History of Bourbon Manor
Bourbon Manor has not always been an award-winning bed and breakfast inn. This historic property in Bardstown, KY has quite a colorful history dating back to the 18th century.
In the late 1770’s, early Kentucky pioneer settler Colonel Samuel Bealmear received 3,000 as a land grant due to his rank and service in the Revolutionary War. The land surrounded “Colonel James Roger’s (Fort) Station,” established in 1780. Colonel Bealmear’s oldest daughter, Ruth and her husband, Joseph Brown were gifted 950 acres (of the original 3,000 Bealmear homestead), along with construction of their first home, presently known as Bourbon Manor’s Federal House Cottage, circa 1810 – as the wedding gift from her parents. Thanks to their agricultural success with tobacco and hemp farming, as well as their well-known swine operation, producing cured country hams that supplied the fine southern hotels downtown Louisville, the couple was able to build the stately Greek Revival Manor, circa 1820-1823, and officially named “Oaklawn Plantation.” The architect of the Manor was Joseph’s brother, James Marshall Brown, an apprentice under highly-regarded Baltimore Architect, John Rogers. He was one of the original architects of the White House in Washington D.C. He was encouraged to come to Bardstown, Kentucky by U.S. Senator John Rowan, who saw the grand mansions that were being built in our nation’s capital. John Rogers is credited for such fine historic structures as Federal Hill, circa 1816-1818 (My Old Kentucky Home), Wickland, circa 1816-1820 (Home of 3 Governors), and the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, circa 1816-1819 – all beautiful, grand architectural gems located in Bardstown.
During the Civil War, the Manor’s cupola was used as a lookout point and the Mansion served as Headquarters to Confederate Major General William J. Hardee, September and October 1862, involving 28,000 troops, leading up to the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky’s bloodiest battle during the Civil War. After that battle, homes and churches were converted to field hospitals for the 7,500 troops that were lost or wounded, including the Manor.
