Jacob Claar House

375-377 South Upper St., Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Built Before 1811

Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.

David Dodge, owner of Outlot M, on which he had one of the early hemp factories in the Town of Lexington, built this ancient double-house before 1811, as he sold it that year.

Dodge's "rope walk," in the rear of this block and extending from High to Maxwell, burned in 1806. He had opened Upper St. from High to "Maxwell's line," in 1804 (when probably he had just completed this house) and in 1805 began selling off lots along "Dodge Street," as it then was called.

The house here, with 122 feet frontage, was reserved, however, until 1811, when he sold it to Jacob Clair (Claar) for $2,000.

Clair removed to Mercer County and from there deeded the property to Gabriel Tandy and David Castleman in August, 1819, for the same price.

Thos. January purchased the house from Tandy and Castleman--also 55 feet adjoining to Maxwell St. (1818)--and the property remained 177 feet in deeds for several years.

January and wife, Mary, mortgaged the "house and lot" to James B. January and Benjamin Stout April 25, 1820 (together with Henderson County lands, including "Canoe Island" 65 acres, "Government of Kentucky Patent No. 730") with the bond annexed of Tandy and Castleman. The latter stated that "the house and lot on Upper St. adjoining a lot on the south-west deeded by us to January" was sold to him for $4,000.

The next deed was from Thos. January's heirs in October, 1835, to James G. McKinney (who became mayor in 1838). The "brick house and lot on Upper St." conveyed to January had been contested in court by David Castleman (vs. Eliza B. Rector, late January; Thos. January, Derrick January, Chas, January, Matilda January, and Sidney January, heirs of Thos. January, dec'd.; Edward P. Johnson, Wm. Johnson, Darwin Johnson, James Johnson, Richard Johnson, Nancy Johnson, Leonidas Johnson and Jemima Johnson, heirs of James Johnson, dec'd; Wm. S. Dallam, Richard M. Johnson and Charlton Hunt). Castleman won the suit and costs, and the hosue was sold at auction.

McKinney's deed states the frontage was 69 feet (which it is today) and that the line adjoined Chas. Wickliffe Sr. (carried along in deeds for long afterwards).

Nathaniel L. Turner purchased the house June 1, 1836, from McKinney and wife, Frances, and at once sold it to Geo. C. Timberlake.

Turner brought suit in 1838 against Timberlake, Jesse Bayles and James Taylor, and the house was sold at public sale again. John S. Hilton became the purchaser.

Hilton and wife, Isabella, conveyed the property to Thos. Hemmingway in February, 1843. Hemingway and wife, Jane, sold to Leo Tarlton in October 1846.

Tarlton, a planter (1859-60 Dir.) and wife, G. Augusta, after residing here for ten years, traded in 1856 to Joseph F. Miller for a house and lot on West Main Street. (1859-60 Dir.: Jos. F. Miller, sheet iron work & Pump Mfr., house, cor, Upper and Maxwell.

Joseph F. Miller and wife, Matilda, and John T. Miller and wife, Mary, made the conveyance of the Main Street house to Tarlton.

John T. Miller, his wife Mary H., and his mother, Matilda Miller, sold the house in 1883 to Mary M. Edmondson.

Some one in the past built the iron fence front and divided the home into two residences.

Transcribed by pb May 2003

Updated December 13, 2025.