PHOTOS: 1. Jameson Reed and Curtis Brock with Freedom Capital Partners, LLC, received the award for Interior Restoration for the Ashcraft House at 1206 Lee St. 2. Ashcraft House dining room before/after. 3. Ashcraft House master bedroom before/after. 4. Ashcraft House Living room before/after 5. 1308 Scott Blvd. before. 6. 1308 Scott Blvd. after. 7 1308 Scott Blvd. corbels.

COVINGTON, Ky. – To see how those with a passion for historic preservation can turn historic buildings into exciting modern uses, check out Covington’s winners in the annual Historic Preservation Excellence Awards.

Five projects were among those honored last Tuesday in a ceremony that took place during National Economic Development Week and National Preservation Month, for work completed in 2024 that demonstrated outstanding efforts to preserve, maintain, fix up and reuse historic properties.

“These winners embody the goals of preserving, protecting, and celebrating Covington’s built heritage and unique sense of place,” said Kaitlin Bryan, Historic Preservation and Regulatory Services Manager for the City.

Covington’s winners, and the category in which they won:

• Exterior Restoration-Residential: The award goes to Daisy Properties and Covert Design+Build at 1308 Scott St. This award acknowledges historic residential projects that have restored the exterior of the building in which the architect, contractor, or owner expressed exceptional care in respecting the historic fabric and/or setting of the property. These projects tend to have sufficient and intact historic materials and detailing that warrant a restoration.

The building at 1308 Scott Blvd. may have sat empty and vacant for more than 20 years. There was bulk water entering the roof and siding, and missing window sashes created a challenge for reconstruction. The roof had more than 10 layers of shingles and roofing material, causing extreme loading and bowing of the original roof rafters. Wood frame back portions for the building were entirely rotted and unsalvageable – floor joists, roof rafters and stone were completely missing. Daisy Properties and Covert Design+Build set up scaffolding for months while the roof and box gutters were rebuilt and 30 of the missing or rotten brackets were reconstructed or replicated. Historically accurate siding was installed, Windows selected were an exterior black aluminum clad with wood interior and designed to resemble the original. Energy efficient doors replaced the unsalvageable originals. Exterior paint colors were selected, inspired by regional historic paint combinations.

 

• Adaptive Re-use Residential: The award goes to Covington Digs, LLC at 519 W. 9th St. This category acknowledges the successful adaptive reuse of a residential property in the design of new and different use(s) for an existing building in which the historic materials and fabric of the property were retained and used as a prime element in the design of the project.

This building, which was once a neon sign shop, was converted to a unique single-family home. In addition to reconfiguring the façade, the contractors completely rebuilt the balloon framed walls as the property was leaning dangerously.

 

• Exterior Restoration Mixed-Use/Commercial: The award goes to Orleans Development at 401 Scott St. This category acknowledges historic mixed-use or commercial structures that have restored the exterior of the building in which the architect, contractor, or owner expressed exceptional care in respecting the historic fabric and/or setting of the property. These projects as well tend to have sufficient and intact historic materials and detailing that warrant a restoration.

401 Scott Blvd. is a cornerstone building in Covington’s downtown Historic District. Built circa 1865-66, it is a three-story Italianate style building at the southwest corner of Scott and 4th streets. With brick exterior, paired arched windows with stone surrounds, prominent cornice with paired scrolled brackets, the building is an outstanding example of the Italianate style. Historically, the building’s most notable use was as a Masonic Lodge, Covington Board of Trade and Drug stores. The building later had incarnations as home to the Center for Great Neighborhoods, an artist studio, and even a boy’s club.

Orleans Development custom built the new storefront out of wood, boral trim and insulated glass, and created custom molds to restore the disintegrated pilasters. Inside, drop ceilings revealed tin ceilings, which were not salvageable. New tin panels – approved by the Secretary of the Interior – were installed, as well as pharmacy-inspired pendants. The space is now home to Reka’s, an Italian deli/butcher that is leasing the space.

The original doors on 4th Street were restored, and are the primary entrance for the upper floor spaces. Orleans described the upstairs restoration as a true preservation effort. Hardwood floors, curved plaster walls, baseboards, and case work were refinished on the second floor. But it was the third floor that was the “main event.”

With soaring ceilings, three oversized elaborate plaster medallions, and intricate, dimensional plaster crown, stabilization was the “name of the game,” and was a challenge. The Orleans paint and drywall team worked in tandem off scaffolding to secure falling plaster. A new frame and inner medallion were built in house for chandeliers to be mounted. Windows were a “labor of love” throughout the entirety of the projects, with the majority removed and re-glazed.

 

• Adaptive Re-use Mixed-Use/Commercial: The award goes to Ryan & Kelley Arey at 1132 Banklick St. This award recognizes the successful adaptive reuse of a mixed-use or commercial property in the design of new and different use(s) for an existing building in which the historic materials and fabric of a property were retained and used as a prime element in the design of the project.

The Areys were the recipient of a façade grant from the City, which they used to help with costs of restoring the original façade of the property. They removed cinder blocks, plywood and other debris that had been used to board up the original storefront of the mixed-use building, and installed commercial store front insulated windows and doors to bring back the original beauty of the neglected property which is located on a prominent corner of a major corridor in the city. The Areys did a full prep and paint of the entire exterior. From looking at historic fire insurance maps, the building was originally set up in the popular German style of a bakery with the baker’s family apartments above. The Areys are in the process of the interior renovation and look forward to a commercial tenant moving in (maybe one offering baked goods, as homage to the building’s history).

 

• Interior Restoration: The award goes to Freedom Capital Partners, LLC for the Ashcraft House at 1206 Lee St. The award recognizes a project, either residential, mixed-use, or commercial, that demonstrates outstanding achievement in historic preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of the interior of a building.

The Ashcraft House went from an unlivable building for more than 17 years, to a luxury historical single-family residence. Freedom Capital Partners, LLC redeveloped and restored the historic property – built in the 1890s – from schematic drawings to new HVAC, electrical, plumbing, restoration of historic wooden windows, doors and trim, framing, adding Egress to basement for a bedroom, adding stairs to the basement, hot water heater, new kitchen, masonry work, restored flooring, insulation, drywall, paint, exterior brick and gutter work, fixtures and design elements, and more. The Ashcraft House is a one-and on-half story, two-bay, side-gabled brick, Italianate style structure.

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