A Brief History of the Ellis-Neville / Lee Baskett House
Address: 3925 U.S. Highway 60 East
Built in 1914 by Lee Baskett, a prosperous Henderson County farmer, the stately white brick home originally stood at the heart of a 420–450 acre farm along the Spottsville Road (now U.S. 60). Baskett, described in period newspapers as one of the most progressive farmers in western Kentucky, raised wheat, tobacco, and livestock, and invested in modern machinery and silos. His farm featured a large artificial lake stocked with fish, barns, and manicured groves—earning frequent praise in The Gleaner for its beauty and productivity.
Baskett, along with his friend James C. Ellis, helped launch the Dade Park Jockey Club, the forerunner of today’s Ellis Park racetrack. Despite his early success, Baskett struggled financially in the 1920s and lost the farm during bankruptcy. In 1929, Ellis purchased the “home farm” at auction for about $55,000, but allowed Baskett to continue living there.
By the 1930s, Ellis leased the mansion to Judith Montgomery and Estella Spence, who opened the Montgomery-Spence Tea Room, later simply known as the Spence Tea Room. Newspaper articles from the 1940s describe the house’s hilltop setting as a perfect backdrop for country dinners, social gatherings, and race-day parties tied to nearby Ellis Park.
The Tea Room became a beloved Henderson landmark, known for fried chicken dinners, wedding receptions, and graduation celebrations. Estella Spence ran the Tea Room until her death in June 1952, after which her sister announced the business would be sold. That summer, Montgomery took over full management, briefly renaming it the Montgomery Tea Room.
Clippings from 1952 and 1953 confirm that the house remained a well-known hospitality site, frequently visited by travelers, Ellis Park patrons, and notable figures from the region.
By the 1960s, the house’s identity as a Tea Room faded, and the property returned primarily to agricultural use. A 1965 public auction notice listed farm machinery for sale at the “Old Spence Tea Room” farm, then owned by Joe King, marking the end of its mid-century chapter as a community gathering place.
Over the decades, the farm passed through several owners. By the late 20th century, the property had been reduced from its original hundreds of acres to a smaller but still impressive estate. The home and its outbuildings, including barns and garages, were documented in the Kentucky Historic Resources Survey (HE-36) and recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places due to both its architectural merit and its association with Baskett and Ellis.
In the late 20th century, the property was owned by Paul Nevel, who updated the home with new insulation and 62 replacement windows. After sitting vacant for nearly a decade, the house was purchased in 2010 by Joe Hopper and Shannon Hendricks, who undertook a two-year renovation.
They renamed the estate Salto De Fe (“Leap of Faith”), a nod to the risk of restoring the long-neglected property. Hopper and his family modernized the kitchen and baths, added a carport and patios, refinished the barn, and preserved much of the home’s original woodwork and detailing. The renovation returned the house to its former grandeur while adapting it for contemporary living.
Set on 14 acres with its lake and barn intact, the house remains one of Henderson County’s most striking historic residences. Locals still remember it fondly as the Spence Tea Room, while its farming legacy ties it to the county’s agricultural and cultural heritage. For current owner Joe Hopper, however, the estate is simply “my favorite place in the whole world”—a home rooted in history, community, and family life.
