Federal Transitional Style Townhouse

This house on Samuel Shepard Drive in Midtown is likely one of the oldest structures remaining in the entire neighborhood. The Federal transitional style townhouse from around 1860-1865 is a rare surviving example from the time when midtown was a wealthy residential area that was filled with mansions. In the mid 19th century, this house featured a Lucas Ave address, and was a part of the rapidly developing wealthy neighborhood that was being established in Midtown. By 1890, the wealthy residents who had settled in this area following the Civil War had started moving further west into the Central West End, and by 1920, the urban and industrial entities that had once been found primarily downtown began to expand into the Midtown area and essentially made it into an extension of downtown. By the 1950s through the 1970s, the area had begun to suffer from decline, and more of the already fairly rare mansions were demolished for parking and for newer housing projects. As the area began to be transformed into the arts district seen today, only a few of the 19th century houses were left, and the area became mostly known for the Art Deco buildings that had replaced many of the mansions. However, a handful of them survived including this one, providing a look into the 19th century past of the neighborhood.

On the 1875 Compton and Dry map