Ben Johnson House, Historic residence in Bardstown, Kentucky, United States
Ben Johnson House is a brick residence built in Greek Revival style, featuring a columned portico on its west-facing side. The three-acre property includes a Victorian gazebo, a cylindrical smokehouse, and several other contributing structures from the 1850s.
The house was built in 1851 for William Johnson, a state senator who later served as lieutenant governor of Kentucky. His son Ben Johnson inherited the property and went on to become a United States congressman.
The property reveals how prosperous families organized their daily lives in the 1850s, with separate buildings serving different household functions. The arrangement of structures across the grounds reflects the social standing this family held in the local community.
The property is located on North 3rd Street in Bardstown and can be viewed from the road. Multiple historic buildings sit across the grounds, so plan time to walk around and see the different structures.
During the American Civil War, the property served as shelter for Confederate fugitives. General John Hunt Morgan and officer Thomas Hines found refuge here in 1863 after escaping from a state prison in Ohio.
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