Craftsmanship and lasting charm spark joy in Fairway

Driving through Lexington’s Fairway neighborhood you might catch idyllic scenes of residents tending their gardens, children playing on sidewalks, cyclists pedaling the streets, and dog walkers trailing leashes.

It’s an easy stroll from the neighborhood to the downtown farmers’ market, a nice restaurant meal with a glass of wine, or to the revamped National Avenue area. What’s more, the architecture is interesting and diverse.

The English Cottage at 313 Henry Clay Boulevard is a notable example of the unique architecture found in Fairway.

The enclosed arched entryway, the asymmetric plan and the decorative stonework are all characteristic of an English Cottage. However the most telling feature is the catslide roof – straight on one side and artistically curved on the other.

“I would drive through about once a week looking to see if this house was for sale,” said owner Caren Caton, who has lived in the home for the last 30 years. “I’d already said this was my house.”

Then one day there was a “for sale by owner” sign in the yard.

“I bought the house pretty quickly,” Caton said. “You know you’re not supposed to say anything when looking at a house, you’re supposed to be stoic.” But Caton was silently thinking “I love this, I love this.”

HONORING THE CRAFTSMANSHIP

Over the last 30 years it’s been a continual process of modernization and renovation throughout the 1,888 square foot home. One of the first projects was replacing window unit air conditioning with central air.

Yet Caton has been careful to be true to the 1938 home’s integrity, and much of the original charm remains -- notably in the hardwood floors, original doors and door hardware.

“We tried to make the new kitchen look like it had always been here,” said Caton about her thoughtful renovation.

The kitchen features cherry cabinets, stainless appliances, double oven and a gas cooktop with hood and heat lamp. Stained glass windows with a tree of life motif were crafted by Jim Krieger of Designer Glass on Woodland Avenue.

A comfortable screened porch is accessible off the living room. “The Bermuda shutters on the porch make it very private,” Caton said. “We can sit out here and have our coffee in the morning in our pajamas.”

From the screened porch you can step out onto a stamped concrete patio and garden which continues into the back yard.

CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU

The stone wall across the front of the property is a more recent addition that was inspired by a trip to England.

“I had wanted a dry laid stone wall for a long time,” Caton said. “Then I ended up going to England for my job. There was a hamlet in Derbyshire called Milldale where all the houses were stone, and they all had stone fences.”

When Caton retired in 2012 after 25 years with Toyota, she got more serious about the wall and worked with noted Shakertown stone smith Eddie Anderson to complete the project.

“This house makes me happy every time I come in the driveway. It does still spark joy, as Marie Kondo would say.” Caton said. “I thought this was my forever home, but the lawn and garden are not quite big enough to do what I want to do now that I’m retired.”

Caton has actually looked into the logistics of moving the house to a new location. “I looked at taking it with me, but I decided it wasn’t practical,” Caton said. “That’s how much I like this house.”