by Brian Harney
part 2
Castlewood and Louden Ave.
|
click the map at right |
I'm still not clear as to how the original Warfield property was divided and sold over time, and where the original Warfield Place house was. Was the house on Walnut St, south of Louden? Or was it actually on the huge Warfield property that ran, apparently, from Bryan Ave all the way over to Winchester Rd? If it was on the big property, where on the property?
It appears that Walnut St (now MLK) ran from downtown Lexington and probably reached all the way to Louden Ave, since, in 1903, when G.M.Asher owned the property, his suburban residence was referred to as "just off Loudon avenue and Walnut street extended, containing 175 acres of beautiful Blue Grass land, the whole to be known as Highland Park".
175 acres? In other references to the Warfield property (properties?) it looked as though it may have been 400 acres or more. (In 1866, The Meadows was mentioned as only 131 acres, probably a mistake). Since the Louden house was built in 1850 by Francis Hunt (son-in-law of Elisha Warfield), I'm assuming that the part known as Castlewood must have been split off, and it ran from the corner of Bryan Ave and east out Louden Ave to about Oak Hill Dr.
The G.M.Asher portion, known as The Meadows (is that the same parcel known as Highland Park?) must have surrounded Castlewood on the North and East, comprising where the Meadows subdivision is today. Since there is a street called Warfield Place, I assume that the house sat back at the end of a long driveway, one visible in the 1937 aerial photo of the area. This must be the place where Roosevelt and Warner visited in 1888, but why was it referred to as being on Walnut St?
I would bet that the Warfield property ran all the way down to Louden Ave, and at some point in time, lots were sold off, on Louden Ave, probably by the Goodloe's, who probably owned Castlewood when the elegant homes on Louden were constructed around the turn of the century, 1900.
A couple of the surnames involved, Dudley and Hunt, caught my attention. I assume that these are the same Dudleys for whom Dudley Square is named, on Maxwell St. And the famous writer Charles Dudley Warner, who stayed a few days at Warfield Place in 1888 with Theodore Roosevelt, was he kinfolk of the Lexington Dudley clan? Perhaps he was there visiting relatives?
Francis Hunt, who built Louden House, was he part of the Hunt and Morgan families of Lexington, the same folks as famous Confederate raider John Hunt Morgan?
This will, of course, require more research.
part 3, The Meadows 193727-Jul-1884, HISTORIC HOUSES. LOUDOUN. William C. Goodloe bought Mrs. Maria Hunt's place of 59 acres for $25,000.
17-Apr-1902, "Social and personal" The marriage of Miss Elsie Leslie Goodloe and Mr. George Delano of New Bedford, Mass., was celebrated Wednesday afternoon at Loudoun, the home of the bride's mother, Mrs. William Cassius Goodloe. It was a brilliant and beautiful wedding, perfect in detail and appointment to honor this lovely and beloved daughter of the house.
30-Dec-1921, Loudoun, home of W. C. Goodloe, sold to J. F. Bailey of Paintsville for $90,000.
7-Jul-1931, PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS. Over 2,500 persons attend dedication of Castlewood to public. Griffith's band played.
11-Dec-1935, "Fire damages old mansion in city park" A fire shortly before 2 o'clock this morning swept a section of Loudoun, the historic Goodloe home in Castlewood Park, now used as a community center, causing damage estimated by firemen at several hundred dollars.
4-Jul-1950, HISTORIC HOUSES. LOUDOUN. Photos and text by J. Winston Coleman, Jr. about Loudoun.
4-Jul-1955, Mrs. Clara Dudley Livingston, born at Loudon House in Castlewood Park, daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. William Dudley, died July 2nd at her residence in Cedar Hurst, Long Island.
27-Oct-1974, Lexington's historic Loudoun House in Castlewood Park today houses the Center for Creative Living. When it was built in 1850 by Francis K. Hunt, Loudoun was the finest house in Kentucky, costing $30,303 to erect.
23-Jun-1983, "Historic house to gain new look, new tenants" Loudoun House, a 133-year-old mansion gracing Lexington's Castlewood Park, is about to get a new look and new tenants. The Urban County Government and the Lexington Art League will spend $40,000 on renovation this year, … Afterward, the art league will use the house for studios, workshops and exhibits.
28-Apr-1984, "Two houses to decorate better than one" … But Robin and John Allen know that remodeling is definitely not in progress these days at their house at 151 Eastover Drive. As chairwoman of this year's Decorators' Showcase, Mrs. Allen spends her days working on Loudon House, the Gothic revival mansion in Castlewood Park.
9-May-1984, "Loudoun House showcase talents of area decorators" "In Lexington, Decorator's Showcases benefit the city - I especially like that. The remark came from Paul Dorsett of Cincinnati, owner of one of the 20 interior design companies that transformed Loudoun House for the Decorator's Showcase that opens in Castlewood Park.
3-May-1985, "Art league shows off new home Sunday" The Lexington Art League will show off its new home, and member artists will exhibit and sell works at the first Castlewood Arts Fair Sunday at Loudoun House.
4-Feb-1987, "Fire threatens 80-foot oak" Lexington firefighters worked for nearly three hours yesterday to save a burning 250-year-old tree in Castlewood Park. They were able to douse the flames, which were confined to the tree's hollow interior, but said another flare-up was still possible.
19-Mar-1989, GARDEN CLUB OF LEXINGTON. "Lexington group adopts ancient oak" Over a year ago, the Garden Club of Lexington's conservation committee decided instead of spending money to buy new trees for the city, it would adopt a historical tree. The tree selected is a magnificent, 400-year-old burr oak in Castlewood Park with a limb spread of 105 feet.
26-Feb-1997, ART LEAGUE, LEXINGTON. "A collage of art, artists and art lovers" …I have a feeling the folks over at The Lexington Art League knew exactly what they were doing when they reinstituted the salon, in this case, the Sunday Salon, held on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Loudoun House on Castlewood Drive….When I attended my first Sunday Salon, Nude '97 was on exhibit. What I found there was Lexingtonians of all ages taking in the sights…
17-May-2000, HISTORIC HOUSES. "Defending the castle" Loudon House, or the "castle" as it is fondly referred to in the Castlewood Park area, has been standing for almost a century and a half. And if the Castlewood Neighborhood Association has its way, the sprawling Gothic villa, one of only half a dozen ever built in the South, will be standing for another 150 years, said Shirley Hudson, treasurer of the neighborhood association.
5-Jan-2001, "Bodies by design" Cold January weather and nakedness. The two don't go together, unless you're talking about "The Nude 2001," opening tonight at Loudoun House. The annual art extravaganza, always well-attended (nearly 600 people came to last year's opening) and much talked-about, drew 950 entries from 36 states and Denmark this year, with 92 works selected for display.
27-Mar-2001, "Money coming for Loudoun House repairs" Lexington politicians remembered playing badminton and learning to ballroom dance at the historic Loudoun House in Castlewood Park. The city will match a $748,000 federal grant dollar-for-dollar in an attempt to do some massive sprucing up, Mayor Pam Miller said yesterday, flanked by a cadre of arts and community supporters. The city has owned the Loudon House since 1920s.