Truman-Miller-Richard House: The Blackley Years & Beyond
The Truman-Miller-Richard House in 1989, after the Richards made extensive changes to its exterior. Photo by Carolyn Brooks.
Prohibition-Era Hideout: The Caperton Caper
The house changed hands several times within a decade after Henrietta Miller sold it. One of the owners was Charles McDevitt, who used it as a country home, leaving it in the hands of black caretaker Frank Walker during the winter.
Two years after Prohibition began, the house was briefly used as a hideout and stash spot by a robbery ring involved with an armed heist at the Upper River Road estate of John Hays Caperton. Caperton, a wealthy Louisville capitalist, got his start as a messenger and later a teller at the Savings Bank of Louisville -- the very same bank brought down by embezzler Jonas Rhorer of the Locust in 1880. He ended up in the real estate business. Ironically enough, it was Rhorer's personal speculation in real estate that brought Caperton's banking career to a screeching halt.
A story about the robbery ran in the March 25, 1922 Courier-Journal:
BAND'S LOOT IS
$10,000 IN RUM
____________________
$2,500 Reward Is Offered
For Bandits Raiding Caperton
River Road Home
__________________________
50 CASES OF LIQUOR TAKEN
________________________
Masked Gang of 15 Clubs
Watchman and Duels With
Barricaded Caretaker
__________________________
A reward of $2,500 will be paid for the arrest and conviction of at least three of the masked bandits who, early yesterday, overpowered the night watchman and escaped with more than fifty cases of whiskey and a quantity of fine wines and champagne from Rio Vista, the country home of J.H. Caperton on Upper River Road. Mayor Hustin Quinn announced the reward yesterday afternoon.
As in the robbery of the store at H.P. Selman & Company (editor's note: this was a high-end ladies and children's store located in the Atherton Building where Meidinger Tower now stands), the robbers were familiar with the Caperton home and the duties of the night watchman Vernon Hikes ...
... Hikes was making the 1:30 o'clock rounds when he was struck from behind. Three men were standing over him when he opened his eyes. He saw one of them signal with a light.
Masked Men in Trucks
Almost instantly he heard the whir of motors, and a few seconds later saw three trucks stop at the home.
Between twelve and fifteen men, all masked and armed, alighted. The night watchman soon learned that one man was in charge.
His commands were carried out promptly and accurately. Several of the robbers were assigned to cut all telephone wires, while others attacked the door leading to the wine cellar.
One of the night watchman's guards sought to find the location of a safe, which is believed to contain valuable jewelry.
They knew Mr. Caperton and his family were in Florida, and they made no attempt to work quietly. The night watchman denied knowing the location of the safe. He was struck on the head. He was asked again and struck when he repeated his answer. The safe, built in a wall, was not found by the robbers.
Ordered Caretaker Out
After cutting the wires and binding the watchman, two of the burglars saw to it that the watchman's alarm clocks were turned on time. It was while walking around that they heard Garnet Taylor, negro gardener, his wife and children moving about in their quarters over the garage.
Taylor was commanded to "come out."
He fired a shot through the window. It was answered almost immediately with a bullet. Taylor held an advantageous position, and no attempt was made to capture him. But an armed guard was placed about the garage with orders to "shoot if any head pops out."
Meanwhile the robbers had forced open the door leading to the cellar and all of the thieves not on guard duty, prepared for a feast of wine, whisky and champagne.
Liberal With Drinks
"Anything you want is yours for the asking," the head bandit said, "but," he commanded, "do not get drunk."
Hikes, the night watchman, was taken to the circle of thieves and forced to drink.
"It's all right," one of his guards assured him. "I met Mr. Caperton in Florida, and he was telling me of the good liquor in his cellar."
At a command from the leader the robbers loaded the three trucks with liquor, which is valued at more than $10,000, it was said. When this was done, the night watchman was bound and gagged, and the leader looked over the trucks to see that all men were present.
The cars drove away. The negro gardener listened until the sound died away, then went to Hikes' assistance. He found a telephone which had not been put out of order, and notified the police.
It was believed the trucks started for the city, but no trace of them has been found by the police.
Photo of the Truman-Miller-Richard House in 1922, when it was owned by Charles McDevitt. From the March 27, 1922 Courier-Journal story about the capture of some of the bandits who had robbed J.H. Caperton's estate just days before.
A few days later, some of the bandits were captured and part of the stolen goods recovered at Charles McDevitt's country home in Pewee Valley. The capture was front page news in the March 27, 1922 Courier-Journal:
CAPERTON RUM
FOUND AND SIX
ARE ARRESTED
___________________
Liquor Stolen by Bandits
Is Recovered in House
At Pewee Valley
____________________
PLACE CLOSELY GUARDED
___________________________
Abandoned Truck Clew That
Leads County Officers to
Cache; City Police Aid
Raindrops beating on the roof deadened the sound of their footfalls as county policemen early yesterday crept to the second floor of a country residence near Pewee Valley, the property, it is said, of Charles McDevitt.
They found two men -- alleged bandit guards -- asleep in separate rooms. Near both beds, on the floor, pistols and other firearms were piled. But the men dared not reach for them.
It is alleged the residence was the rendezvous of the armed band who early Friday robbed the wine cellar at Rio Vista, the country home of John H. Caperton. Fine liquors, said to be taken from Rio Vista, were found in the basement.
Six of the alleged bandits were arrested yesterday, one before and three after the McDevitt house was raided. Another -- the alleged leader or "big man" -- is being sought.
Prisoners Face Four Charges
The prisoners, some of whom are regarded by police as desperate characters, are charged with grand larceny, housebreaking, violating the prohibition law and robbery.
They are:
Patrick Shea, 35 years old, former guard at the County Jail, former prohibition guard, and former bartender for John (Jack) McDevitt ... caught asleep.
