Division of St. John Historic District

The unusual layout of the town dates from 1813, and is deemed a

The listing included 170

A local landmark in the district is the

"Collins employed an unusual urban planning scheme in laying out the district.

Each block, measuring 360 f®6*1 square f was created with a small central square which connected to the street system by alleyways. These areas of 120 feet square were to be held in common.* They became known as oxlots, undoubtedly because farmers and merchants, would tether oxen and livestock within the sites. Today the oxlots constitute more than nine acres of open space within the urban area.

The ox lots continue to play a major role in Covington's historical landscape as a unique urban design. The 20 blocks within the current district boundaries were all planned with ox lots. Of these, only 2 blocks contain large intrusions. The surviving 18 ox lots have varying degrees of encroachment, with nine largely unintruded upon (Photos 2, 3, & 4), and one completely pristine. Therefore, this unusual resource remains over 60% intact.

The mere survival of these urban spaces is remarkable, as they could have been easily eliminated or obliterated. Careful evaluation of the existing encroachments reveals that the ox lots are still essentially open, and have retained their confined, semi-naturalistic character. These spaces are a major component of "Covington's cultural and historical assets, which must be recognized in the unifying pattern of architecture and the landscape."

"Extant buildings are post-1880 due to two major fires which destroyed much of the district. Subsequent redevelopment booms in the lumber and "ozone" resort industries precipitated architectural growth in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.