Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-10-11
WAVE OF PROSPERITY.
1T is SWEEPING OVER HoPklNSvlLtE
WITH RESiSTLESS FORCE.
Old Landmarks disappearing and New
Buildings Going Up-The Old Mont
gomery Mansion-SeveralN New
warehouses-A Whole
sale Grocery,

M\NE by one the old landmarks of
y the early Hopkinsville are dis
appearing, and soon there will re-
main nothing to remind the old in
habitant of the town in which he was
born. The workmen are now en-
gagged in tearing down the old Mont
gomery house, which was in its day
the finest house in Hopkinsville. 1t
is situated on Main street, between
10th and 18th, and for many years
has been used for Offices for tobacco
men. The house was built by DIR.
Montgomery in 1S47 at cost Of $lO,-
600. 1t is, including a basement
story, three stories high. Wide stone
steps lead up to the main hallway in
the second story. This hall is very
wide and roomy, and in the rear end
steps lead above and below to the
other floors. On either side there
were two large rooms connected by
partition doors. This arrangement
was the same in the upper story,
making eight large rooms, besides
the rooms in the basement and the
two immense halls. In front the por-
tico was supported by Ionic columns
as big around as large barrel and
corrugated from top to bottom. OF
late years the white paint has worn
off these silent sentinels of a past
age of architecture, and they have
appeared as wooden eyesores, used
for whiting posts by those Longing
about them. 1t is said the building
of this mansion, which originally &C.
cupied the whole square, broke DIR.
Montgomery. AT any rate the prop
erty passed into other hands and af-
ter being put to various uses was pur-
chased by Buckner & Woodbridge
and converted into warehouse. The
entire square, 50 feet back from Main,
was covered with the warehouse,
leaving the old house in front, fanked
by the wooden gables of the brick
warehouse behind. In the old resi-
dence Ragsdale, Cooper & Co., who
succeeded Buckner & Woodbridge in
its ownership, have had their Offices
and several commission men have
used the rooms above from time to
time. For four or five years the
house has been the polling place fol
district No. 4, aud it was last used
for this purpose on October LIST, when
the registration was held, The work
of tearing away the walls is now well
under way. The brick are being
cleaned off and will be used in the
new business block to take its place.
The stone lintels and window sIlls
will also be used on the sides, but
when the new building is completed
there will be nothing else to remind
the passer-by of the stately old man
sion that was a palace in its day,
nearly half century ago. In the
yard Just north of the doorway there
were several trees planted about the
time the house was built. One of
these was an elm, which was nearly
four feet in diameter and lowered far
above the tallest buildings. 1t has
been taken down and the work of
digging up the stump is one Of the
most serious problems that will con-
front the contractor, Mr.. Dunnavant
The great trunk of the tree was sawed
into meat blocks and several parties
were supplied with these enormous
souvenirs. The contract calls for
the new block to be completed by
Dec. 25, and the work is being pushed
with all dispatch. The old familiar
building will soon exist only in the
memories of the defendants of those
who stood by and watched it rise in
its grandeur and its imposing proper
tionc