Getting to Know the Neighborhood

View of North 25th Street facing north from Manchester.

After several months of working on the house, we decided to check out the neighborhood a bit more. During our research connections between the people who originally owned and built our house were made with people who lived a block or two north.

Our house was built by George Washington Pridemore. He was a railroad conductor with the L&NRR who built our house at 406 N. 25th St around 1924. 

According to the City Directory, in 1912 Eugene E. Cowden, dispatcher with the L&NRR, lived at  611 N 25th Street. The same directory showed Mrs. Pridemore and Miss Sallie Pridemore living across the street at 608 N 25th Street. Cowden recounted in a Middlesboro Daily News article about how Lee Turner “was my nearest neighbor on North 25th, last two houses, me in the Chumley brick and Lee across on the 25th.”

A quick review of Sanborn maps showed where these two houses were located at.

A view of the neighborhood from the 1923 Sanborn Map. Yellow highlighted house is ours shortly after it was built. A few blocks north the Lee Turner House (right) and Eugene E. Cowden House both of which are gone.

What we found when we headed out was a bit discouraging. The Cowden House was completely gone, having given way for the Church of Christ parking lot. What happened to the Turner House was a little less clear based on our view from the sidewalk. The house likely was lost and replaced with a more contemporary house with Tudor Revival details. It is possible, however, that the older house was incorporated into the present house located on the site. Further investigation would be needed to figure that out.

Site of the Edward E. Cowden House.

Location of the Lee Turner House.