Drees Homes

Crestview: A tiny, quiet city in the shadow of a post-war housing boom

BY HALEY PARNELL, LINK nky REPORTER | PHOTOS BY ABIGAIL SHOYAT, LINK nky CONTRIBUTOR

City name: Crestview City size: 0.10 square miles Population: 426 Median income: $77,714 Median home value: $136,785 Mayor: Shane Owens Incorporated: 1950

Driving the streets of Crestview, Kentucky, it’s impossible not to notice an abundance of Cape Cod-style homes, built in the late 1940s as an answer to the post-war housing boom. Originating in New England in the 17th century, the Cape Cod-style house regained popularity in the 1940s and 50s as soldiers returned from World War II.

Not to be confused with Crestview Hills, the town of Crestview near Cold Spring only has only 452 residents and sits on just 0.10 square miles. The Vet Village Homes Builders founded the city in 1947; at the time, it was known as Vet Village.

The group’s idea was to buy enough land for 200 to 300 homes, according to a Kentucky Post story published on Jan. 29, 1947. The original streets were Circle, Skyview, Pinehill, Osage and Terrace. The town was officially incorporated in 1950 and renamed Crestview.

Today’s median home value for this type of house in the city is $136,785, with the median household income at $77,714.

Even Crestview’s city building is in the classic style.

Crestview Mayor Shane Owens has lived in the tiny town for about 17 years. Something notable about the city, he said, is how quiet it is.

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