Frank J. End, 32..., cabinet maker; confessed, implicating others; caught asleep.
Herbert McAllister ... alleged safeblower; arrested at Louisville -- Old Inn Hotel.
J.W. Tracy ... arrested with McAllister, his partner. Both had tickets for Cincinnati.
George Murphy ... Arrested at home.
Miller Wilhoite .... Pewee Valley carpenter, alleged "outside guard" for sleeping men at McDevitt house.
An abandoned automobile truck, the property of Fred Nord ... was found several hours after the robbery on the Crestwood Road, two miles from Pewee Valley, near the county line of Jefferson and Oldham Counties.
Midnight Revelry Heard
This first clew was strengthened by reports of neighbors that midnight revelry was a common occurrence at the "untenanted" McDevitt house.
Another clew was the finding of Sam Levy's automobile, which had been stolen, a half mile from the house.
Plans were laid by the city and county policemen to trap as many of the alleged bandits as possible.
Weather conditions were ideal Saturday night, and at 8 o'clock the home was surrounded by Capt. Harry D. Kendall of the county police, Edward Malone, county patrolman; Zachary Osborne, town marshal of Anchorage; Matt Cassidy, Oldham County constable; and Sam Barrickman, deputy sheriff of Oldham County.
Guard Patroled Road
It was ordered that the residence -- one of the nicest in the neighborhood -- should not be "rushed."
And so, with fingers on rifle triggers, the officers waited in ambush. But it was not a lonesome task.
Wilhoite, the alleged "outside guard," is said to have been patrolling the road in an automobile. Something he saw aroused his suspicions, it is believed. He drove to and fro on the road, but understood what it would mean, probably, to reach the residence.
As if in league with the officers, rain began falling ... Willhoite, it is charged, became desperate. He is said to have driven to a telephone, where he called for the McDevitt home.
The telephone had been removed, he was told.
Drove Into Fence
As a last resort, according to the officers, Wilhoite drove at a rapid speed along the road and crashed into the fence in front of the house in what was said to be an attempt to rouse the two "inside guards."
The ruse failed. Wheels on the automobile were still turning when Wilhoite saw he was facing three men with rifles.
"If you shout," he was warned, "make it a loud one. It will be the last time." Wilhoite did not answer.
A key to the front door was obtained from a negro, whose name was withheld, and four of the policemen opened the door quietly.
Guards Found Asleep
And as silently they searched the first floor before ascending to the second. Their fingers did not leave the triggers, and always the weapons were held before them, sweeping about like a flashlight.
Heavy breathing was heard through one door of the second floor, and similar sounds came from another. Two of the officers went into each of the rooms. The result was identical.
The alleged guards were sleeping soundly. Weapons, placed on chairs near the beds within easy reach of the sleepers, were placed in the piles of firearms on the floors.
But the officers were not so gentle in arousing the men. It was what they called a "rude awakening," accomplished with taps from pistols. Both men awoke fully.
Dived for Shotgun
Each of the men, Shea and End, were taken downstairs after having been searched. As they reached the back porch, one of the men dived head foremost for one of the two sawed off shotguns leaning against pillars.
The officers did not know the shotguns were on the porch, but one of them seemed to be waiting for such a move. He held a large pistol in his right hand.
"Go on," he said in an even voice. "Pick 'er up."
The shotgun was not touched.
A search in the basement revealed thirty-five or more cases of vermouth, burgundy, Italian wines, gin and champagne, said to be the property of Mr. Caperton.
A truck which had been stolen from Harbison & Gathright, automobile dealers, was found in a barn near the McDevitt home, according to police. They believe it was one of the trucks used in carrying liquor from the Caperton wine cellar ...
CAPERTON RUM
FOUND AND SIX
ARE ARRESTED
___________________
Liquor Stolen by Bandits
Is Recovered in House
At Pewee Valley
____________________
PLACE CLOSELY GUARDED
___________________________
Abandoned Truck Clew That
Leads County Officers to
Cache; City Police Aid
Raindrops beating on the roof deadened the sound of their footfalls as county policemen early yesterday crept to the second floor of a country residence near Pewee Valley, the property, it is said, of Charles McDevitt.
They found two men -- alleged bandit guards -- asleep in separate rooms. Near both beds, on the floor, pistols and other firearms were piled. But the men dared not reach for them.
It is alleged the residence was the rendezvous of the armed band who early Friday robbed the wine cellar at Rio Vista, the country home of John H. Caperton. Fine liquors, said to be taken from Rio Vista, were found in the basement.
Six of the alleged bandits were arrested yesterday, one before and three after the McDevitt house was raided. Another -- the alleged leader or "big man" -- is being sought.
Prisoners Face Four Charges
The prisoners, some of whom are regarded by police as desperate characters, are charged with grand larceny, housebreaking, violating the prohibition law and robbery.
They are:
Patrick Shea, 35 years old, former guard at the County Jail, former prohibition guard, and former bartender for John (Jack) McDevitt ... caught asleep.
Frank J. End, 32..., cabinet maker; confessed, implicating others; caught asleep.
Herbert McAllister ... alleged safeblower; arrested at Louisville -- Old Inn Hotel.
J.W. Tracy ... arrested with McAllister, his partner. Both had tickets for Cincinnati.
George Murphy ... Arrested at home.
Miller Wilhoite .... Pewee Valley carpenter, alleged "outside guard" for sleeping men at McDevitt house.
An abandoned automobile truck, the property of Fred Nord ... was found several hours after the robbery on the Crestwood Road, two miles from Pewee Valley, near the county line of Jefferson and Oldham Counties.
Midnight Revelry Heard
This first clew was strengthened by reports of neighbors that midnight revelry was a common occurrence at the "untenanted" McDevitt house.
Another clew was the finding of Sam Levy's automobile, which had been stolen, a half mile from the house.
