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"Cities, Towns & Countryside"
5th Annual Preservation Week 2003 Photo-Essay Competition
Second Place: Lydia Pope
6th Grade, Pope School
Danville, Kentucky
TITLE: A House Named Waveland
Waveland is a once beautiful historical house located on Erskine Drive in Danville. Waveland is well built and with proper care would probably last for a long time, but it has already been ignored for around twenty years, and if something is not done soon it will not have a chance! Waveland is worth being taken care of and should be!
Waveland was built around 1800 by Willis Green, an important Kentucky settler. The Green-Craig family lived in Waveland for over 130 years. During this time, the family played an important role in the community and its development. Mr. Green selected several hundred acres of land, located a few miles south of Danville. Because of the hilly terrain Green named his estate Waveland. According to tradition Willis Green hired a skilled craftsman from Philadelphia to do the interior woodwork. The craftsman had already been brought to Kentucky by Green's brother-in-law, James Birney, who at one point was the richest man in Kentucky. When Willis Green died, Waveland was auctioned off among the family. The winner was Judge John Green. The next three owners were Lewis Warner Green, William Creig M. D. and John J. Creig. Finally, Waveland left the family and was bought by Dr. Erskine.
Catharine Orton, of Danville, who lived in Waveland as a child, told the following story: "Adlai Stevenson, who (was running) for president on the democratic ticket in 1952, came to visit the house because his relative.was a Green.I don't know if he went to any place any of his relatives ever lived, but he came in and he toured the house and said, "Thank you very much." The thing that impressed me (I was.in high school) was that he had a limousine, and he had a chauffeur, and he wore a top hat, and he just looked grand."
There are two rumors about Waveland. The first rumor is that it is the first or possibly the second brick house built south of the Kentucky River. (Because of this it appeared on early maps of Kentucky.) The other rumor is that Waveland was part of the underground railroad. In the front hall closet there is a trap door which leads to the basement. Supposedly, the slaves would come in the back door, go into the closet, and go down to the basement to spend the night. The next morning, they would go through a tunnel leading from the basement to Stanford road. The tunnel has recently caved in behind Waveland. Catharine Orton, who grew up in Waveland, remembers her father nailing the trap door closed to keep her and her sisters off the steps.
Waveland has many interesting features. Here are just a few. Waveland has very interesting woodwork, especially in the music room, and because of that it was mention in Newcomb's "Architecture in old Kentucky" (1953). The bricks of Waveland are placed in Flemish bond, a pattern in which the bricks are placed doubly thick. Flemish bond has not been used in many years. My favorite feature of Waveland is that you can look straight through from the front door to the back door. My other favorite feature is the semi-circle steps which are made entirely out of stone except for the little bit of metal that holds them together. All the bricks of which Waveland was built were made on the property. (A few of them have prints where dogs stepped on them.) No nails were used in building Waveland. It was entirely done with wooden pegs.
Waveland has a large yard, although it is tiny compared to what it used to be. Waveland is behind lots and lots of houses. All those houses are on what used to be Waveland's huge farm. In front of the house is a large circular driveway with lots of pot holes, and there is also a large concrete block which is the remains of a porch. (There is evidence still of a rood and pillars.) At some point the porch was added to the back of the house to turn it into the front. Now the remains of the porch just add a dreary affect to the whole house.
Although Waveland is structurally sound, it has its problems just like any other old house. At some point a tree fell on the smoke house and a corner of the main house, demolishing the smoke house and causing a chimney to shift. There is also water damage around the windows, which caused the plaster to peel. Jamey Houk, who was interested in buying Waveland, believes that under the shingled roof is a copper roof. Many large rodents live in the house, and the upstairs carpet is destroyed. Waveland is full of beautiful antique furniture, and some of it has been stolen. Waveland's present owner has left it like this and hasn't come to visit in years. Waveland is for sale. Waveland has been for sale for a long time. Waveland will probably be for sale for a long time to come.
Waveland is a great house, and every time I look at it I get a great idea on how to put a roof on the porch, or where to put a flower bed, or even what color to paint the trim. The fact is that I love Waveland. The other fact is that even if I wanted to buy Waveland I could not, because it costs too much money (not to mention that I'm only twelve). Waveland is a house that grabs your heart and will not let go. It needs to be given to someone who will love it and take care of it. Waveland is worth being taken care of and should be!
This essay and photograph(s) are the property of Preservation Kentucky, Inc. and Kentucky Heritage Council and that any use of the photo or essay must be approved by PK and KHC. |
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