Old Louisville Victorian blend rich history with personal treasures

New York native Susan Eichenberger moved to Louisville in 1976, often driving from her home in Green Spring to the now-closed Kentucky Psychoanalytic Institute on South Third Street.

"I would drive around Old Louisville … and I just wanted to live (here)," she recalled. "It has a feeling."

In 2002, she saw a for-sale sign in front of a beautiful home with arched windows and immediately requested a tour. Upon stepping through the front door, she had only one thing to say: "This house is mine."

House of history

The land on which the home sits was originally sold to Amelia Hendrick Benedict on June 28, 1889, for $1,500. Amelia's daughter, Nina, was the head of the art department of Atherton High School for Girls, a member of the Louisville Art Association, and president of the Louisville Handicraft Guild. She is listed in the 1926 edition of "Who's Who in Louisville."

In 1906, the home was sold to Louis Summers, a secret service agent during President Grover Cleveland's administration. The home passed through seven more owners — including a music supervisor for the Jefferson County Board of Education and a vice president and general manager of The Brown Hotel — before Eichenberger moved in.

She and her late husband, John, lived in the home until his passing in 2010. After a few years of living alone, Eichenberger met and married Stanley Sternberg. Like John, Sternberg is a retired professor from Michigan. And like Eichenberger, Sternberg's late wife was a psychotherapist from New York.

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"Everything just fits in a lovely way," Eichenberger exclaimed. "I look around and feel very much at home."

Cherished collections

The Victorian abode is filled with fragments of family history, including everything from photos and paintings to furniture pieces and a mezuzah , a piece of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which Jews affix in a small case to the doorposts of their homes, at each doorway. There are also multiple minerals of all shapes and sizes displayed throughout.

Eichenberger explains that Sternberg has been collecting minerals for more than 40 years. There are countless pieces throughout the home, with the largest collection set in a glass case in the living room.

Sternberg is also a gifted artist. Several of his works adorn the walls, including one above a 1920s piano that belonged to Eichenberger's aunt. It depicts two people off in the distance, sitting on a park bench in Dexter, Michigan.

"It's about the eternal life of the landscape," Sternberg said of the painting that is a tribute to his late wife. "The people in the landscape are only temporary."

Everything the couple has added to the home over the years seamlessly blends with its overall aesthetic, complementing original elements such as the locks and working doorbell, solid-wood pocket doors, and intact fireplaces.

There are also elements that are not original to the home, but remnants from earlier eras.

"These draperies are actually from the previous owner," Eichenberger said of the sheer, floral window coverings. "They've been here 25 years now."

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The dining room chandelier was also left behind by the last owner. Eichenberger kept it because it fits perfectly in the space, which is anchored by a large 1960s wall unit she brought from New York.

"It's moved with me to every place (I've lived)," she said, adding that she had it marbleized several years ago by someone on Bardstown Road. "It just fits here, like it was made for (the space)."

Gardens and gatherings

Outside, the property boasts a three-car detached garage, multiple ponds, brick-and-stone walkways, and perennial gardens that were added in 1991. Eichenberger recently converted one of the ponds into a small babbling brook to maintain a steady flow of water.

"It runs all year long," she exclaimed, "even in the snow."

Though the spacious backyard is still a peaceful oasis in the wintertime, Eichenberger says it's positively beautiful in the spring, when everything is in bloom. In fact, the garden has been on the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour twice and served as a party venue about six months ago.

"I had a big event here over the summer to welcome our new rabbi and his wife," Eichenberger said. "We had a garden party in the backyard, and Kobbe (from Walnut Ridge Nurseries ) did it up. It was unbelievable."

Both the backyard and the home itself have served as venues for various parties and receptions and will likely host many more special events and moments.

"My whole life passes in front of me when I'm here," Eichenberger said.

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In addition to relishing the photos and other mementos set in every corner of the abode, she enjoys being in a house and part of a neighborhood that's steeped in history.

"New houses can be beautiful, but they're not like this," she exclaimed. "I want people to see what you can do with a house to make it feel like home in a historic place. I love it."

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

nuts & bolts 

Owners: Susan Eichenberger and Stanley Sternberg. Eichenberger is a psychotherapist in private practice, and Sternberg is a retired professor from the University of Michigan. Also in the home are Shih Tzus Tessa and Shayna.

Home: This is a four-bed, two-and-a-half-bath, 2,700-square-foot Victorian home in Old Louisville. It was built in 1890.

Distinctive elements:Four fireplaces and mantels; arched windows; and renovated bathrooms.

Applause! Applause!Tom Boone and his crew, who have been invaluable in caring for the historic home; rugs by Anabel's Oriental Rugs; painting by Sherry Wright; mineral collection and stained glass windows brought from Michigan by Sternberg; gardens maintained by Kobbe from Walnut Ridge Nurseries; ponds by Ron at Economy Aquatics. 

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Old Louisville Victorian home blends history and personal treasures