By Kaira Simmons
Special to NKyTribune
Perhaps you’ve driven through Covington’s Licking Riverside neighborhood many times, but have you ever taken the time to stroll along tree-lined Garrard Street or admire the slate shingles and ironwork on the homes of Greenup Street? This summer, the Local History and Genealogy Department at Kenton County Public Library, in Covington, Kentucky, is presenting weekly tours that highlight the structures and stories of this historic neighborhood.
The Licking Riverside Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The district has many examples of different types of historic architecture that date from the mid-1800s to the early 20th century. The tour passes homes of the Greek Revival, Italianate, Bungalow, and eclectic Victorian vernacular styles. Over a hundred years of architectural history often mingle on a single picturesque block.
Licking Riverside has been home to many of Covington’s elite, including legislators, local political figures, doctors, and mayors. Many of the beautiful homes were also built as multifamily residences, apartments, and duplexes.
You’ll also pass the historic Covington Ladies Home at 702 Garrard Street, which was built in that location in 1894.
Education and the arts are also prominent in the neighborhoods’ history.
The Rugby, at 622 Sanford Street, began as Reverend William Orr’s Covington Female Seminary.
Founded after 1856, the large buildings at 702 Greenup Street once housed LaSalette Academy.
Down the street, the Baker Hunt campus includes the former Covington Arts Club building, and still continues the tradition of art instruction today.
Along the east side of the campus, a small building facing Sanford Street was once home to the Covington Natural History Museum, commissioned by Margaretta W. Hunt in the 1920s.
To hear more about these stories and others, join a tour group on Wednesday mornings 10-11 a.m. through the end of September.
Tours depart from the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Kenton County Public Library at 502 Scott Boulevard, Covington.
Bring a comfortable pair of shoes and an umbrella if needed, as tours are rain or shine. Please call (895) 962–4060 if you have any questions.
Kaira Simmons is Library Associate in the Local History and Genealogy Department at the Kenton County Public Library in Covington.