Little House Wins Big Award! A

Little House In Lower

Town has recently been awarded the Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation Historic Preservation Project Award, Kentucky’s most distinguished celebration of historic preservation excellence. Named for Kentucky’s first state historic preservation officer, the awards have been given by the Kentucky Heritage Council since 1979 for the protection, preservation, and rehabilitation of historic buildings, cultural resources, and archaeological sites.

It is almost a miracle that the bitty Buddenbaum at 618 Monroe stands more than 170 years after it was built. The home has been a survivor, much like its former owner, Helen Buddenbaum, for whom the house is named. The endurance of this charming little residence is one of Paducah’s proudest preservation stories.

An early Paducah map reveals that the house was standing in the early 1850s. It was in a residential area north of the downtown commercial area. The home was built as a workman’s cottage with double front doors, simple stoops leading up to the doors and basic Greek Revival-Italianate detailing, like cast-iron foundation vents and Italianate bracketing at the roofline. It was one of many small cottages built in a thriving Paducah in the nineteenth century.

The Buddenbaum House had its greatest test early in its history during the Civil War. In 1864, the Battle of Paducah took place in the Lower Town area as Southern forces tried to take the northern-occupied Fort Anderson that adjoined the neighborhood. The northern army burned all the two-story houses in the area. Fortunately, a few single-story houses survived, including the Buddenbaum.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the house continued to serve as working class housing. At some point the two front stoops were removed and a stylish front porch added. The property had previously been a duplex with two occupants, but the home was later turned into a single-family residence.

The longest-term occupant of the house was Miss Helen Buddenbaum, a nurse for a local pediatrician, Dr. Thomas Marshall, who called her “Buddy.” She is remembered fondly by many as a true trailblazer for women in the workplace. Helen was ambitious and an educated, successful professional. When she purchased the Buddenbaum in or around 1950, the home was approximately 100 years old.

The Buddenbaum House was acquired in the early 1980s by the adjoining

First Presbyterian Church, which was mainly interested in securing the land on which the house stands. A second battle for survival occurred when many church members wanted the house to be torn down. Others recognized the house’s charm and historical significance and fought for its preservation. In 1981, the Buddenbaum was included as a contributing structure in the nomination of the Lower Town Residential Neighborhood to the National Register of Historic Places. At the same time, the Lower Town Neighborhood Association was being organized, speaking out and advocating for preservation of buildings in the neighborhood. The Buddenbaum became an early focus for the association.

Around 1985, First Presbyterian Church voted to temporarily save the house. Control was given to the Lower Town Neighborhood Association. The main stipulation was that the house had to be completely repaired by the association, at its expense and effort within a year, or the house would be demolished. Ownership of the property would remain with the church.

With extremely limited resources, the neighborhood association took on the project. For many weekends neighbors gathered to clean, sweep, paint, and strip wallpaper. The late Howard and Louise Randle, a couple who had renovated many houses in Lower Town, sent their construction workers to do much of the major renovations. They added a kitchen and bathroom, replastered and painted walls, and installed a new heating and cooling system. They planted trees, shrubs, and a period flower-cutting garden around the house. Neighbors contributed many of the plants from their own gardens. Members also donated furniture, books, rugs, dishes, and artwork for the house. The Buddenbaum’s restoration was completed within the one-year deadline.

The house served as the office and meeting place for the Neighborhood Association for many years.

In the late 1990s, control of the Buddenbaum reverted to the church. Over the years, the little house began to deteriorate again. With funds raised by members and the help of the restoration specialists at Ray Black and Son, bricks were reset, the roof and windows were repaired, and the porch was stabilized. Eventually the restored facility became an unoccupied storage building for the church.

In 2020 a small group of church members, who loved the little house, regularly met to discuss it. The recurrent lament was that the Buddenbaum, a historic building, was again in danger of disuse, neglect, and eventual need for demolition. Dr. Jim Gould suggested turning the Buddenbaum into a small Airbnb. He and his wife, Linda, had Airbnb experience and volunteered to operate the house as a rental on behalf of the church. This idea resonated with the church since it meant the house could be self-sustaining.

The group asked several longtime Buddenbaum stakeholders to form a working group. The preservation team identified the needs of the home. Suellen Johnson and Stephanie Young became the coordinators while Jim and Linda Gould looked at the facility with the eyes of innkeepers. As they discussed needs, they received donations of furniture, a washer/dryer, and original art work for the walls.

“The mission of our church is to be a good neighbor,” Suellen Johnson stated, as she reflected on the many members who dedicated their time, money, and resources to build back the Buddenbaum. “There was a spirit that bonded the 12 of us together,” said Jim Gould. “We made sure the work was completed and the donations were received. It was truly a group effort.”

An art committee, led by Jane Gamble and Stephanie Young, assembled a permanent collection of original art to hang in the home. Most, but not all, pieces came from Lower Town community artists, including Paul Aho, and some of his Paducah Art School students, as well as Nathan Brown. Tim Jaeger, a Paducah native who now lives in Florida, is featured, as well as artists who are members of First Presbyterian Church. There is also a Bill Ford original, adding a special touch to the décor after the beloved Paducah artist passed away earlier this year.

Expert restoration architect Chris Jones and Ray Black and Son completed the work under proper preservation standards. Steve Durham and his workers completed the interior upgrade such as plaster repair, paint, and HVAC. Then the fun began; the blinds were hung and furnishings placed, and in October 2022 the transformation of the Buddenbaum was complete. The interior was transformed into a quiet, period-appropriate home ready for visitors and listed on Airbnb. The first guests arrived in November 2022.

Supporter Anne Gwinn calls the house a “melting pot of a little place. When you bring people in from all sorts of areas, the PLACE resonates with them.” The house is six blocks from the floodwall murals, three blocks from the National Quilt Museum, and six blocks from historic downtown.

Visitors for Quilt Show Week recently enjoyed their stay at the comfortable Buddenbaum. When it’s not serving as an Airbnb, the Buddenbaum provides a meeting place for groups that have included the Symphony board, garden clubs, and the Philanthropic Educational Organization.

“It’s so fun when people come in to see what sparks their joy,” says Stephanie Young. “It’s different for different people. Sometimes it’s the artwork, and sometimes it’s the wingback chair in the corner in which one visitor spent the majority of her time.”

The local community has watched with delight as the Buddenbaum has once again been brought back to life. Neighbors often comment how happy they are to see the house looking better. People stop frequently to tell a volunteer working in the yard another little piece of the history of the house. “Not one person had the whole story about the house, but as a group we have been able to put it all together,” Anne Gwinn remarked.

Certainly, both the former and recent restoration of this local landmark are deserving of the Preservation Project Award. The Buddenbaum embodies personal commitment, investment, advocacy, volunteerism, building partnerships, public involvement, and lifelong dedication—characteristics the awards celebrate. The Buddenbaum supporters are excited that the home joins Paducah’s own Whitehaven in the list of past award recipients. They are most appreciative of long-term preservationist Dick Holland‘s knowledgeable and sincere work in writing the nomination for the award. “A lot of obstacles have been put in the way for this little building, but something or someone always popped up to rescue it,” concludes Stephanie Young.

You deserve to look and feel your best!

We know how to make your hair dreams come TRUE! Come in and find the new look you’ve been dreaming about. Call for an appointment and in-salon procedures.

540 North 32nd Street • 270.444.7502

270.444.7502 / 270.556.7218

Check Us Out On Facebook and Instagram

Gayle Kaler, Owner / 540 North 32nd Street

Gayle Kaler, Owner / Monday-Saturday by Appointment