My Old Kentucky Home State Park
My Old Kentucky Home State Park | |
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Location | Bardstown, Nelson, Kentucky, United States |
Coordinates | 37°48′23″N 85°27′25″W / 37.80639°N 85.45694°W |
Elevation | 643 ft (196 m)[1] |
Established | 1936[2] |
Governing body | Kentucky Department of Parks |
Website | My Old Kentucky Home State Park |
My Old Kentucky Home | |
Location | John Rowan |
Architectural style | Federal |
NRHP reference No. | 71000354[3] |
Added to NRHP | March 11, 1971 |
My Old Kentucky Home State Park is a
The farm is best known for its association with American composer Stephen Foster's[5] sentimental ballad. "My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night." Foster was a cousin of the Rowan family and reputedly an occasional visitor to Federal Hill, though Foster was likely inspired to write the ballad by Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.
After the popularity of the song increased throughout the United States, Federal Hill was purchased by the
Federal Hill
Federal Hill, commonly known as "My Old Kentucky Home", is a historic 7,501 square feet (696.9 m2) mansion that was planned and commissioned by
In 1839, the house suffered fire damage to the third story and roof. Carpenter Alexander Moore was hired to repair the damage, as he had worked on the design elements and woodwork in 1818. John Rowan Jr. occupied Federal Hill after the death of his father. When John Jr. died in 1855, his widow, Rebecca Carnes Rowan, occupied Federal Hill until 1897. The house then passed to their daughter, Madge (Rowan) Frost.[8]
In 1922, the "My Old Kentucky Home Commission" purchased Federal Hill from Madge Rowan Frost, the last heir of Federal Hill farm. The Commission renovated the property and gave the farm to the
Architecture
Federal Hill is designed in the
Auxiliary farm buildings associated with the mansion include the original springhouse. To the rear of the home the oldest section of residence can be seen. The ell consists of four rooms as well as the kitchen and smokehouse. The smokehouse was built as part of the existing structure, and not free-standing as is most often seen. The rear ell structure served as the first residence for the family while the primary residence was constructed. To the east of the house is the family burial ground. Behind the house is a modern flower garden. A burial ground of enslaved men, women, and children is located to the southwest of the mansion, adjacent to the site of the property's "sugar camp.". Documented but no longer existing buildings include multiple slave houses, a large stable due-west of the mansion, an ash house, and garden house.
State Park
The property was originally a State Historic Site, but it was passed to the Division of State Parks in 1936 with intentions to increase the amount of activities surrounding the historic mansion.
The mansion was renovated in 1977, and again in 2006. The 2006 renovation was funded by an anonymous donor. New floor coverings, elaborate wallpapers, and period window treatments were used to interpret the mansion to the period in which John Rowan Jr. occupied the mansion. The use of family letters, photos from the 1920s, and 1950s, assisted in the renovation.[11] The 2006 renovation cost nearly $1 million.[12] Tour guides dress in period costumes and as of 2015, the tour has been altered to include the singing of "My Old Kentucky Home" by tour guides, many of whom also play in The Stephen Foster Story, a musical that typically is performed daily at the park from May until August of every year. Throughout the year, various events are held at My Old Kentucky Home State Park. Special Christmas candlelight tours are offered during the holiday season each year in which the mansion is decorated for the holiday and is lit by candlelight.[13]
A new visitors center was added to the park in the 1990s, and houses a conference and wedding space, a giftshop, and kitchen. The gift shop contains Items concerning the park and the state of Kentucky, especially books by Kentucky authors and
State Quarter
On June 1, 1992, a 29-cent stamp was issued honoring the park.
The Stephen Foster Story and other outdoor productions
The park features an
Recently, the amphitheater has incorporated new musicals into its performance schedule, in addition to The Stephen Foster Story. In 2008, the amphitheater produced The Civil War in celebration of the Lincoln Bicentennial.[18] In 2009, a second musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, was staged. Other musicals have included The Wizard of Oz, and All Shook Up. In addition, the amphitheater hosts a summer concert series.[19]
See also
- List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Nelson County, Kentucky
- Kentucky portal
Notes
- ^ "My Old Kentucky Home State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "History". My Old Kentucky Home State Park. Kentucky Department of Parks. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-8131-6066-5.
- ^ "My Old Kentucky Home: A Song with a Checkered Past". studio360. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ "Stephen Foster Attractions". Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist & Convention Commission. 2010. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- ^ "American Experience - Stephen Foster - People & Events: Charlotte Susanna Foster, 1809–1829". PBS/WGBH. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Kleber, p. 712.
- ^ "My Old Kentucky Home State Park » The Architecture of My Old Kentucky Home". visitmyoldkyhome.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ Walker, p. 119.
- ^ a b Marsh, Betsa (November 22, 2006). "Federal Hill: Small town has Old Kentucky Home". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ Hewlett, Jennifer (November 20, 2006). "Old home, new finery for iconic Kentucky mansion". Lexington Herald-Leader.
- ^ a b "My Old Kentucky Home State Park". Commonwealth of Kentucky. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^ Chicago Sun-Times, May 31, 1992, p. 7
- ^ "Kentucky State Quarter - About the Kentucky State Quarter". netstate.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
- ^ Nold, p. 223.
- ^ Ikenberry, p. 83.
- ^ "The Civil War". Stephen Foster Productions. 2008. Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
- ^ "Concerts". The Stephen Foster Story. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
References
- Emerson, Ken (1998). Doo-dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80852-8.
- Ikenberry, Donna (1996). Bicycling Coast to Coast: A Complete Route Guide, Virginia to Oregon. Mountaineers. ISBN 0-89886-468-2.
- Kleber, John, ed. (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
- McIntosh, Lou Delle (1971). My Old Kentucky Home NRHP Nomination Form. Kentucky Dept. of State Parks.
- Nold, Chip (1997). Insiders' Guide to Louisville, Kentucky & Southern Indiana (2nd ed.). Globe Pequot. ISBN 1-57380-043-0.
- Walker, Patricia (2000). Directory of Historic House Museums in the United States. Rowman Altamira. ISBN 0-7425-0344-5.
External links
- My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Kentucky Department of Parks
- The Stephen Foster Story