COVINGTON, Ky. – The City of Covington is proud to recognize Orleans Development for the restoration of Landwehr Lofts at 824–828 Madison Avenue as the recipient of the 2026 Interior Restoration Award.
The Preservation Excellence Awards honor individuals and organizations whose preservation projects thoughtfully protect, restore, and adapt Covington’s historic buildings. The awards are presented each year during National Preservation Month in May and recognize projects completed between January and December 2025.
Landwehr Flats is located in the heart of Covington’s Central Business District at 824, 826, and 828 Madison Ave. Orleans Development completed the renovation and restoration of all units in 2024 in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards. The units were time capsules, adorned with mushroom wallpaper and true tongue-and-groove beadboard trim. The upper floors had been vacant for decades, while the first floor famously housed Landwehr Hardware and Toys for more than 100 years.
Orleans Development retained the original footprint of the twelve apartments with slight modifications. All of the original baseboard, casing, fireplaces, doors, and hardwood floors remain with updated mechanicals, bathrooms, and kitchens. Each fireplace hearth was lovingly restored, and all hardwood floors were refinished and repaired. A true textbook restoration project – the layouts remain largely untouched. The wood windows were either restored or replicated (wood), including the six-over-one windows on 826–828’s primary façade. The original breezeways between the buildings were also restored to allow for natural light in the rear of the building.
Upon completion, and to date, all of the units (residential and commercial) are leased. By restoring the storefronts and highlighting original architectural details, the project reestablishes the historic character of the building and strengthens the visual continuity of Madison Ave. The rehabilitation demonstrates how modest but thoughtful preservation work can have a significant impact on the block face and pedestrian streetscape, and the vitality of the surrounding historic district. Currently, the historic Landwehr sign is being restored and will be reinstalled upon completion.
Project Contributors:
- Developer: Orleans Development
- General Contractor: Orleans Development
- Windows: Dave Meyers & Tri State Windows
- Framing & Trim: Mather’s Construction
- Plumbing: TJ’s Plumbing
- Electric: Electric Masters
- HVAC: Prestige Mechanical
- Paint: We Will Paint
- Roofing: Maksim Roofing