What does history mean to you? For us here in Kentucky, history is something that we continue to live out and celebrate every day; it's not an event relegated to the past. From the Old Talbott Tavern and My Old Kentucky Home, two historic Bardstown legends, to the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, one of the most famous Civil War sites in the South, history is alive and well in the Bluegrass. Just outside Louisville, there is a homestead that's as historic as it is hauntingly beautiful, and it makes for a delightful day trip during the fall in Kentucky.
Situated on 55 rolling acres six miles upriver from downtown Louisville, there is a commanding Georgian mansion that harkens back to the early days of Kentucky.
This is Locust Grove, a beautiful Bluegrass homestead that tells the story of its owners, William and Lucy Clark Croghan. In the late 1700s, William Croghan arrived in the Kentucky territory with George Rogers Clark, his future brother-in-law (and Louisville's founder), in order to survey the territory.
They settled at what is now known as Locust Grove. The house was built by enslaved workers, and the farm was cultivated by some 30 to 45 enslaved workers through the Croghan family's tenure.
In 1792, the family welcomed a cast of American trailblazers to their home to rest, dialogue, campaign, and duel. Presidents James Monroe and Andrew Jackson, John James Audubon, Cassius Marcellus Clay, and Lewis and Clark -- and others -- all passed through Locust Grove.
The homestead was also the site of a duel between Kentucky statesman Cassius Marcellus Clay and Robert Wickliffe. Locust Grove, in short, has a long and storied history that's garnered it National Historic Landmark status and a coveted spot in the "iconic Kentucky history" canon.
It's also a place that's long captured the imaginations of curious Kentuckians and historians, and in the fall, when the farmstead is enveloped by changing foliage and foggy haze, there's nowhere more hauntingly beautiful in Kentucky.
Locust Grove hosts numerous events during the autumn months, from fall festivals to historic reenactments and artisan fairs.
The farm is also open to visitors daily, its grounds a fascinating place to wander and explore. (Guided house tours of the stately Georgian mansion are available as well.)
Locust Grove played an important role in Kentucky -- and American -- history, and is one of those day trips everyone ought to take at least once. However, once you visit this fascinating farmstead, we guarantee you'll find yourself returning, especially as the leaves continue to change in Kentucky!
Have you explored Locust Grove before? This hauntingly beautiful homestead in Louisville, Kentucky, is a wonderful day trip destination anytime of the year, but especially in the fall.
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