Mary Cecil Cantrill No. 7 House, 109 Post Office Alley, Georgetown

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,105-GEOTO,4-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This single shotgun residence is an example of rental housing for African-American working-class citizens in the urban setting of a small city in Kentucky. It represents one type of housing provided by white landlords for their black tenants. The building originally stood on Main Street where it served as a commercial structure from circa to when it was moved to its present location and converted to a residence. # MARY CECIL CANTRILL #7 HOUSE HABS NO. (page 2) PART It HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History 1. Date of erection: originally built in another location in circa moved to present location in 2. Architect/Builder: unknown; relocated by Mary Cecil Cantrill or her agent. 3. Original and subsequent owners: deed, October 27, recorded in Volume 27, p. D. L. Moore to Mary C.

Cantrill deed, January 1, recorded in Volume 35, p. James E. and Mary C. Cantrill to George V. Payne, Trustee of Mary C. Cantrill. deed, November 16, recorded in Volume 54, p. W. R. Hall et al. to Trustees, Wesley Chapel M. E. Church. deed, December 28, recorded in Volume 58, p. Trustees, Wesley Chapel M.E. Church to E. B. and Bettie W. Davis. deed, August 17, recorded in Volume 72, p. Betty W. Davis et al. to Cecil and Mamie Scott. deed, August 31, recorded in Volume p. Cecil Scott to Georgetown Urban Renewal and Community Development Agency. 4. Alterations and additions: converted from commerical to residential use. B.

Historical Context: This dwelling is part of a small, turn-of-the-century African-American neighborhood comprised of a mixture of owner-occupied houses and rental properties. Its original function as a commercial structure in a Main Street location (along with the structure standing east of it) , the fact that it and its neighbor stand on the interior of the neighborhood tract on what was once rear yards for North Mulberry Street houses, and its late date of erection on the site suggest a trend among white landlords to reuse older buildings and fill in open yard space in small neighborhoods, thus creating a high density urban block and maximizing rental profits.

With the erection of this house and the house at Post Office Alley, the neighborhood attained a high density of structures, mostly used for rental purposes. Considering the neighborhood's close proximity to Georgetown's downtown, efficient use of strategically located real estate was a logical strategy for landlords seeking to maximize profits. MARY CECIL CANTRILL #7 HOUSE HABS NO. (page 3) PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: This house is classified under the property subtype of a shed-roofed single shotgun plan.

It is a one story, turn-of-the-century, vernacular frame single shotgun building with a two-bay (window-door) front, clapboard siding, concrete block foundation, and shed roof fronted by a square parapet with a dentil band beneath the wood cornice and a full shed porch on square posts. Although originally built as a commercial structure, it was converted to a residence when it was moved to its present location. The front is one-and-a-half stories in height but, owing to the angle of the shed roof, decreases to a single story in the rear rooms. Only the first floor is finished for occupancy. 1. Architectural character: This house merits recording because it is an example of a type of rental housing provided for African-American working-class families in the early century.

It is unusual in that it was originally a commercial structure that was relocated, modified and adapted to residential housing. 2. Condition of fabric: fair B. Description of Exterior: 1* Overall dimensions: 15' 4" by 43* 6", excluding front porch and exterior rear steps. 2. Foundations: concrete block 3. Walls: wood frame, dimensional lumber 4. Structural system, framing: assumed to be balloon framing. 5. Porches, stoops, balconies, bulkheads: The front porch (13 4" by 5! 3") extends across the front wall of the house. The rear entry is accessed by steps leading to the back porch (5' by which is built into the northwest corner of the building. 6. Openings: (By elevations) The front (south) is divided into two bays (window-door) . The window has a 6/6 sash.

The door is wood panelled with a square light above. The front parapet has a projecting wood cornice with a dentil band and one covered (probably louvered) vent in the frieze. A full shed porch has seamed metal roofing and square posts. MARY CECIL CANTRILL #7 HOUSE HABS NO. 0 (page 4) The rear (north) elevation is divided into two bays (window-door) , has a recessed northwest corner porch with square corner post support, a 1/1 sash, a recessed entry and a vertical 2/2 sash window. This rear area rests on a concrete block foundaton and concrete block steps lead to the recessed entry. 8. Roof and cornice s shed type; asphalt sheeting; cornice has dentil band. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: The floor plan is that of a typical shotgun of three rooms in depth.

The living room measures 14' 4" by 15 6"; the bedroom measures 14' 4" by 15' 7" and has a bathroom (7' 5" by 5* 5 in its northwest corner. Kitchen is 9' 4" by 10' 8" in dimensions. The interior of the house has been gutted of all trim and decorative features. D. Site 1. General setting and orientation: The house is located on the north side of Post Office Alley, and fronts south. 2. Historic landscape design: none 3. Outbuildings: none PART III. SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Original architectural drawings; none B- Early views: none C. Interviews: none D. Bibliography 1.

Primary and unpublished sources: Scott county deed books (see Section Ann Bolton Bevins, INVOLVEMENT OF BLACKS IN SCOTT COUNTY COMMERCE DURING THE POSTBELLUM PERIOD Manuscript on file, Kentucky Heritage Council, Frankfort, Kentucky. 2. Secondary and published sources: none known PART IV. PROJECT INFORMATION The HABS documentation of this and other buildings is being performed to comply with the requirements of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the City of Georgetown and the Kentucky H MARY CECIL CANTRILL #7 HOUSE HABS NO. (page 5) Heritage Council. The City of Georgetown received a grant to acquire these buildings in order to demolish them, owing to their poor condition and because they are unsuitable for rehabilitation and reuse.

The MOA required that the structures be documented according to HABS criteria and accepted by HABS prior to demolition. The following people and firms contributed to the documentation effort: Charlie Perkins, City Attorney, Georgetown, Kentucky John Coyle, Georgetown Housing Authority William Hamilton, Mayor*s Office, Georgetown, Kentucky Will Linder & Associates, Consultants, Inc., Berea, Kentucky Chris Amos, architectural historian, Amos & Burry, Inc., Shelbyvilie, Kentucky Ann Bolton Bevins, architectural historian, Georgetown, Kentucky Prepared by: Nancy O1Mailey Title: Research Associate in Anthropology Affiliation: University of Kentucky, Lexington Date: November 15, MARY CECIL CANTRILL #7 HOUSE 2 HABS No. (page 6) # t