Plans were laid by the city and county policemen to trap as many of the alleged bandits as possible.
Weather conditions were ideal Saturday night, and at 8 o'clock the home was surrounded by Capt. Harry D. Kendall of the county police, Edward Malone, county patrolman; Zachary Osborne, town marshal of Anchorage; Matt Cassidy, Oldham County constable; and Sam Barrickman, deputy sheriff of Oldham County.
Guard Patroled Road
It was ordered that the residence -- one of the nicest in the neighborhood -- should not be "rushed."
And so, with fingers on rifle triggers, the officers waited in ambush. But it was not a lonesome task.
Wilhoite, the alleged "outside guard," is said to have been patrolling the road in an automobile. Something he saw aroused his suspicions, it is believed. He drove to and fro on the road, but understood what it would mean, probably, to reach the residence.
As if in league with the officers, rain began falling ... Willhoite, it is charged, became desperate. He is said to have driven to a telephone, where he called for the McDevitt home.
The telephone had been removed, he was told.
Drove Into Fence
As a last resort, according to the officers, Wilhoite drove at a rapid speed along the road and crashed into the fence in front of the house in what was said to be an attempt to rouse the two "inside guards."
The ruse failed. Wheels on the automobile were still turning when Wilhoite saw he was facing three men with rifles.
"If you shout," he was warned, "make it a loud one. It will be the last time." Wilhoite did not answer.
A key to the front door was obtained from a negro, whose name was withheld, and four of the policemen opened the door quietly.
Guards Found Asleep
And as silently they searched the first floor before ascending to the second. Their fingers did not leave the triggers, and always the weapons were held before them, sweeping about like a flashlight.
Heavy breathing was heard through one door of the second floor, and similar sounds came from another. Two of the officers went into each of the rooms. The result was identical.
The alleged guards were sleeping soundly. Weapons, placed on chairs near the beds within easy reach of the sleepers, were placed in the piles of firearms on the floors.
But the officers were not so gentle in arousing the men. It was what they called a "rude awakening," accomplished with taps from pistols. Both men awoke fully.
Dived for Shotgun
Each of the men, Shea and End, were taken downstairs after having been searched. As they reached the back porch, one of the men dived head foremost for one of the two sawed off shotguns leaning against pillars.
The officers did not know the shotguns were on the porch, but one of them seemed to be waiting for such a move. He held a large pistol in his right hand.
"Go on," he said in an even voice. "Pick 'er up."
The shotgun was not touched.
A search in the basement revealed thirty-five or more cases of vermouth, burgundy, Italian wines, gin and champagne, said to be the property of Mr. Caperton.
A truck which had been stolen from Harbison & Gathright, automobile dealers, was found in a barn near the McDevitt home, according to police. They believe it was one of the trucks used in carrying liquor from the Caperton wine cellar ...
Stolen liquor found in the basement of the McDevitt home in Pewee Valley. From the March 22, 1922 Courier-Journal.
While hardened criminals Tracy, McAllister and Murphy kept mum, a few of the younger, inexperienced gang members broke down under police questioning and sang like canaries, leading to more arrests, including that of 19-year-old Louis Bolander. Bolander, an employee of the American Protection Company, had the expertise required to disconnect burglar alarms without alerting the security firm and was "a pawn in the hands of more experienced criminals," according to newspaper reports.
The ring was eventually tied to a string of unsolved Louisville robberies, including two at the home of Bernard Bernheim, one at the home of Oscar Fenley, and a holdup at the Gulf Refining Company, as well as the Caperton theft. Tracey and McAllister, along with their wives, had also been previously indicted for robbing the Louisville home of Mrs. Anna Campbell McCoy in December, 1921.
Peweean Miller Wilhoite was eventually cleared of wrongdoing and released. According to the March 31 and April 7, 1922 Courier-Journal, Wilhoite was a "correspondence school detective" and was independently investigating the mystery of the night lights burning at the McDevitt home with his friend T.P. Reagan when he was caught up in the raid. It was Reagan who was driving the car that accidentally crashed into the fence. Oldham County Constable J.N. Cassady also credited Wilhoite with being the first to discover liquor at the McDevitt house, making him eligible for the $2,500 reward money.
Frank Walker, the caretaker of the McDevitt estate, temporarily landed himself in hot water when he refused to testify against Tracy, McAllister and Murphy. The April 22, 1922 Courier-Journal reported:
NEGRO WITNESS IN
ROBBERY IS INDICTED
_________________________
He Refused to Testify In
Theft of Caperton
Rum. Charge.
Frank Walker, negro caretaker at the home of Charles F. McDevitt at Pewee Valley, was charged with contempt of court in an indictment returned by the grand jury, and a bench warrant was sent immediately to the Sheriff of Oldham County for the arrest of Walker.
The negro was served Thursday with a subpoena to appear Monday at Criminal Court as a witness against J.W. Tracy, Herbert McAllister and George Murphy, three of the alleged bandits who are charged with robbing the country home of John H. Caperton and storing the stolen liquor in the McDevitt home.
It was alleged in the indictment that after Walker was served, he told Sam Barrickman, Deputy Sheriff of Oldham County, that he would not come to Louisville to appear as a witness ...
However, Walker did appear at the trial and willingly testified on April 24. The next day's Courier-Journal covered his testimony:
... Frank Walker, negro caretaker at the McDevitt home, testified that McDevitt was at the home two days prior to the robbery and told him he had rented the place to persons who would arrive at night to store goods in the cellar.
No one arrived that or the next night, Walker said, but between 4 and 5 o'clock on the morning of the third day he testified a truck drove into the yard and unloaded in the rear. It was taken away before he had time to dress, the negro declared.
In a short time, however, he said it returned with another load. He identified Tracy as being one of the men who helped unload the truck. Tracy, he declared, seemed to be in charge.
