Mission:
Liberty Hall Historic Site (LHHS) serves as a learning center that engages the public in exploring the history, politics, social and cultural life of early Kentucky through the homes, gardens, documents, and artifacts of Senator John Brown and his family.
LHHS is jointly owned and operated by Liberty Hall, Inc. and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Kentucky Society is a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
History:
The history of what is now referred to as Liberty Hall Historic Site can be traced back to the great revolutionary war hero Patrick Henry and a grant he made in 1786. In that year, a young general of the Continental Army named James Wilkinson applied for and received a grant of land from then Virginia governor Patrick Henry for the land that is now downtown Frankfort. Wilkinson proceeded to lay out a town and name the streets for friends, famous persons, places and even himself. Wilkinson's original streets form the boundaries of three of the four sides of Liberty Hall Historic Site. Wilkinson Street is the front boundary and Main (originally Montgomery) and Wapping Streets are the side borders. Wilkinson ultimately sold the tract that is now Liberty Hall Historic Site to Frankfort resident Andrew Holmes. Holmes never lived on the property, choosing the neighboring tract across Wapping Street for his home. In 1796, Andrew Holmes sold the four acres that are now primarily Liberty Hall Historic Site to Kentucky's first United States Senator, John Brown.
When John Brown bought the property from Andrew Holmes, he began a residency that would last 41 years. The first several years of that residency were concerned with building Liberty Hall, the house John Brown would occupy until his death. The architect of Liberty Hall is unknown (John himself may have done some of the design) but it is clear that someone with great skill and understanding designed the Federal style home. It is, even now, one of the finest of its kind in the state and region. Construction began in 1796 with the clearing of timber for wood and the firing of bricks from clay excavated from the basement area and other sites. The construction continued until 1800 when the house was substantially complete, lacking only the glass windows for which a wax paper-like material was substituted. In 1800, John moved into the home, his wife and baby son joined him in the spring of 1801. At the same time, the contract for the windows was given to the Geneva Glassworks of Geneva, New York. The windows were completed and installed in 1803, finishing the house.
