318 South Mill Street

“Rokeby Hall” was the name given to this house by Chief Justice George Robertson when he purchased it from the executors of Sanual Trotter in 1836 for $8,000. The house then faced High Street with a front of 197 feet and the property extending back 407 feet on Mill Strteet. (1883 Directory: Hon. Goe Robertson, Chief Justice of Kentucky, Rockeby Hall, W. High St. cor S. Mill St.”)

Trotter had purchased the lot from Thomas Bodley, who bought it from James Masterson. For many years there was a “Masterson Street” back of “Rokeby Hall.”

Samual C. Long, local builder and contractor, who became over excited during the Merino Sheep speculation of 1812, built the house that year for Mr. Trotter in exchange for “two Merino sheep, worth $1,250 each.” Samual Trotter stated in the “Articles of 1812” that he was building the residence that year, and said he owed Robert Grinstead for paving around the residence. (The 1918 Directory shows Samual Trotter as living there.)

Samuel Trotter was a son of Col. James Trotter, an early Lexington settler and merchant. Samuel was one of the founders of the Second Presbyterian Church, first known as the Market Street Church, and was active in establishing the Eastern Lunatic Asylum. Samuel Trotter died in the cholera epidemic of 1833, his wife Catherine having died before him in 1830.

In 1836 the house was acquired by Hon. George Robertson, Chief Justice of Kentucky, who gave it the name Rokeby Hall. George Robertson was born in 1790 in Garrard Co. In 1828 he served as Secretary of State. He served in the State Legislature in the 1820's and again in the 1850's, when he was elected Speaker of the House. He was Chief Justice of Appellate Court from 1864-71. He died at his home, Rokeby Hall, in 1874. His will, recorded in Will Book 3, p. 546, interest, describing his landholdings and his bequests of personal belongings.

Richard Valentine and his wife Sallie W. purchased the "late residence of Georgs Robertson" in August l874 and in September 1874 sold it to John W. Scott. Scott subdivided the lot into several tracts, resulting in the house's standing just south of 318 S. Mill. Scott also split the house known as Rokeby Hall, resulting in the rear of the house that originally faced High becoming what is now known as 318 South Mill. The Lexington Daily Press, March 27, 1875, said that "Dr. John Scott has improved the old Judge Robertson property on Hill (now High) Street, very handsomely. He has had the old house cut in two—making one residence front on Hill and the other on Mill Street and has already rented the first to Dr. C.C. Sharp and the other to Samuel H. Clay, Esquire".

In 1886 Scott sold the house to Henry Loevenhart, who in turn sold it in 1909 to W. T. Sistrunk. The Sistrunk family owned it until the 1950's.

It is difficult to ascertain if Scott or Loevenhart added the entry hall and staircase. Many Italianate alterations that would date to Scott's ownership are apparent, but the staircase, window and door trim, some mantels, etc. seem closer to the late 19th century, than 1874. It may very well be that Scott made some alterations and improvements, creating a separate house with Loevenhart leaking yet more changes. When the paint was removed from the house during recent renovations it became apparent that the stairwell is part of the original building with the shallow entrance bay and the three sided bay on the north being the additions. Also, the decorative "turnip" top above the door is not on the house in a circa 1940 photograph in the Kentucky Historical Society collection. This is puzzling as the piece is obviously earlier than the mid-twentieth century. It appears to have been re-cycled from another structure or was off for repairs at the time the photograph was taken!

Description and House Plan:

Two story, three bay, L-shaped, brick house on stone foundation with gable roof, 318 South Mill has two south bays cf facade in Flemish bond while the entrance bay is laid in common bond and projects slightly forward. A Dutch-inspired pediment is above entrance bay, crowned by a segmental arch at the apex. A three-part elliptical window with a "hoodmold" surround is centered in gable end. Consoles flank either side and are the base of a band running from the crown. Paired brackets are beneath the cornice. Hoodmolds on the first floor window are pediraented with shaped brackets supporting either side. Second floor window Iroodmolds are like a cornice. A three-sided bay projects on the north side of .-the house on what is the stairhall; and there is also a three-sided bay on the south side on what probably was the dining room. Entrance has wood lintel and door itself is Sastlake with bullseye at center of raised panels. Windows are 2/2 paned.

Interior of house has late l°th century reeded trim with corner blocks having bullseye. Entrance hall has fireplace set in three sided-bay with geometric patterned mantelpiece that complements the staircase. Mantel similar to this is in front parlor as well. Pocket doors stand between the stairhall and parlor. The staircase is very striking with series of square pattern and round "buttons" in an almost Mediterranean design. Open well stair rises in variation of three flight manner. Woodwork and stair are unpainted with some doors and trim being grained. Mantelpiece in dining room is cast iron and of Italianate to early eastlake period. Two mantels upstairs are also cast iron with a rounded cartouche on one and a sheild set beneath shelf on other. Third mantel, also iron, in room above entry hall.

A rather large seam is visible on the exterior where the ell that forms the east end of the house adjoins. It is also of common bond brick and an enclosed rear stair is in this portion. A "cross and bible" door with trar-som above is on this part of the house. At one time a porch projected on the north side of the ell, joining the main body of the house. A turn-of-the-century and later bathroom is on each floor.

A small one-story brick, shed roof addition, probably an outhouse, is on the east end of the house. A grained door, stored inside, is just visible.

The front porch, now gone, at one time adjoined the bay on the north side of the house. This structure has probably gone through several porch changes, probably having no porch when altered in the l8?0's.

A handsome iron fence, made in Cincinnati, is at the front of the yard and continues across several more houses to the south.

Source of historical information:

Lancaster, Clay. Vestiges of the Venerable City, p. 234, 235. Lexington Daily Press. March 27, 1875, p. 4. Lexington Press. May 1?, l8?4, p. 4 col 3. May 18, l8?4. Lexington Morning Herald. March 10, 1901. Perrin, William Henry, ed. History of Fayette County, Kentucky. Chicago; O.L. Baskin & Co., 1882. Sanborn & other early Lexington maps. South Hill Historic District National Register Nomination Form.