McDevitt and Shea were present when the truck was unloaded, the negro said.
It was two days later before Walker said he learned of the whisky robbery. Then he saw photographs in the newspapers of Tracy, McAllister, Murphy, Bollander and End whom he readily recognized as the men who had brought liquor to the McDevitt home.
An indictment charging him with contempt was dismissed as soon as the negro completed his testimony. He said he was "joking" when he said he would not testify ...
The ring was eventually tied to a string of unsolved Louisville robberies, including two at the home of Bernard Bernheim, one at the home of Oscar Fenley, and a holdup at the Gulf Refining Company, as well as the Caperton theft. Tracey and McAllister, along with their wives, had also been previously indicted for robbing the Louisville home of Mrs. Anna Campbell McCoy in December, 1921.
Peweean Miller Wilhoite was eventually cleared of wrongdoing and released. According to the March 31 and April 7, 1922 Courier-Journal, Wilhoite was a "correspondence school detective" and was independently investigating the mystery of the night lights burning at the McDevitt home with his friend T.P. Reagan when he was caught up in the raid. It was Reagan who was driving the car that accidentally crashed into the fence. Oldham County Constable J.N. Cassady also credited Wilhoite with being the first to discover liquor at the McDevitt house, making him eligible for the $2,500 reward money.
Frank Walker, the caretaker of the McDevitt estate, temporarily landed himself in hot water when he refused to testify against Tracy, McAllister and Murphy. The April 22, 1922 Courier-Journal reported:
NEGRO WITNESS IN
ROBBERY IS INDICTED
_________________________
He Refused to Testify In
Theft of Caperton
Rum. Charge.
Frank Walker, negro caretaker at the home of Charles F. McDevitt at Pewee Valley, was charged with contempt of court in an indictment returned by the grand jury, and a bench warrant was sent immediately to the Sheriff of Oldham County for the arrest of Walker.
The negro was served Thursday with a subpoena to appear Monday at Criminal Court as a witness against J.W. Tracy, Herbert McAllister and George Murphy, three of the alleged bandits who are charged with robbing the country home of John H. Caperton and storing the stolen liquor in the McDevitt home.
It was alleged in the indictment that after Walker was served, he told Sam Barrickman, Deputy Sheriff of Oldham County, that he would not come to Louisville to appear as a witness ...
However, Walker did appear at the trial and willingly testified on April 24. The next day's Courier-Journal covered his testimony:
... Frank Walker, negro caretaker at the McDevitt home, testified that McDevitt was at the home two days prior to the robbery and told him he had rented the place to persons who would arrive at night to store goods in the cellar.
No one arrived that or the next night, Walker said, but between 4 and 5 o'clock on the morning of the third day he testified a truck drove into the yard and unloaded in the rear. It was taken away before he had time to dress, the negro declared.
In a short time, however, he said it returned with another load. He identified Tracy as being one of the men who helped unload the truck. Tracy, he declared, seemed to be in charge.
McDevitt and Shea were present when the truck was unloaded, the negro said.
It was two days later before Walker said he learned of the whisky robbery. Then he saw photographs in the newspapers of Tracy, McAllister, Murphy, Bollander and End whom he readily recognized as the men who had brought liquor to the McDevitt home.
An indictment charging him with contempt was dismissed as soon as the negro completed his testimony. He said he was "joking" when he said he would not testify ...
Charles McDevitt was also indicted, but for the much more serious charges of receiving stolen property and conspiring to violate the prohibition law. The October 27, 1922 Courier-Journal reported on his first trial:
PROMINENT MAN
TRIED FOR THEFT
____________________________
Charles F. McDevitt, Louis-
ville, Accused of Receiv-
ing Stolen Liquor
LAGRANGE, Ky., Oct. 27 (By A.P.) -- Charles F. McDevitt, 30, member of a prominent Louisville family, went on trial before Circuit Judge J. C. Marshall on a charge of receiving stolen property here today.
The charge grows out of the theft of 250 cases of liquors March 24, from Rio Vista, the country estate of John H. Caperton, and the subsequent recovery of much of it at McDevitt's country home in Pewee Valley.
He is also under a blanket indictment in Oldham County on a charge of conspiring to violate the prohibition law. Jointly indicted with him under this charge are Patrick Shea, 35, former deputy jailer; Herbert McAllister, George Murphy and J. Walter Tracy. The latter three have been sentenced to the penitentiary in Jefferson County and will not be brought before this court.
The defendant has a host of attorneys. His counsel includes Robert T. Crowe, former speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives; William J. Crowe, Clem Huggins and R.C. Oldham, Louisville. James P. Reedy, life long friend of the McDevitt family, not regularly employed in the case, is here to give assistance.
PROMINENT MAN
TRIED FOR THEFT
____________________________
Charles F. McDevitt, Louis-
ville, Accused of Receiv-
ing Stolen Liquor
LAGRANGE, Ky., Oct. 27 (By A.P.) -- Charles F. McDevitt, 30, member of a prominent Louisville family, went on trial before Circuit Judge J. C. Marshall on a charge of receiving stolen property here today.
The charge grows out of the theft of 250 cases of liquors March 24, from Rio Vista, the country estate of John H. Caperton, and the subsequent recovery of much of it at McDevitt's country home in Pewee Valley.
He is also under a blanket indictment in Oldham County on a charge of conspiring to violate the prohibition law. Jointly indicted with him under this charge are Patrick Shea, 35, former deputy jailer; Herbert McAllister, George Murphy and J. Walter Tracy. The latter three have been sentenced to the penitentiary in Jefferson County and will not be brought before this court.
The defendant has a host of attorneys. His counsel includes Robert T. Crowe, former speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives; William J. Crowe, Clem Huggins and R.C. Oldham, Louisville. James P. Reedy, life long friend of the McDevitt family, not regularly employed in the case, is here to give assistance.
