New owners are giving the former Tuska House a lengthy renovation
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The porch and exterior of the former Tuska House received a facelift before the cooler winter months.
A landmark in the Aylesford neighborhood, as well as in the Lexington artist community, is undergoing an extensive and exciting restoration. At the corner of Central and Old Park avenues, there is noticeable activity in the form of carpenters, painters and other artisans at the Tuska House, formerly the home of artist John Tuska and his family for many years.
John Regis Tuska came to Lexington from New York and made an indelible name for himself as a remarkable artist and educator. In addition to receiving wide acclaim in his own career as an artist, Tuska also guided art students at the University of Kentucky through courses in drawing, painting, sculpture and ceramics. As an instructor, he became mentor to scores of artists, many of whom still live in the area and count Tuska as a major influence. His artwork is widely collected, and a particularly beautiful collection of his signature figures in bronze graces the Fine Arts building on Rose Street on the UK campus.
The Tuska family – his wife, Miriam, and sons Seth and Stephen – moved to the unique house in 1975. Seth, in high school at the time, remembers the move. “I finally got to have my own room, and the basement was really cool.”
The family dubbed the house “The Breakers.” For some years after the death of his parents, Seth made the home a museum to exhibit his father’s work and to share the family’s collection. The house became known as Tuska House and for many years was open for tours and events, such as poetry readings, luncheons, and was a meeting place for cultural arts lovers.
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Home owners Miles Palis and Lee King.
“We are very aware of the history of the house,” says Miles Palis, a software engineer at Lexmark and the home’s new owner. “Nearly every day someone stops by out of curiosity to see what we are doing to the house, and many have great stories and recollections to share.”
Palis and his partner, Lee King, were looking at another property to buy when they happened to turn down Old Park Avenue and saw the For Sale sign in the front yard of the Tuska House. They were taken with what they saw on the outside, and after viewing the home’s interior, they were swept with the house’s potential.
Prior to purchasing the building, the couple had the house checked out to see if restoring the structure was going to be feasible. After a thorough look around, it was determined that the house needed a considerable amount of work, but all agreed it had “good bones.” Palis and King took the plunge and purchased the property in August.
“That’s when the fun began,” Palis explained. “There was a lot that needed work, plus, we kept discovering new things. Another year without repair and the house may have been too far gone and too expensive to bring back, but we have great people working with us and everyone is committed to returning the house to its former glory.”
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King had one rule when hiring sub contractors to work on what was to be her new home. “The people I interviewed had to love the house like we did. If people grumbled or reacted like the house wasn’t worth the hard work needed, we didn’t hire them. But if they really got it and saw the potential and were passionate about it, we knew they would work out.”
The couple has already moved into the residence while the work is being completed. They turned the second floor into cozy and suitable living quarters during the renovations, adding a kitchen and laundry and creating a den and bedroom out of existing rooms. They plan to live there as they take the house through three phases of renovations over the course of time.
“First we wanted to get the outside repaired and structurally sound, and also give it a cosmetic facelift with fresh paint and new colors. We replaced the roof and had new box gutters made,” Palis said.
“We also have had a lot of work done to restore the dome,” he added referring to one of the most striking features of the house.
Tuska House has many unusual architectural elements that set the house apart from the other residences in the neighborhood, such as the wrap-around porch furnished with unusual wood railing and pillars and crowned with the aforementioned dome. On the inside, the couple uncovered three ornately tiled fireplaces on the first floor during renovations, one of which has a split, two-column chimney which outlines a stained glass window.
“We just got a great vibe from the house right off the bat,” Palis said. “Our plan has never been to change the house. There is no big redesign. We aren’t coming in to knock down walls and change it all. We just want to return it to its former glory and honor the history of the house.”
“We know we have a real treasure here,” King added enthusiastically.