The property has two separate buildings; the Dugan Residence and the Riverboat House 
Scroll down for photos and more information
Click HERE for photos and description the interior of the Dugan Residence.
   This view of the Dugan Residence was taken from a boat on the river, and shows the terrace and boat dock.
 

 This view of the Dugan Resdence provides a close-up of the house and spacious verandah. The covered verandah wraps around the south and east sides of the house.

 

The view from the verandah is a spectacular panorama of inarguably the most spectacular view of the Ohio for hundreds of miles.
   This photo shows folks enjoying the fantastic river views from the riverside terrace. The area in the distance is known locally as "Stoney Point".
Click on the link below for a historical perspective on Higginsport and Stoney Point

Link to Stoney Point

Click HERE for photos and description the interior of the Dugan Residence.
The Dugan Residence
The Dugan Residence was constructed in 1830 by Jessee Dugan, a prominent Higginsport merchant and river trader . In the 1880 history of Brown County, the Dugan enterprise was listed as being involved in the purchase and sale of tobacco, paints, varnishes and other "fancy goods". The Dugan Residence is the first brick home built in the village of Higginsport. When the home was first constructed, it served both as the Dugan family residence as well as the store. The large living room was initially the store. As the Dugan businesses expanded, a large one-story warehouse that connected to the Dugan Residence was added. That building was subsequently removed. The rock walls in the expansive garden area are foundation of that long-gone building.

Following the death of Jessee's widow, ownership of the home changed hands several times. The beautiful front porch is not original to the house, but was added circa 1900 by John E. Lyons, the then-owner of the home.

The Village of Higginsport has seen several floods in the past, with the worst flood of record occurring in 1937 when river levels topped 80 ft. In the 1937 flood, the verandah, and summer kitchen, as well as the warehouse once attached to the Dugan Residence was seriously damaged and subsequently torn down. In the 1960's former owners of the property excavated bricks from the destroyed warehouse and reconstructed the summer kitchen from the old brick. In 1999 the current owners completed restoration of the stately Dugan Residence structure, restoring it to its original grandeur, and replaced the verandah.
The second floor of the Dugan Residence has four spacious bedrooms (each with its own private bathroom). The bedrooms are beautifully decorated in a Victorian motif, and furnished with antiques. Each bedrom is also equipped with a mini-kitchen (microwave, coffee pot, small refrigerator, dishes and utinsels) that render the rooms suitable to overnight or weekeend accommodations. In addition to the tasteful Period furnishings, each room is supplied with a full array of bedding and towels (approximate replacement cost of bedding and towels alone is $500 per room).

The Riverboat House

The Riverboat House is located on the same property as the Dugan Residence. The photo below provides a perspective of the distance between the two buildings, and the proximity to the river.
Click HERE for photos and description the interior of the Riverboat House.
 
In this photo the Dugan Residence is on the right, and a portion of the Riverboat House and its Upper Level Deck can be seen at the left, and depicts the proximity of the two buildings.

 

 This photo is a view of the Riverboat House from the west, showing both the upper and lower decks .

 

The area below the upper deck is an enclosed garage and garden shed.
   This photo shows a view of the Riverboat House from the east as well as a view of the Dugan Residence on the left side of the photo.

Click HERE for photos and description the interior of the Riverboat House.

The Riverboat House is a large (110 ft. x 35 ft) two-story all-brick structure originally built to serve as a merchant building. The Riverboat House, like the Dugan Residence, was constructed of bricks made in Higginsport in the 1840's. In its long history, the Riverboat House has served many purposes, including shipping and receiving goods off the river during Higginsport's heyday as a booming river town. Some folks have told us that during the period of segregated schools (mid-late 1800's) space in the building was rented to serve as the black children's school, although this information is not confirmed. Tobacco, pork bellies, grain, lumber and other trade goods were once housed in this historic structure. At one time, the Riverboat House was used to build and repair riverboats and the steam engines that propelled them. In later years, it was used for storage, and as the base of operations for now long-gone the Brookbank Coal Yard. When we purchased the property, the badly damaged and rusted remnants of the trestle that was used to offload coal from barges were still present, and needed to be removed for safety reasons.

There were at one time some 17 such structures in Higginsport, though not all of them were constructed of brick. The Riverboat House is the only such structure still standing in the village.

During the years 1997 through 2005 a massive renovation project was undertaken on this historic building, which had seen little maintenance for a number of years. The interior of the Riverboat House was totally renovated, and now contains spacious and comfortable guest ccommodations. The Riverboat House accommodations have in the past been utilized as overnight or weekend accommodations and are currently being rented for short term stays on a weekly basis. Each of the units is fully furnished including bedding, linnens, towels and all cooking utinsels.

During the renovation process, the large building - once an entirely open area, was divided into spacious guest accommodations, and two large decks were added. Each of the accommodations in the Riverboat House offers a large living area in addition to sleeping rooms. All of the accommodations in the Riverboat House have full kitchens in addition to the bedrooms and living areas. The interior construction of the Riverboat House is new, and was completed in a manner complementing the character of the building. All accommodations have 10+ ft. ceilings and an air of spaciousness. Each of the Riverboat House accommodations has a private outside entrance. The Riverboat House accommodations have direct access to the spacious decks with great river views.

All of the accommodations in this building are. like the Dugan Residence, fully furnished and fully equipped with all necessities of life, and ready to rent for overnight or weekly guests.

The Riverboat House is climate controlled by a central heat-pump system with supplementary electric heat. The building has a single electric, water and sewer connection and a single cable TV service. Guests staying in the Riverboat House can access wireless internet through a local network.
Click HERE for photos and description the interior of the Riverboat House.