W. High St., Lexington, Fayette
County, Kentucky
Built Before 1815
Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.
This house, where the Christian Church (now Central Christian Church) came into being, dates back more than 125 years. It originally was the spinning house of Wm. Todd's cotton factory, mentioned proudly in the 1806 Directory.
Daniel Bradford, Auctioneer, advertised in the Kentucky Gazette July 10, 1815, an auction of real estate to be held July 15. After describing lots and log houses on the west side of Limestone St. between High and Vine, to be offered, Bradford advertised:
"And immediately thereafter will be sold the large Brick Building lately occupied as a spinning house by William Todd on High Street. The lot is 48 feet front and 100 feet back. The house is 43 x 24 1/2 feet two stories high and excellent cellar. Also, lot of ground adjoining 23 feet same distance back."
The house was bought by Rolla Blue, Wm. Gist, Solomon Walker and James Pollock, "free men of color, " evidently for their church. Col. Richard M. Johnson ("Old Tecumseh") wanted the property, so he traded Rolla Blue et al, a building at the north-west corner of Limestone and Maxwell for their property in 1820.
The Bank of Kentucky acquired it from Col. Johnson and sold it in June, 1828, to David Cassell, Benj. Cassell and Phillip Coffman, Trustees of the Christian Church at Lexington. Back of it, on Vine Street, the deeds mentioned a stone building used for a school. This old stone building was the first free school in Lexington, having been established by a Bible Society before 1820.
The famous Judge Jesse Bledsoe, who went into the ministry, preached the dedicatory sermon on the opening of the church in 1831.
The Christian Church removed to Main St. (where the Union Station now stands) and sold this property to John Cromwell in January, 1842--or rather exchanged it for the "lot adjoining the residence of Gen. Leslie Combs on Main St."
Chief Justice George Robertson, who resided in "Rokeby Hall" across the street, purchased the house from Cromwell in May, 1844, and converted it into a double residence, just as it is today.
In April, 1864, he conveyed to Mrs. Nancy Cartwright "half of my brick house on High St. opposite my homestead, being the house lately occupied by my son, A.H. Robertson" (Alex H. Robertson, attorney and City Judge). On the same day he sold to Solomon Loevenhart "the eastern half....opposite to the front gate of our homestead," the latter deeded by himself and wife, Eleanor Robertson.
Transcribed by pb April 2003