The D. W. Griffith House is a historic building in La Grange,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was owned by movie director

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...

, who rose to fame with his movies ''

The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Cla ...

'' and ''

Intolerance Intolerance may refer to: * Hypersensitivity or intolerance, undesirable reactions produced by the immune system * ''Intolerance'' (film), a 1916 film by D. W. Griffith * ''Intolerance'' (album), the first solo album from Grant Hart, formerly o ...

''. The house was originally constructed in 1905 as a home for a Charles and Sue Smith, but it later became a funeral parlor. Griffith bought it as a residence for his mother Mary in 1913, who lived there until her death a year later. Afterward, Griffith's sister Ruth lived there until she died in 1934; then Griffith's brother and his family lived in the house. After D. W. Griffith married his second wife, they moved to the home in 1936, staying there until 1939 when Griffith went to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to work on a film. Griffith sold the house in 1940, but his niece lived there until 1950, when it was sold once again to be made into apartments. Griffith never returned to the area, not even to receive the honorary doctorate in literature the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

gave him in 1945. New owners in 1974 returned the house to a more home-like use.Mills Sec. 8 pg. 2, 3 Griffith had always considered La Grange his hometown, having spent his boyhood at a nearby farm until his mother had to sell it for debts left after his father died, and even signed in hotel registers as being from the town, no matter where he was actually living at the time. When Griffith died, as according to his will, his remains were returned to Oldham County and buried eight miles (13 km) south of La Grange in Mount Tabor Cemetery,

Centerfield, Kentucky Centerfield is an unincorporated community in Oldham County, Kentucky, United States. It is a small suburban community that lies approximately 4 miles northeast of Crestwood on KY Highway 22 and approximately 6.5 miles southwest of La Grange. ...

, where his family had a plot. The house today remains privately owned, but is considered a historic attraction. The current owners have lived there since 1983. Several items related to Griffith furnish the house. At the end of the sidewalk by the house one can still see the signature Griffith made in the concrete.McKinney, Helen. '
Crestwood home tour showcases historic homes, public attractions
''Roundabout Madison'' (November 2006)

References

{{Authority control Houses completed in 1905 National Register of Historic Places in Oldham County, Kentucky Houses in Oldham County, Kentucky Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky D. W. Griffith 1905 establishments in Kentucky Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Kentucky La Grange, Kentucky