two story brick addition is in plain style colonial. The end walls of these early houses had no windows except in the attic, as the type of construction used at that time required solid end walls for strength. The door over the front porch shows that the porch has undergone change. The cornice and front pediment with decorative scroll work are interesting details.
The two old outbuildings are unusual by the very fact that they have survived. The one with the brick chimney might have served as a kitchen for the early log house. The present owner, Mr. W. M. King, has lived in the house since 1945. The new State Bank building next door is a modified Colonial style which fits in nicely with the early 19th century architecture along this street. Its dormer windows and entrance suggest an early Williamsburg inn, and the color of the bricks reinforces this impression.
This home was recently razed by Westvaco.
In 1857 William W. Lawrence built this house in the Valley of Virginia style which is peculiar to early Virginia. That is, the roof is gable type, three windows above three openings below. The windows are many paned and the upstairs windows are flush against the cornice. The front door is also paned with glass and surrounded with "lights." Inside, the mantles are plain, and the stairway has the original beautifully curved, hand-carved handrail. The house was the childhood home of Judge Roscoe Stephenson who is presently a Virginia Supreme Court Justice. He was formerly Commonwealth Attorney. His father was also Commonwealth Attorney and lived in the house for many years. Some time ago it was converted into offices to house the law firm of Stephenson, Kostel, Watson & Carson. Today, several attorneys have offices there.
The carriage house in back was first converted to a law office and then became a real estate office for Colonial Realty. Its presence adds a touch of quaintness to the area behind the court house, and is in interesting contrast to the modern drive-up window of First Union, directly in front of it.
