Mary Todd Lincoln House
Encyclopedia
Mary Todd Lincoln House at 578 West Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky
, USA, was the family home of the future first lady
and wife of the 16th President, Mary Todd Lincoln
. The three story home was the home of Robert S. Todd and his family. The family moved to the home in 1832. Mary Todd lived in this home till 1839 when she moved to Springfield, Illinois.
The house was built c.1803-1806 as an inn
and tavern
which was called "The Sign of the Green Tree" before its purchase by the Todd family. Todd was the president of the Lexington Branch of the Bank of Kentucky and also served in the Kentucky General Assembly
for 24 years. He was actively involved in the grocery business in Lexington as well as a cotton-manufacturing firm.
, along with Kentucky Mansions Preservation Foundation, Inc., and the Metropolitan Women's Club of Lexington, was responsible for the preservation and restoration of the Mary Todd Lincoln House. In June 1996, the Beula C. Nunn Garden at the Mary Todd Lincoln House was dedicated and opened to the public. Today the enclosed gardens contain trees, plants, herbs and shrubs that represent what may have been in the gardens at the Todd home in the early nineteenth century. The gardens are cared for by the Lexington Soil Mates Garden Club and the Bluegrass Herb Guild.
The home is open to the public.
was a working girl in a bawdy house, run by Jenny Hill, located in this building starting in 1879, before becoming a madam
in her own right. Brezing is widely credited as being an inspiration for the character of Belle Watling in Gone With The Wind
.
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, USA, was the family home of the future first lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
and wife of the 16th President, Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Ann Lincoln was the wife of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and was First Lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865.-Life before the White House:...
. The three story home was the home of Robert S. Todd and his family. The family moved to the home in 1832. Mary Todd lived in this home till 1839 when she moved to Springfield, Illinois.
The house was built c.1803-1806 as an inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
and tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
which was called "The Sign of the Green Tree" before its purchase by the Todd family. Todd was the president of the Lexington Branch of the Bank of Kentucky and also served in the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
for 24 years. He was actively involved in the grocery business in Lexington as well as a cotton-manufacturing firm.
Historic status
The Mary Todd Lincoln house has the distinction of being the first historic site restored in honor of a First Lady. The home is operated by the Kentucky Mansions Preservation Foundation, Inc. and was opened to the public on June 9, 1977.Museum
In the mid-1970s, Beula C. Nunn, wife of Governor Louie B. NunnLouie B. Nunn
Louie Broady Nunn was the 52nd governor of Kentucky. Elected in 1967, he was the first Republican elected to that office since Simeon Willis in 1943 and the last to hold it until the election of Ernie Fletcher in 2003....
, along with Kentucky Mansions Preservation Foundation, Inc., and the Metropolitan Women's Club of Lexington, was responsible for the preservation and restoration of the Mary Todd Lincoln House. In June 1996, the Beula C. Nunn Garden at the Mary Todd Lincoln House was dedicated and opened to the public. Today the enclosed gardens contain trees, plants, herbs and shrubs that represent what may have been in the gardens at the Todd home in the early nineteenth century. The gardens are cared for by the Lexington Soil Mates Garden Club and the Bluegrass Herb Guild.
The home is open to the public.
Unusual history
Lexington madame Belle BrezingBelle Brezing
Belle Brezing was a nationally known madam in Lexington, Kentucky at the end of the 19th century and into the beginning of the 20th.- Biography :...
was a working girl in a bawdy house, run by Jenny Hill, located in this building starting in 1879, before becoming a madam
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
in her own right. Brezing is widely credited as being an inspiration for the character of Belle Watling in Gone With The Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
.