By Carter Seaton
HQ 58 | SUMMER 2006
Some are old, some new, some have tarnished over time, some have been polished to a new luster, and some are for sale. One is Italian Revival, one contemporary; several are reminiscent of the old South, but all made Huntington Quarterly’s Top Ten Homes list. Granted, there are dozens, even scores, we could have chosen, but the HQ staff selected these. And they are…
#10 – The President’s Home The colonial along Ritter Park’s perimeter is one of three built in the 1920’s by the Campbell-Cammack family. Since the early 1970’s the state of West Virginia has owned the home. The executive residence is a blend of architectural styles, including French and Colonial. The two-story colonnade of the front porch signals the impressiveness of the house’s interior. This stately three-story, 18-room home with hand-painted wallpaper imported from Switzerland has captured our vote.
#9 – The Scott Home Nestled behind one of the city’s popular neighborhoods is a 12 acre lot that Dr & Mrs. Tom Scott purchased in 1988 to build their Dream Home. And what a home it is! The all cedar cottage built by Ned Jones blends in perfectly with its surroundings. Inside the luxurious decor is warm and inviting while outside porches wrap around the home offering up spectacular views of beautifully-manicured grounds. Since the property is private we can’t tell you where it is, but suffice to say it is spectacular.
#8 – The Jones Home This somewhat newer colonial nestled amid two and one-half thickly wooded acres on High Drive was also transformed from red brick to buff when Bob and Mary Jones purchased it in 1982. Surrounded by ten towering oak trees, the southern style mansion – appropriately named “Ten Oaks” – uses floor-to-ceiling plantation windows to take full advantage of the view from its natural setting above Washington Boulevard.
#7 – The St. Clair Home When Jim and Mickey St.Clair undertook restoration of the 250-acre Freeman estate on McCoy Road they uncovered modern innovations unique in a 1912 mansion. The home was fully electric and featured an intercom system, gas-heated clothes dryer cabinets and walk-in closets. Today the home showcases Mickey’s lovingly renovated woodwork and grounds, not to mention her flair for interior decorating.
#6 – The Oliashirazi Home Recently purchased from Jack Jenkins by Dr. Ali Oliashirazi, this Ridgewood Road home is a testament to early 1900s gracious living. Built in 1910, the all-concrete home features Neo-classical detailing inspired by an English manor near London. Inside, the coffered ceiling in the living room rises above a massive fireplace, the paneled stairwell rises to a third floor ballroom, and through the upper stained glass windows the city of Huntington sparkles each night.
#5 – The Dunworth Home Despite the fact that this is the newest home on the list, the residence of Dr. Lawrence Dunworth in Park Hills looks as if it has always been there. Hidden by extensive plantings, the chateau-style home features extensive formal gardens that slope gently into rolling lawns. Inside, a curving concrete staircase leads to the upper floor while a lap pool occupies a portion of the lower. The stucco exterior walls and barrel-tile roof are inspired by the architecture of Tuscany.
#4 – The Morgan Home It’s as contemporary as the others are traditional, but this 15-room mansion owned by Dr. and Mrs. Craig Morgan on Camelot Drive has features as unusual as any we’ve seen. Copper doors and a live palm tree in the atrium welcome visitors, while a full-sized racquetball court and indoor/outdoor pool lie beyond. The solid redwood home features four levels, yet still has a warm and welcoming charm.
#3 – The Haden Home Old-wood logs are the most distinctive feature of this long, low home across Four Pole Creek near 5th Street W. Originally on the old James River Turnpike, it was built as a hunting lodge in 1911. An English Tudor addition in 1914 increased its size to over 6,000 square feet. Add local cobblestones in the walls and chimney, secret passageways, two acres of land, and a lily pond and botanical gardens and you have the ultimate in log cabin living.
#2 – The Sakahi Home In 1926 S.W. Patterson situated his palatial Italian Revival style residence on three acres in the east end of Huntington with a sweeping view of the Ohio River. Today, the Staunton Road state of Dr. and Mrs. Hossein Sakhai features painstakingly restored arched entries, French doors, triple vaulted ceilings and black marble fireplaces, while the manicured grounds enhance the feeling of living at a seaside villa.
#1 – Castle on High Drive Although the grounds surrounding the estate are a fraction of the original plot on which Edwin P. May built this handsome English country home in 1930, the house on High Drive still stands as a stately reminder of the past. The imposing castle-like exterior belies modern technology rare for its time – buzzers sound when any doorbell rings and warning lights come on when any light is left burning and a garage that features the first car wash ever built in Huntington. The lavish scroll ceilings, antique crystal chandelier, hand-painted wall murals and gold faucets quickly re-establish the impression of being a home meant for royalty, however.
