THOS. HUGGINS HOUSES

416-418 and 422-426 S. Mill St., Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Built 1836

Thomas Huggins, prominent merchant located at Main and Mill Streets a century ago, built these two double brick houses in 1836.

Like many other business men of that day, he calculated that the expansion of Lexington's residential section would be in this direction. Some 20 years Stephens and Winslow had sold lots in this entire section and the "boom" was just now getting well under way.

So Huggins bought three of the lots—Nos. 22, 23 and 24—respectively from Wm. A. Fowler, heir of John Fowler, Jessamine County, James L. Hickman and Stephens and Winslow.

He rented his houses until December, 1852, when he conveyed them to Francis K. Hunt, so the occupants meantime were not recorded. Huggins became involved financially (he made an assignment to John B. Wilgus and Elbin Milton in 1856 of his store) and had heavily mortgaged these houses in 1851 to Francis K. Hunt, agent for Charles Crowe "of the Kingdom of Ireland," and Joseph M. Pilkington.

Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.

Transcribed by pb, October 2006