That trial resulted in a hung jury, despite the testimony of Frank End, one of the robbers caught at the house when it was raided. End testified that McDevitt met the robbers at his Pewee Valley home the night of the crime and gave instructions to Frank Walker to open the cellar to receive the stolen liquor. He also said that McDevitt asked, "What do I get on the split?"
However, the judge in the case instructed the jurors that they could not convict on the testimony of an alleged accomplice unless corroborated by other witnesses. Plus, the defense brought in a parade of locally-prominent men to testify on McDevitt's behalf, including former Judge Harry Robinson of Louisville; former Louisville Chief of Police H. Watson Lindsey; former Louisville Circuit Court Clerk Frank Dugan; former Jefferson County Sheriff Charles J. Cronan; former State Senators Sam Robertson and Charles H. Knight; former State Representative William Duffy; former Prosecuting Attorney of Jefferson County Joseph M. Huffaker; former Mayor of Louisville John H. Buschmeyer; State Senator William A. Perry; Secretary of the Democratic City and County Committee James Fahey; and James B. Brown, president of the National Bank of Kentucky.
However, the judge in the case instructed the jurors that they could not convict on the testimony of an alleged accomplice unless corroborated by other witnesses. Plus, the defense brought in a parade of locally-prominent men to testify on McDevitt's behalf, including former Judge Harry Robinson of Louisville; former Louisville Chief of Police H. Watson Lindsey; former Louisville Circuit Court Clerk Frank Dugan; former Jefferson County Sheriff Charles J. Cronan; former State Senators Sam Robertson and Charles H. Knight; former State Representative William Duffy; former Prosecuting Attorney of Jefferson County Joseph M. Huffaker; former Mayor of Louisville John H. Buschmeyer; State Senator William A. Perry; Secretary of the Democratic City and County Committee James Fahey; and James B. Brown, president of the National Bank of Kentucky.
McDevitt was also in danger of losing his Pewee Valley property -- valued at about $15,000 at the time or about $217,000 in today's dollars -- for conspiring to violate the prohibition law. On February 26, 1923, the Oldham County Circuit Court fined McDevitt $300 and Shea $200 on the conspiracy rap, and dismissed the indictments against McDevitt for receipt of stolen property.
All of which just goes to prove that if you have enough money and political clout, you can get away with almost anything.
The Blackley Years: 1923-1941
Ophelia Winston Blackley, ca. 1925. Courtesy of her grandson, Winston Blackley.
In March 1923, the Blackleys purchased the 10-acre property and owned it for the next 18 years.
G.T. (George Taylor) and his wife, Ophelia, had lived in Pewee Valley previously, but lost their home, Undulata, during the Kentucky Confederate Home fire on March 25, 1920, when sparks from the raging inferno nearby ignited their roof. According to newspaper reports, most of their furniture was saved, but their house, which dated back to the early 1850s, was destroyed. Their grandson, Winston Blackley, still has in his possession an antique gilt mirror that once hung in Undulata. Where the family lived the three years after the fire, before they purchased the Truman-Miller-Richard House, is unknown.
Ophelia died on February 8, 1936 at Kentucky Baptist Hospital. Surprisingly, considering the fact that he was 14 years her senior, G.T. outlived Ophelia. He died on October 13, 1938 while staying at his daughter French's home in Lexington, Va. A brief obituary ran in the Courier-Journal on October 20:
G.T. Blackley, 89, Pewee Valley, a retired tobacco warehouse operator, died Tuesday at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Stewart W. Anderson, Lexington, Va. Besides Mrs. Anderson, he is survived by another daughter, Miss Nannie Winston Blackley, and a son, James N. Blackley, Memphis, Tenn.
G.T.'s will is on file at the Oldham County Courthouse in LaGrange, Ky. The will was written just five days before he died. Thanks to Oldham County Clerk Julie K. Barr for providing the Pewee Valley Historical Society with a copy:
G.T. (George Taylor) and his wife, Ophelia, had lived in Pewee Valley previously, but lost their home, Undulata, during the Kentucky Confederate Home fire on March 25, 1920, when sparks from the raging inferno nearby ignited their roof. According to newspaper reports, most of their furniture was saved, but their house, which dated back to the early 1850s, was destroyed. Their grandson, Winston Blackley, still has in his possession an antique gilt mirror that once hung in Undulata. Where the family lived the three years after the fire, before they purchased the Truman-Miller-Richard House, is unknown.
Ophelia died on February 8, 1936 at Kentucky Baptist Hospital. Surprisingly, considering the fact that he was 14 years her senior, G.T. outlived Ophelia. He died on October 13, 1938 while staying at his daughter French's home in Lexington, Va. A brief obituary ran in the Courier-Journal on October 20:
G.T. Blackley, 89, Pewee Valley, a retired tobacco warehouse operator, died Tuesday at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Stewart W. Anderson, Lexington, Va. Besides Mrs. Anderson, he is survived by another daughter, Miss Nannie Winston Blackley, and a son, James N. Blackley, Memphis, Tenn.
G.T.'s will is on file at the Oldham County Courthouse in LaGrange, Ky. The will was written just five days before he died. Thanks to Oldham County Clerk Julie K. Barr for providing the Pewee Valley Historical Society with a copy:
Lexington, Va.
October 8th, 1937
October 8th, 1937
I, Gregory Taylor Blackley, being of sound mine do make this my last Will and Testament.
I, give and bequeath to my daughters Nanny Winston Blackley and Margaret French Blackley wife of Stewart Wise Anderson and to my son James Norman Blackley all of my property situated in Oldham County in the State of Kentucky, both real and personal the personal property shall be divided between the legatees as they may agree among themselves and the real estate shall be sold and proceeds divided equally between the three, legatees.
I appoint Nanny Winston Blackley and James Norman Blackley Administrators of this will, without bond.
