(Original Address: 1516 Third Street)
The home was built for the William G. Bridges Family in 1893 for the sum of $11,000. It is considered an “eclectic Italianate style”. Bridges owned the largest tobacco warehouse (The Pickett) in Louisville (likely the largest in the United States). Tobacco money built this home.
The house has several features indicating its tobacco heritage, notably a full-width frieze of repeating tobacco leaf, plant and tassle, located just under the front cornice.
Mr. Bridges passed away in 1930 and the house was often empty and fell into disrepair during the Depression years. The Raffo Pottinger Family purchased and operated the home as a boarding house from 1942 until 1960.
Restoration of the home to its 1942 configuration began in 1991.
The home has 5,340 square feet plus a full height 2,000 sq ft basement.
- The first floor has a large entryway/foyer, front staircase, a front parlor, a mid-parlor, a dining room, large butler’s pantry, large kitchen, full bathroom, separate breakfast room and rear staircase.
- The second floor has a large front and rear hallway, very large master suite, large second bedroom w/full bath, a sitting room, a home office, a separate rear powder room, and a laundry/utility room, and of course front and rear staircases.
- The third floor has a full bath, a home office, a very large sitting room and a full large bedroom.