Christine asked about the red house in the background of the photos in my recent posts.
The small red house right next to the alley was originally the summer kitchen for the big house that is, from this vantage point, behind it. That summer kitchen is now a bed & breakfast operated by my neighbors who live in the big red house. This isn't the best view of the big red house...which looks like this from the front:
Sheesh, that's a gorgeous hunk of house, isn't it?! It was built in 1854 by Marquis Withers. Our entire neighborhood (South Street and Franklin Street from roughly 13th to 20th) is the Old Neighborhoods National Register Historic District, one of four historic districts in Lexington, Missouri. The other three are Wentworth Military Academy, the Highland Avenue neighborhood, and our downtown commercial district. Some of the houses in the District are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and I believe this one is. I wrote about the history of the Withers House
here and
here in detail, but long story short, the land where my house is now used to be the Withers' small orchard. The Kellys bought the lot my house was later built on and the lot next to it from the Withers family.
My neighborhood is full of beautiful old houses, and I love looking at them as Libbi and I take our morning walks. Maybe I should take my camera with me next time. What do you think? Would you like to see more photos of the houses in my neighborhood?
