Q&A: The Heil Home
Q: When did you purchase your home?
A: 1993
Q: What period is your home?
A: Most consider it to be Victorian, but you can definitely see some Federal influences, given that it was built by the military.
Q: When was it built?
A: 1892
Q: What struck you about that the home, that you knew you had to have it?
A: The opportunity to own a piece of not just Northern Kentucky History, but U.S. History was exciting to us. We take very seriously our obligation to be the caretaker of this piece of History.
Q: What are you most proud of that you have done w/your home?
A: We have been very true to the original architecture. We have done more of a restoration than a renovation. We are very proud of our patio which we designed and built ourselves; it provides us with a modern amenity that enables us to entertain large groups which is difficult to do inside the home.
Q: What is the abbreviated history of your home?
A: Built in 1892, it was constructed to house senior officers. Colonel Harry Clay Egbert, who was second in command at Fort Thomas, lived in our home. (You can learn more about Colonel Egbert by reading the plague that is on the stone tower at the entrance to Tower Park. ) The house was purchased from the Federal Government in 1973 when the City of Ft. Thomas acquired “the Fort”, which is now Tower Park. For the next 20 years, the City of Ft. Thomas rented the homes on Greene and Pearson Streets. In 1993, the City of Ft. Thomas sold them under sealed bids to private individuals. The properties on Greene Street are now known as “Military Commons” and are governed under the Military Commons Homeowners association.
Q: What do you hope that tourists will appreciate about your home?
A: First, that we have been true to the architecture and style of the period in which it was built. Secondly, that we have persevered over the past 16 years as we have self performed a great deal of the restoration work while raising our five children.
Q: Why is it important for historic homes to be preserved?
A: With every passing generation, history becomes more and more distant. History should be experienced not just in the written word but in the physical environment as well, whether it be a battlefield or the built environment. We are pleased to share this part of Ft. Thomas and U.S. History with others.
Q: Why/how did you choose Ft. Thomas to be your home?
A: Mary Beth grew up in Ft. Thomas and had a deep appreciation for the community. We wanted our children to attend St. Thomas School, so the location (less than one mile from ST. Thomas) was ideal.
Q: Do you have any other interesting stories/historical facts associated with your home?
A: Our home once had a coach house in the rear. We hope to rebuild it in the near future.
Q: Have you done any major renovations to your home?
A: When we began the restoration of our home, friends who had done similar restorations advised us that it could take as many as ten years to complete the project. We, of course, laughed at the notion. Now 16 years later, we feel like we are finally reaching a conclusion.
In that course of time, we have:
- Replaced every inch of electrical wiring
- Replaced the original steam boiler with a high efficiency hot water boiler
- Replaced all of the cast iron steam piping with two pipe hot water piping
- Replaced all of the plumbing fixtures
- Replaced all of the plumbing lines throughout the house
- Installed a high velocity air conditioning system (this type system is commonly used in historic homes because the air distribution fits within the ceiling and walls and does not require bulky ductwork)
- Installed all new custom cabinetry in the kitchen
- Installed a decorative stamped metal ceiling in the kitchen
- Stripped and refinished the original cabinetry in the butler pantry
- Installed all new lighting fixtures
- Rebuilt the front and back porches
- Tuckpointed and sealed the exterior brick
- Waterproofed the basement
- Built a stone patio, including fireplace, and landscaped the yard
- Installed façade lighting
- Resurfaced every wall and ceiling in the house
- Stripped and refinished every door in the house
- Stripped, refinished or replaced all of the woodwork
- Stripped, refinished and reglazed all of the wood windows
- Installed storm windows
- Stripped and refinished the mantles on both fireplaces
- Converted an unfinished storage room on the third floor into a walk-in closet
- Created a laundry room on the second floor
- Refinished all of the hardwood floors and installed new ceramic tile in the kitchen and baths
- Created study/family room on the third floor.
Q: Are there any local legends about your home regarding ghosts or spirits? Have you ever experienced anything? It is typical that with older homes, this is a common occurrence and w/the tour so close to Halloween, we’d like to add this feature to our section and share your stories.
A: We have often wondered whether Colonel Egbert’s spirit is present in our home. In the first year that we owned it, Bob was working in the basement alone. The entire house was locked and no one else was present. While listening to the radio, which was located in the kitchen on the first floor, the music stopped and he heard footsteps across the floor over his head. Upon investigating, he found that the radio switch had been turned to the “off” position and that all of the doors were still locked. Whoever’s spirit was present, they must not have liked the music he was listening to.
In 1995, we agreed to let our son host a Halloween party. While setting up some scary diversions for the kids on the morning of the party, we found bones buried under our front porch. The doctors who lived across the street could not rule out the possibility that they were human remains. The Fort Thomas Police were called and they sent the bones to the crime lab in Frankfort. Needless to say, this made for some interesting speculation and storytelling at the Halloween party.
-Owners Robert and Mary Beth Heil
1 Greene Street
