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Old Seminary Square

House and garden tour next weekend highlights rehabbers' handiwork in historic Covington

By Joyce Rosencrans
Post home editor

Old Seminary Square, tucked nearby central Covington, retains the character of a prosperous 19th-century urban neighborhood. With much of its architectural integrity intact, thanks to the sweat equity of homeowners, Seminary Square was recognized on Feb. 19, 1980, by its designation as an historic district.

Shaded streets, including Russell, Robbins and 11th, are lined with setback Victorian brick houses, many with original wrought-iron fences and front gates.

Kate Carothers of the historic preservation office in city hall speculated that Covington's own Stewart Iron Works, still in operation, probably played a role in that. In addition to fences, some Seminary Square houses feature lacy wrought-iron decoration.

Stewart Iron Works owner Mark Rottinghaus confirmed that, yes, the company supplied at least 90 percent of the iron fences in the Seminary Square neighborhood, and elsewhere in Covington, for that matter. He still has many of the original design drawings, good material for an exhibit someday.

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