Historic Locust Grove is a 55-

acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

18th-century farm site and

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

situated in eastern

Jefferson County, Kentucky Jefferson County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 782,969. It is the most populous county in the commonwealth (with more than twice the population of second ranked ...

in what is now

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

. The site is owned by the Louisville Metro government, and operated as a historic interpretive site by Historic Locust Grove, Inc. The main feature on the property is the ca. 1790

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

mansion that was the home of the Croghan family and gathering place for

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Ame ...

Lewis and Clark Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

, and

U.S. Presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in pa ...

. In addition to the mansion there is the Visitors Center that houses a gift shop, museum and meeting space. Dozens of African Americans were enslaved at Locust House by the Croghans between 1790 and 1849. At the peak of the farm’s operations in 1820, more than 40 enslaved people labored there.

History

The site was founded in 1790 by

William Croghan William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

and his wife Lucy Clark Croghan. The house and outbuildings were built by enslaved African Americans. Enslaved people also planted and harvested the crops, cooked the meals, made the family's clothing, washed their laundry, and were caregivers for the Croghan children. Lucy was the sister of

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

, former surveying partner of William Croghan and

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

. At its peak, the Locust Grove estate was nearly in size, and a small fraction of Croghan's extensive landholdings, which exceeded at his death in 1822. Tracing their way back from the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, on November 8, 1806,

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

and William Clark arrived at Locust Grove to a homecoming where Lucy Clark Croghan and her family welcomed them back from their journey. Locust Grove became the only residence still in existence west of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

to have sheltered Lewis and Clark. In the Fall of 2006, Locust Grove commemorated the 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark's return. George Rogers Clark lived at the site in the final years of his life, from 1809 to 1818. The property was adjacent to

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

, the home of Colonel Richard Taylor and his son, future U.S. President

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

. Following the death of William Croghan, the estate passed to John C. Croghan, notable for his purchase of

Mammoth Cave Mammoth Cave National Park is an American national park in west-central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. Since the 1972 unification of Mammoth Cave with the even-longer system under F ...

in 1838. In the winter of 1844, the enslaved

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

Stephen Bishop produced a map of Mammoth Cave. His map was published in 1845 and remained the most complete and accurate map of the period until modern survey techniques were applied in 1908. A significant epilogue to Bishop's story occurred in 1972, when a long-sought route connecting the caves of Flint Ridge and Mammoth Cave Ridge was discovered in an area which Bishop had mapped, but which had in the interim been almost completely flooded by the construction of a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

on the surface nearby: the area of the 20th Century connection route is shown on Bishop's 19th century map. It was declared a

in 1986, as one of the few surviving residences associated with George Rogers Clark. and

Gallery

Locust Grove closeup.JPG, Closeup of main house Locust Grove NE.JPG , Northeast view of main house Locust Grove SE.JPG, Southeast view of main house Locust Grove SW.JPG, Southwest view of main house Locust Grove 1815 Log Cabin.JPG, Log Cabin built around 1815 at the site Locust Grove Smokehouse.JPG, The smokehouse is the only other original building at Locust Grove Locust Grove Springhouse.JPG, Springhouse Locust Grove Springhouse 2.JPG, Springhouse Locust Grove Woodworking.JPG, Woodworking shed Locust Grove Visitor Center.JPG, Visitor Center

References

External links

Official Locust Grove website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Locust Grove Houses completed in 1790 18th-century buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky Houses in Louisville, Kentucky Parks in Louisville, Kentucky Museums in Louisville, Kentucky Tourist attractions in Louisville, Kentucky Local landmarks in Louisville, Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Louisville, Kentucky National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky Historic house museums in Kentucky Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky 1790 establishments in Virginia Plantations in Kentucky

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links