This stately home, located at 1026 Russell Street was constructed in the 1820s is one of the oldest standing buildings in Kenton County. The home was constructed by Alfred Sanford in the Federal Style. Since that time, the design of the building was changed to reflect the Second French Empire Style.

Alfred Sanford was the son of General Thomas Sanford (1762-1808) a Virginia native who came to Kentucky in 1792. Thomas Sanford was a member of the Kentucky State Legislature and was a representative to the Second Constitutional Convention in 1799. Thomas Sanford also served in the United States Congress from 1803 to 1807. He had three sons, Alexander, Alfred and Cassius B. (a long-time mayor of Covington).

The Sanford home remained in the Sanford family until 1835, when it was purchased by the Western Baptist Theological Institute. The institute used the building as a home for its president. The institute closed in the 1850s, and the Sanford home was sold. For a time it was used as an exclusive boarding school for girls. Eventually the building was divided into numerous apartments.

The Sanford home was purchased by Dan and Linda Carter in 1988. At that time, the building was in disarray – it had no heating, plumbing or electricity. The Carter’s lovingly restored the structure, and in 1990, opened it as the Sanford House Bed and Breakfast.

Biographical Encyclopedia of Kentucky (1878), p. 128; Kentucky Post, June 12, 1991, p. 9K and December 23, 1992, p. 1KK.