Gregory Taylor Blackley
I, give and bequeath to my daughters Nanny Winston Blackley and Margaret French Blackley wife of Stewart Wise Anderson and to my son James Norman Blackley all of my property situated in Oldham County in the State of Kentucky, both real and personal the personal property shall be divided between the legatees as they may agree among themselves and the real estate shall be sold and proceeds divided equally between the three, legatees.
I appoint Nanny Winston Blackley and James Norman Blackley Administrators of this will, without bond.
Gregory Taylor Blackley
Both Ophelia and G.T. are buried in Frankfort Cemetery -- "The Westminster Abbey of Kentucky" -- in the state capital.
Nanny Winston Blackley
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Nanny Winston Blackley remained single the rest of her life, but had quite a successful civil service career at the Internal Revenue Service's Louisville office. She worked as a clerk during WWI and her excellent performance during the years when so many men were serving in the military eventually garnered her promotion to head of collections in the Louisville office. After she retired, she moved to Lexington, Va., to be closer to her sister, French. She died on February 17, 1968 of TB at the Catawba Sanitarium in Lexington, Va. Margaret French Blackley
For some years, French Blackley ran a private elementary school for grades 1-6 in the back room of the Truman-Miller-Richard house's second floor. Prior to starting her own school, French had attended the Woman's College at Richmond, Va. Later, she worked part-time as an assistant schoolteacher for Fanny Craig's Villa Ridge School. Sometime between 1920 and 1930, Fanny retired from teaching and closed her school. Census records show that by 1930, the school building behind her home at Edgewood was being rented by Brent and Irene Million, who ran a grocery store in Pewee Valley. French appears to have taken over her former boss-and-mentor's clientele. Unlike Fanny, however, French didn't die a spinster. About 1929, at age 44, she married Stewart Wise Anderson, a 1908 graduate of and instructor at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Va. -- "The West Point of the South." By the 1930 census they were living on campus at 402 VMI Parade Avenue. Stewart and French had actually known one another for years. In August 1912, he came to visit her in Pewee Valley and she gave several entertainments in his honor, all duly reported in the Courier-Journal's Pewee Valley society section. What delayed their marriage is hard to say, although they may have been waiting until Stewart was earning enough to support a wife. During his 46-year career at VMI, Stewart successfully marched through the ranks, eventually reaching the school's |
Nanny Winston Blackley with portraits of her grandmother, Margaret Ann Vaughan Winston (top left), and of her mother Ophelia Winston Blackley (top right). Courtesy of her nephew Winston Blackley.
Ca. 1947 Blackley family photo. Front row: Margaret French Blackley Anderson, Nannie Winston Blackley, James Norman Blackley, Jr.; Back row; Winston Blackley, friend and Stewart Wise Anderson. Courtesy Winston Blackley.
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number two slot. The institute's 1913 yearbook's "Sub-Professors" page listed his rank as "captain" and his teaching niche as "Assistant Professor of Physics, Electricity and Tactics." By the end of his career, he was Brigadier General, Dean of Faculty, Professor of Electrical Engineering, and Head of the Electrical Engineering Course.Today, VMI presents an academic award each year in his honor:
The Stewart W. Anderson Award. Established in 1977 by gifts of relatives and former students to provide a certificate and cash prize to be presented to the graduate having a superior academic performance in the electrical engineering curriculum. The award is in honor of Brigadier General Stewart Wise Anderson, Class of 1908, to recall his 46 years of devoted service to VMI as a member of the faculty. He was head of the Department of Electrical Engineering for 21 years and Dean of the Faculty for 14 years. French's nephew, Winston Blackley, got to know his aunt and uncle very well when he was working in Virginia and spent many weekends with them. He described French as "a typical, tiny Southern lady, sweet as everything and smart, also." Stewart died on July 26, 1970 and was buried in Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington. French outlived her husband by six years. She died on March 28, 1976. Her obituary ran in the Staunton, Virginia News Leader the next day: MRS. STEWART ANDERSON LEXINGTON -- Mrs. French Blackley Anderson, 91, died Sunday (March 29, 1976) in Stonewall Jackson Extended Care Facility. She was born in Frankfort, Ky., February 13, 1895, a daughter of George Taylor and Ophelia (Taylor) Winston Blackley. Mrs. Blackley was the widow of Gen. Stewart Wise Anderson. Surviving are three nephews and one niece. A graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Stonewall Jackson Cemetery by Rev. L. Randolph Harrison. Harrison's Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. |
 Stewart Wise Anderson. Courtesy of his nephew Winston Blackley.
Stewart Wise Anderson, from the 1955 Virginia Military Institute Yearbook
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Post Card Views of the Virginia Military Institute, Where French Blackley Spent Most of Her Married Life
Charles Mason Blackley
In 1930, Charles Mason Blackley was still unmarried, living with his parents, and working as an assistant sales manager at a paint company. According to Winston Blackley, Charles very likely suffered from bi-polar disorder. Still despondent over his mother's death the previous year, Charles shot himself in the chest on August 12, 1937. A brief obituary ran in the next day's Courier-Journal:
BLACKLEY -- Suddenly at his home at Pewee Valley at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, August 12, 1937, Charles Mason Blackley in his 17th year (editor's note: this was obviously a typo. He was in in 37th year), beloved son of G.T. Blackley, brother of Norman Blackley, Mrs. Stewart Anderson, and Miss Nannie Blackley. Funeral arrangements to be announced later.
His death was determined a suicide and he was buried with his parents in Frankfort Cemetery.
James Norman Blackley
Ophelia Winston Blackley holding her grandson, James Norman Blackley, Jr. ca. 1925. Courtesy Winston Blackley.
James Norman Blackley with his parents, Ophelia and G.T., and his son James Norman, Jr. Courtesy Winston Blackley.
