Wilkins Homes ( 3 of 4) - George F. Barber Design

Campbellsburg grew around a grist mill established by John T.C. Wilkins in 1859. Additional mills followed, and by the town’s incorporation in 1875, Campbellsburg’s bustling downtown included commercial buildings, three hotels, three churches, a railroad depot, a bank, and a school.

This home was established from the designs of George Barber, a Tennessee architect whose designs filled mail-order catalogs in the in the 1890s. Known for his exuberant Queen Anne-style houses, Barber’s plans regularly featured turrets, balconies, porches, projecting windows, arches, and gingerbread trim.

Today this group of four surviving houses constitutes a rare concentration of Barber homes in a small-town setting. Their existence has attracted the attention of Barber enthusiasts around the country, due, in part, to the eye-catching restoration of the James Wilkins house, which operated for years as a bed and breakfast.