City of Covington to restore historic Duveneck House

The City of Covington announced this week that it will begin planning work on restoring the Duveneck House in Covington, a historic home belonging to Frank Duveneck, a famous 19th and 20th century artist, sculptor and teacher.

The structure, which was placed on the National Historic Register in 2015, has been the subject of a nearly 8-year legal battle between the city and the house’s owner, The Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center. The city sued the center in February in order to gain control of what the city described as a “blighted building.”

The building contains numerous structural problems, most notably a large hole in the foundation. The city employed a legal tool called the “Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act,” created in 2022, to bring an action that appoints a conservator to take possession of and undertake the rehabilitation of an abandoned or blighted building. The Kenton County Circuit Court granted the city conservatorship on Sept. 6.

“We have all the powers, duties and rights of an owner to possess, control, rehabilitate and maintain the property, but we’re not the owner,” said acting Covington City Solicitor Frank Schultz.

The city budget has set aside $175,000 in federal funds, which does not draw from the local tax-funded city general fund, to complete work on the house, according to the city’s Neighborhood Service’s Department. The city is seeking additional grant monies to fund repairs.

“Our sole focus is to save the building and its history before it’s lost forever,” said Brandon Holmes, Covington’s neighborhood services director. “Hopefully, we have enough time to accomplish that.”

The court decision requires the city to give regular updates on the restoration progress.