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After fighting in the infantry and serving a brief stint in the Army of the Occupation after WWI, James Norman Blackley, known to family and friends as Norman, returned to civilian life and started working again at Louisville Paper Company. "They had a job waiting for him," explained his son Winston. On March 20, 1921 -- a year to the date after the Blackley family home was destroyed by the Kentucky Confederate Home fire -- his engagement to Marguerite Long Robinson, daughter of Arthur H. and Lydia Long Robinson, was announced in the Courier-Journal. The wedding was held June 1, 1921 at her parents' home in Louisville. The Courier-Journal reported on the nuptials the following day: The marriage of Miss Marguerite Long Robinson and Mr. James Norman Blackley was solemnized at 8 o'clock last night at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hurley Robinson. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Dr. Russell Johnson Pirkey, assisted by Rev. Dr. Peyton Harrison Hoge, and took place in the living room, which was decorated in palms and ferns and Ascension lilies. Mrs. James M. Fetter, Jr., was her sister's matron of honor. The bridesmaids were Misses Jennie Gilchrist, Wilmington, N.C., and Ida Walker. Miss Guinere Long and Master Gwathmey Tyler were the bride's train-bearers and Miss Elkin Wright, Atlanta, was the flower girl. Mr. Charles Mason Blackley was his brother's best man and the ushers were Messrs. Carl Smith and Clement Dixon Jackson... ... The ceremony was followed by an informal reception. Mrs. Robinson, mother of the bride, wore a costume of gray lace over gray georgette. Mrs. Gregory Taylor Blackley was attired in black spangled net over cloth of gold and carried a white ostrich fan. Miss Margaret French Blackley wore pale blue embroidered in silver. Miss Nancy (sic) Winston Blackley was gowned in pink crepe de chine... ... Mr. and Mrs. Blackley left last night on their wedding journey and on their return will make their home with Mrs. Blackley's parents. He and Marguerite had two children: James Norman, Jr., and Winston Blackley. James Norman spent his entire career at the Louisville Paper Company. About 1929, the company transferred him to Memphis, Tenn., to open a new branch office. He died on September 18, 1945 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. At the time of his death, he was a Vice President . He is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. His son Winston recalls visiting the Truman-Miller-Richard House as a child of five, and being absolutely fascinated by the fact that he could look out a second-story window and watch the trains passing by. |
Three Generations of Blackley Men: James Norman, Sr.; James Norman, Jr.; and Winston
The Richard Years: 1941-1993
When the house was purchased from the Blackley heirs in April of 1941 by William S. and Gertrude Richard, it was to be considerably altered. The wrap-around Queen Anne porch was removed and a two-story Neoclassical porch with terrazzo floor and steps constructed on the front of the house. A rathskeller was built under the porch and in part of the existing basement. Mr. Richard, from the Eastern Parkway area of Louisville, was an executive of the A.L. Hinze Distillery and also worked as an oil broker. The house was occupied by a member of the Richard family until 1993 when the Richard daughter, Billie Marie, known as Missy, died.
1989 Photographs of the House and Outbuildings from the National Register of Historic Places Nomination
The Truman-Miller-Richard House in 1991, after the Queen Anne sleeping porches were enclosed and the front of the house had received a colonial-style front porch. From "Historic Pewee Valley," published by Historic Pewee Valley, Inc.
The Henson Development Company
In December 1993, the Richard heirs sold the property to Don Henson and his wife. At the time, word around Pewee Valley was that the heirs didn't want to see the estate suffer the same fate as the Van Horne-Ross Estate, which Henson and his partner, Kenneth F. Hinton, had subdivided to create the Ross Woods subdivision in 1978. The sale was supposedly conditional on the property being kept intact. Henson kept his word for a few weeks. Then he and his wife turned around and transferred it to the Henson Development Co.
Henson subdivided the estate into eight lots, including a 1.38-acre lot for the original home. He called the new development Wooldridge Place. According to the 1995 Bellarmine Showhouse program:
... The Henson Company began an extensive remodeling of the home in 1994. Sonny Whittle, an architectural artist (who is also well known for his series of prints and Derby Festival posters), was employed by the firm to design and oversee the renovation. The porte-cochere, added after the original construction, was taken down. Using care to match style, materials and trim with those of the original house as closely as possible, a one-story rear wing was designed and constructed...Back porches, a terrace and a story-and-half carriage house were added. The carriage house, which holds three automobiles and has living space above, is adjoined to the house by a pergola and drive-through breeze way....."
Henson subdivided the estate into eight lots, including a 1.38-acre lot for the original home. He called the new development Wooldridge Place. According to the 1995 Bellarmine Showhouse program:
... The Henson Company began an extensive remodeling of the home in 1994. Sonny Whittle, an architectural artist (who is also well known for his series of prints and Derby Festival posters), was employed by the firm to design and oversee the renovation. The porte-cochere, added after the original construction, was taken down. Using care to match style, materials and trim with those of the original house as closely as possible, a one-story rear wing was designed and constructed...Back porches, a terrace and a story-and-half carriage house were added. The carriage house, which holds three automobiles and has living space above, is adjoined to the house by a pergola and drive-through breeze way....."
The Truman-Miller-House Ca. 2007
Some years later, the Hensons' grown daughter, Renotta Henson, of Victory Homebuilders, purchased the house and completely renovated the interior. A story about the renovation, written by Donna Andrews Russell and photographed by John Nation, ran in the April 2008 issue of Louisville Magazine:
Renotta Henson’s c. 1870 Pewee Valley residence has served as a single family home, a summer home and a private school. Today, many of the people who once lived there would be hard pressed to recognize it. Gone is the original Queen Anne wraparound porch, replaced by Southern-style columns in the 1940s. Gone, too, are the ten-acre grounds, now a small subdivision.
