Try to imagine Paducah in 1879. Travel usually involved a horse and buggy; homes were lit with candles; meals were cooked over a fire or on a cast-iron stove. Today, a walk down North Sixth Street in the Lower Town District can give viewers a glimpse of what the home at number 304 looked like when it was built by Lt. Col. Daniel Fraser that year. Fraser, his wife Sallie Abigail, and their eight children lived there until 1895.
The home, now known as the Belle Louise Historic Guest House, has been completely renovated and restored. The home’s appearance is reminiscent of what it likely looked like in its earliest days, but it’s now loaded with plenty of amenities for comfort and convenience.
Luckily for the home and its neighbors, it was purchased by Cary and Melinda Winchester, who started renovations in March 2019. Melinda has a background in historic preservation, which complemented Cary’s experience in construction. The couple possessed the skills needed to take on a renovation of this size.
“The project kind of fell in our lap,” Melinda said. “[The house] was severely neglected, and we figured it was about a year away from falling in on itself. So, we were thrilled that we could save it.”
The glorious Italianate property served as a single-family home until 1919, when it was turned into a funeral home. Although many services took place at the funeral home over the years, its claim to fame is that, following his passing in 1956, Vice President Alben Barkley’s visitation was held there. President Harry S Truman, under whom Barkley served, came through to pay his respects.
By 1985, the mansion had been sold and converted back into a home. Owners Howard and Louise Randle lived there for the next 30 years. According to Mary Hammond, executive director of Paducah Travel, the Randles loved their home and added on to it several times.
“They were involved in Civil War re-enactments and had a huge collection of memorabilia and antiques,” Hammond said. “The house was like a museum.”
In a nod to the Randles, the Winchesters named their new bed and breakfast after Louise, thought to be a true Southern belle.
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It took a massive amount of work to transform the house, which had suffered through neglect in the years after the Randles died. The first time the Winchesters toured it, they witnessed a huge problem.
“Water was pouring into the second floor, like a waterfall,” Melinda said. “All of the gutters and downspouts had been taken off, probably because—I suspect—they were copper, and they were sold.”
The water entering the house was not the only problem. The Winchesters found that water that had flooded the house in the past also contributed to its sad state.
“This house went through the 1937 flood, and it was probably 6 to 8 feet underwater. There was so much old water damage. So, we found out we had to do a lot of stabilization,” Melinda said.
Melinda explained that, as they dug in, they uncovered a dangerous problem that had been hidden from view. The home has a large tower rising from its roof, and the walls supporting the tower are in the attic. The couple was in the midst of taking down water-damaged ceilings on the second floor when they uncovered a terrifying sight.
“As we were taking down those last pieces of Sheetrock and drywall in the hall, my crowbar went right through this huge support beam,” Melinda said. “I didn’t know what had happened, but my husband was right behind me, and he knew right away. He told me to get down slowly.”
That entire support beam holding up the brick tower was rotted through from all the years of water coming in. It was hidden under the ceiling, and no one would have ever known.
“We anticipate that the house had about a year left before that big tower would have fallen all the way through the house,” Melinda said.
After bringing in a structural engineer, a new beam was built, and a crew of construction workers slowly and carefully removed the old beam and then installed the new one.
“Then, we got the brick put back up, and we know that she’s stronger than ever now,” Melinda said.
Was she intimidated as she anticipated all the work the house needed? “Oh, gosh, no,” she said with a laugh. “The normal person would have walked through the house and thought, ‘Holy cow!’ and run out as fast as they could. But the first minute I walked in, the water was pouring in and the house was in horrible condition, and I could visualize it. So I just thought how much I love this house.”
This transformation was not new to the Winchesters. With a degree in historic preservation, Melinda has been helping others renovate property for more than 20 years.
“I know how to help people get their property on the National Historic Register and help cities and communities do full districts. Tax credits are a big part of being able to make a project like this work,” she said. “Kentucky has a great state historic tax credit, and there is also a federal historic tax credit that can be used if you are income producing. That is the way you can financially make these projects work.”
For years, the people of Paducah sadly watched as the former grande dame of a house declined. Hammond was thrilled to hear that the Winchesters had purchased it.
“I can think of no one better to take this on,” Hammond said. “Preservation is in Melinda’s blood. Everyone knew she would do it right.”
After more than a year of construction, the transformation was complete, and the Belle Louise Historic Guest House opened its doors in August 2020.
With five elegant guest rooms filled with period antiques and discretely placed modern amenities, the Winchesters worked hard to create the perfect balance of the ambiance of yesteryear and the conveniences of today.
Melinda had clawfoot tubs reinstalled in each bathroom, because that is what originally would have been in the house. Alongside the beautiful tubs are state-of-the-art modern walk-in showers. The former owners, the Randles, had acquired chandeliers from Paducah’s historic Katterjohn building. The chandeliers reportedly were purchased in 1927 from the governor of Arkansas. Melinda told the story of how the Randles hired a flatbed truck, complete with a metal frame and hook where each chandelier was hung, and transported the delicate light fixtures slowly down Main Street to be installed in their new home, where they can still be seen today.
“I wish I had a picture of that,” she said.
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Along with the contemporary amenities of wi-fi, flat-screen TVs and remote-access locks on the front door and for each sleeping room, guests are treated to a delicious breakfast each morning.
Visitor favorites include eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce and blueberry streusel coffee cake with blueberry compote.
“When I serve this coffee cake, people will literally scrape their whole plate,” Melinda said. “If they could pick up their plate and lick it without looking silly, they probably would.”
Melinda confided that she is extremely picky about every detail of service, ensuring the guests have the best experience possible. “Cary and I work really hard to try to make everyone’s stay here special,” she said. “It is just really all about our guests.”
Plan your trip at www.bellelouisepaducah.com.