Edwards Hall, located on a knoll overlooking Goebel Ave in

Elkton, Kentucky Elkton is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Todd County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,062 at the 2010 census. History The city was founded by Major John Gray and established by the state assembly in 1820. It is ...

, was built around 1821 by Benjamin Edwards. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1974.

History

Edwards Hall is a large and stately two-story brick residence that was built in 1821 by former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Maryland Benjamin Edwards. He was a member of a prominent family, including his brother,

John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...

, who represented Kentucky in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

before Kentucky became a state and helped Kentucky attain statehood, was elected to both houses of the State Legislature, and was one of the first two

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

s to represent Kentucky. Benjamin's eldest son, Ninian Beall Edward, was the Chief Justice of the

Kentucky Court of Appeals The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky. The ...

before serving as Governor and

for

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Ninian Wirt Edwards Ninian Wirt Edwards (April 15, 1809 – September 2, 1899) was an American politician. Born in Sangamon County, Illinois, Edwards was the son of Ninian Edwards (who served as territorial and state governor of Illinois). He was married to E ...

, Benjamin's grandson and Ninian's son, was the first superintendent of public instruction in Illinois and was elected to the

Illinois State Legislature The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818 ...

several times. He married Elizabeth Todd, the sister of

Mary Todd Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also cal ...

, who met, courted and married

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

in the younger Edwards' home. Benjamin Helm Bristow, a great-grandson of Benjamin Edwards' (through his daughter Mary (née Edwards) Helm and granddaughter Emily (née Helm) Bristow), was born at Edwards Hall. A son of U.S. Representative from Kentucky and businessman

Francis Bristow Francis Marion Bristow (August 11, 1804 – June 10, 1864) was a United States representative from Kentucky and businessman. He was born in Clark County, Kentucky. He pursued preparatory studies and studied law. He was admitted to the bar and co ...

, Benjamin Helm Bristow served as the first Solicitor General and the

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

under President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

Architectural details

The front façade is three bays in width and each of the two end bays has four shuttered windows. The central bay is gabled and has two identical double doors, one above the other, with a narrow window above the second story door. Each of the double doors has glass sidelights and a glass transom. The first floor doorway is flanked by period lighting and opens into a low porch that has a wrought iron railing; while the second floor doorway opens onto a balcony with identical wrought iron trim.

National Register of Historic Places

The building was meticulously restored approximately around 1940 and upon its nomination to the

, it was in excellent condition.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in Todd County, Kentucky Houses completed in 1821 1821 establishments in Kentucky Houses in Todd County, Kentucky Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Elkton, Kentucky

History

Architectural details

National Register of Historic Places

See also

References