Botherum was built for Madison C. Johnson in 1850 or 1851 (sources vary) by

John McMurtry John McMurtry may refer to: * John McMurtry (academic), professor of philosophy at the University of Guelph * John McMurtry (architect) John McMurtry (September 13, 1812 – March 3, 1890) was a 19th-century American builder and architect who w ...

, a well-known architect and builder based in Lexington. The house was intended, in part, as a shrine to Johnson's late wife Sally Ann, a sister of Cassius Marcellus Clay who died giving birth in 1828. Although McMurtry was known for his

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

, and is credited with establishing the popularity of that style in central Kentucky, Botherum shows an unusual combination of Greek, Roman, and Gothic architectural elements. A large ginkgo tree that stands on the property is said to have been a gift to Johnson from

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...

. The original 36-acre estate faced High Street, but the house now sits on a 3/4 acre lot and is approached from Madison Place, to the side. In 1886, Johnson's heirs sold the estate to J. C. Woodward, who subdivided much of it into Woodward Heights, selling the lots individually. John Cavendish owned the house from 1983 until 2012, and in the mid-1980s he added a high stone wall that hides the single-story house from the street and a two-story guest house. The home was featured i
Southern Living
magazine in 2017 and is described b
Jon Carloftis

Notes

{{NRHP Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Neoclassical architecture in Kentucky Houses completed in 1851 1851 establishments in Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Lexington, Kentucky Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Kentucky Houses in Lexington, Kentucky