JOHN LOWMAN HOUSE

316 W. High St., Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Built 1808

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

John Lowman, "Rope-Maker, High St." (1818 Directory) already had built his home here and had been occupying it two years before the Joseph H. Hawkins' House next door was built. Lowman bought a 66-foot lot from David Dodge June 11, 1808, and erected a substantial brick house on it.

In 1816, Lowman and wife Mary, sold this house for $4,100 to Major Wm. S. Dallam and removed to High and Spring Streets, where he was listed in the 1818 Directory. Major Dallam had a confirmatory deed recorded in 1821.

Lowman's original house has had the east wing added (note the seam next to the door--the original house extends back considerably).

Major Dallam and wife, Letitia P., sold the house in October, 1830 (suit Metcalfe vs Dallam, 1828) to Henry Clay, only acting executor of the estate of Col. James Morrison. The property fronted "four poles on Hill St." between the lot owned by Thos. C. O'Rear and the lot owned and occupied by Samuel Pilkington. This deed shows a lengthy chain of title--John Smith to Amos Farrar to Melcher Myers to George Heytel to David Dodge (February 29, 1804) to John Lowman to Wm. S. Dallam. The records from Smith to Farrar to Myers had been burned in the Clerk's office fire in 1803, the deed stated.

Henry Clay conveyed the house in 1833 to Mary Jane Pilkington, stating that he had sold it May 23, 1831, to Samuel Pilkington, "now deceased" and that the latter had willed it to Mary Jane Pilkington

Samuel Pilkington, prominent merchant, died in April, 1833, and bequeathed: "To my daughter, Mary Jane, my house and lot on Hill Street, occupied at present by William Anderson. To my son, Samuel, my house and lot on Hill Street my present residence" (at the Southwest corner of Mill St.) "and my outlot of 20 acres, part of Ridgely's old Farm. To my son, Joseph, my house and lot on Main St." (Southeast corner of Mill St.) "occupied as a Grocery" (which he had bought from the Trotters in 1829) "adjoining the store of Elisha I. Winter." He willed $10,000 to each of his children and his wife, Catherine, the latter to have the use of his dwelling, farm and slaves during her natural life. To Thomas Huggins, "friend and executor," he gave $600 for settling the estate.

In 1838 there were only three houses in this block, deeds and the directory for that year show. They were the "Thomas Wallace House" (owned and occupied by the Pilkingtons), the "John Lowman House" (occupied by James C. Butler, of Porter & Butler, hardware merchants, corner Main St. and Cheapside) and the "Joseph H. Hawkins House" (occupied by Thos. C. O'Rear, of O'Rear and Berkley, dry goods merchants, Main St., between Mill and Broadway). Thomas Huggins succeeded Pilkington in his wholesale and retail grocery and resided in half of the double house of the Pilkingtons.

The next conveyance of the Lowman house was in January, 1851, to John H. Hanley, of Jessamine County, Ky., from Charles Crowe and wife, Mary Jane (Pilkington) of Fermanagh County, "Kingdom of Ireland." Hanley and his wife, Margaret, sold the house in 1852 to William Reordan, and ten years later Mary Reordan (Wm. Reordan heirs) conveyed it to Joseph Hoeing.

The elder generation of today refer to it as "the home of Professor Hoeing" as he resided there for several years.

Transcribed by Pam Brinegar, June 2000