Our two buildings; the Dugan Residence and the Riverboat House 

 Dugan Residence

  Riverboat House

The Dugan Residence
The Dugan Residence is the private home of your hosts, Andy & Judy Lloyd . Our grandkids are frequent weekend guests. The Guest Rooms are located on the second floor, and we have our own living space on the first floor. On weekends, B&B guests are served a family-style breakfast in the Dugan Residence's brick-floored kitchen, with a lovely view of the Ohio River.

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 in our private quarters was initially the store. As the Dugan businesses expanded, a large one-story warehouse that connected to the Dugan Residence was added. The rock walls in our expansive garden area are foundation of that 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 been the victim of repetitive flooding, with the worst flood of record occurring in 1937 when river levels topped 80 ft. (for more information on floods, follow this link). 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 Dugan Residence boasts four spacious guest bedrooms on the second floor (each with it's own priivate bathroom), that are available to overnight guests on weekends.

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.
 
To see full size panoramic view, click here		  In the photo, to the left, 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.
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 2002 massive repairs were implemented to the old 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 accommodations. The Riverboat House accommodations are available for overnight, weekend or weekly stays. The Riverboat House accommodations are also available for temporary lodging (21 or more continuous nights) purposes with advance arrangement.

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.

Whether the occasion is an overnight, weekend or other getaways for individual couples, a weekly rental for a couple or family on vacation, for a church group or other meeting, or for a reunion for your entire family, you will find the Riverboat House accommodations roomy, private, and tastefully appointed.

For guests seeking a private getaway, the Riverboat House accommodations provide the "best of both worlds". You can relax in total privacy in your own "personal space" or enjoy the delightful outdoor areas, as your preference dictates.