Just as dramatic are the changes Henson has wrought inside since purchasing the house in 2006. Stepping through the front door is like pushing the fast forward button on a time machine. Though the home’s Victorian architecture remains intact, the décor is definitely 21st century. It’s not that Henson objects to period decorating. “I love antiques. I just don’t want to live with them every day,” says the 41-year-old home builder.
Fortunately for Henson, the home was modernized by her father, Don Henson, in 1994 after he purchased the estate for development. Under the guidance of architectural artist Sonny Whittle – known for his Kentucky Derby Festival and St. James Art Fair posters – the house was renovated and a one-story rear wing, back porches, terrace and carriage house were added. After serving as Bellarmine’s 1995 Designers’ Show House, it was sold and owned by other families until two years ago.
Henson’s collaborator in the futuristic transformation was her close friend, interior designer Kenneth Hooper, who owns Louisville Interiors Design & Décor near Springhurst. “Our tastes are exactly the same,” she observes.
In the spacious front room, created when the wraparound porch was enclosed, Henson paired purple with chartreuse. She calls many of her furnishings “orphans” she rescued, because no one else wanted them. Hot-glued fringe, for example, covers damage along the bottom of the purple fainting couch. The silver coffee table was scratched and had to be repainted, and the mirrored screen was a gift from a friend that “needed a home when he moved to a condo,” she explains.
Christened the “Frankenstein” chairs by her father, the contemporary seats in front of the fireplace were made by a friend. Louisville Interiors designed simple panel drapes for the windows in an oversized damask print and Red Bud Studios marbleized the brick fireplace and display cabinet backs. Those cabinets, Henson says, once had “narrow shelves for bric-a-brac. I removed them and now use them as niches for art. It modernizes the room.”
In the dining room, most of the architectural detail is original, including the built-in china cabinets, window seat and half columns framing the view of the parlor. The only exception is the fireplace mantel. “It was just a board on top of two carvings that looked like ship’s figureheads. They looked so creepy, I replaced the mantel, but saved the original so the next owners can go back to it if they want,” Henson says.
Updating the oddly-shaped room was a challenge. For the walls, Henson selected a black, gold and charcoal paper in a contemporary curlicue pattern and covered the ceiling with a huge black-and-gold compass rose with a chandelier hanging from the center. The glass-topped dining room table was another orphan. “The glass alone weighs 420 pounds and my friend didn’t want to move it to Florida,” she remembers. The swoosh-shaped dining room chairs, however, are new. Henson “ratted through fabric books” to select the upholstery and used a V-shaped contrasting wedge on the backs to accentuate their curves.
The window bay presented a special problem. With five windows, covering each individually could have broken the bank, but Hooper came up with a unique solution: creating an alcove by hanging drapes from the ceiling in front of the bay. The drapery fabric is repeated on the L-shaped seat cushions.
The parlor’s matching window seat received a different, but equally cost-effective treatment. Using scalloped shades, draped fabric and an arched pelmet, Hooper created a parasol effect. Porter Bing Cherry walls and a contemporary rug with a circular design infuse the room with color. “When Ken picked the rug out, I thought it looked like eyeballs, but now I love it,” she says.
Formerly the kitchen, the black-and-white striped breakfast room is the only area at the rear of the house that’s original. Henson has owned the glass-topped table for 24 years and when she gets tired of it, simply repaints the base or changes the glass. The stainless steel chairs were Contemporary Galleries close-outs. Her only splurges: the black and white rug from Nepal and the crystal chandelier over the table.
Added in 1994, the kitchen had a modern layout but was traditional in style. Rather than ripping it out, Henson made small alterations to give it a contemporary feel. She replaced stained marble countertops and backsplashes with Absolute Black granite and Corian sinks with stainless steel. The cabinets received new hardware and hinges and the sinks new faucets. All the brass pieces on the Wolfe stove were switched to stainless and Subzero fabricated a new steel door for the refrigerator. Steel accent tiles were placed above the stove and a steel band was glued to the mantel. Finally, the orange-lacquered walls were repainted in purple and the ceiling was faux-finished with curlicues.
In the family room, also part of the 1994 renovation, Henson added bookcases with mirrors and glass shelves in the corners. Hooper and she chose the copper walls and purple ceiling to make the large space cozier. The rug is a replica of one she “saw in a magazine for $5000,” she says. “I had it made out of pieces of nylon carpet for $700.” And the couch is a reupholstered orphan a friend was getting rid of because her child had written all over it with a black Sharpie.
Because she’s an insomniac, Henson wanted the master bedroom’s decor to lull her to sleep. Electric red walls were repainted with Ralph Lauren metallic gold and the carpet was replaced with a soothing eggplant frieze. The massive upholstered headboard was another idea Henson gleaned from magazines. The magazine’s price: $6,000. Hooper’s price to duplicate the look: about $1,500.
The master bath received a complete overhaul, including a soaking tub, shower with black glass tiles and bench, glass vessel sinks with wall-mounted faucets on both vanities and a heated floor. “The shower and heated floor were my two biggest luxuries, but I’m out in the cold all day,” Henson says.
Of the three upstairs guest rooms, her favorite is the turret bedroom with its ultra-high ceiling. She decorated it herself, from faux finishing the fireplace and painting the walls Porter Log Brown to sewing the drapes and staple-gunning velvet to a sheet of MDF to create the headboard.
Restored to its original condition was the basement rathskeller added during the 1940s. The bar came from the old Kunz’s the Dutchman in Louisville. Henson had the Art Deco terrazzo floor refinished and the vintage lighting fixtures rewired. With its stone walls and dim lighting, it recreates the smoky atmosphere of a speakeasy and was a huge hit at her Halloween party last fall.
Though Henson has been building houses for a living since 1999, this is the second Pewee Valley landmark she’s renovated. “I’d be devastated if I bought something finished,” she says. “A house needs all that you put into it to really be yours.”
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