Le Vega Clements House
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| Le Vega Clements House | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Address | 1530 East Fourth Street |
| City | Owensboro |
| State | Kentucky |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1894–1897 |
| Style | Queen Anne |
| Owner | Lucinda Clements Estate (at time of listing) |
| Current use | Private residence |
| National Register of Historic Places | |
| Reference # | 86001427 |
| Listed | 1986 |
| Criteria | Criterion C (architecture) |
| Period | 1894–1897 |
The Le Vega Clements House (also known as Highlands) is a Queen Anne residence located at 1530 East Fourth Street in Owensboro, Kentucky. Built between 1894 and 1897 by distiller Sylvester Monarch, it is considered the finest example of Queen Anne domestic architecture in Owensboro. It is one of only two surviving structures from the group of four mansions built on "Distiller's Row" by Monarch family members. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of the Owensboro Multiple Resource Area.
Description
The Clements House is a two-story, double-pile brick structure dominated by a three-story hexagonal tower projecting from the end of the front facade. The tower is balanced by an asymmetrical pediment and double Ionic columns that identify the main entrance. The corner of the porch extends into an Ionic-columned turret, and the porch turns to run to another entrance located in a round side tower. A contrasting wall texture of brick and stone is achieved by placing sandstone "eyebrow" lintels above the windows and a sandstone watercourse around the house. Brick patterning creates panels, piers, and stringcourses throughout the facade. The pedimented front gable contains a half-moon window surrounded by a sheet-metal hood. Sheet-metal decorations highlight the third story of the tower, where double squat columns divide the round windows. The tower is topped with a double-capped slate roof. The hipped roof of the central block retains its original patterned slate, finials, and dormer windows. The interior features elaborate woodwork, mantels, and stained-glass windows.
History
The Monarch family came from France and settled first in Maryland before coming to Owensboro in the 1830s, arriving with their possessions in ox-carts and settling on the Hardinsburg Road east of the city. The six Monarch sons all became distillers and were central figures in almost every aspect of community progress. At the height of their financial success the brothers built grand homes on East Fourth Street between Wing and Highland Avenues, an area that became known locally as "Distiller's Row." The finest of these was Richard Monarch's home, later razed for the construction of Daviess County Middle School. Martin V. Monarch's home was used by an order of nuns who took a vow of silence before also being razed in 1970.
The Le Vega Clements House was built between 1894 and 1897 by Sylvester Monarch, who owned the Eagle Distillery and a large stockyard. The house was called Highlands by its builder, an apt name for its commanding position on a hill overlooking the Ohio River, with house and yard covering an entire block. After Prohibition, the house was sold to Le Vega Clements, an attorney, founder of the Kentucky Buggy Company, and mayor of Owensboro. His family lived in the house until the last heir died in 1985.
Of the original Distiller's Row mansions, only two survive: the Le Vega Clements House and the neighboring Monarch-Payne House at 1432 East Fourth Street.
Significance
The Le Vega Clements House is the finest example of Queen Anne domestic architecture in Owensboro, retaining a high degree of original interior and exterior integrity. It is also significant for its association with the Monarch distilling family, who played a central role in the development of Owensboro's most important nineteenth-century industry.
References
- Kentucky Heritage Council. National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Owensboro Multiple Resource Area. Frankfort: Kentucky Heritage Council, 1985.