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 The
ca. 1790 Georgian mansion, restored and furnished to
its original appearance and situated on 55 rolling acres
just six miles up river from downtown Louisville, tells
the story of its builders, William and Lucy Clark Croghan.
William Croghan (pronounced "Crawn"), an Irish
immigrant, came to the Kentucky territory as a surveying
partner with his future brother-in-law, George
Rogers Clark. Lucy Clark and William Croghan were
married in 1789 at her parents’ home, Mulberry
Hill. Construction at Locust Grove began the following
year. Here, as early settlers, the Croghans reared their
family and farmed their land with the assistance of
some 30
to 45 enslaved African-Americans. In 1809, they
made welcome General George Rogers Clark, founder of
Louisville and conqueror of the Northwest Territory,
who lived at Locust Grove the last nine years of his
life.
 Major
Croghan’s standing in the community and General
Clark’s presence made Locust Grove a gathering
place for political and social figures of the period.
A neighboring farm, Springfield, was the boyhood home
of future President, Zachary Taylor. President James
Monroe and General Andrew Jackson were guests of the
Croghans in 1819, and Jackson returned for a visit in
1825 with his wife, Rachel.
In an attempt to gain support for the establishment
of a separate colony west of the Mississippi, Vice-President
Aaron Burr traveled throughout the Mississippi and Ohio
River valleys. Among other places, he stopped at Louisville,
meeting with General George Rogers Clark at Locust Grove.
General Clark, however, did not become involved in the
plan. Artist John James Audubon was acquainted with
Major Croghan and became friends with his sons. In 1841,
Locust Grove was the site of a duel between the fiery
Kentucky statesman Cassius Marcellus Clay and Robert
Wickliffe. William
Clark, younger brother to Lucy and George Rogers
Clark, concluded his famous expedition through the Louisiana
Territory with fellow explorer Meriwether Lewis in Louisville
in 1806.
 Of
the houses built in Jefferson County in the late eighteenth
century, Locust Grove was one of the finest. The Croghan
family sold the property in 1878 to river boat captain
James Paul. In 1883 Richard Waters, of Hermitage Farm,
bought Locust Grove and it remained in the Waters family
until 1961 when the site was purchased by Jefferson
County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Following extensive
restoration the historic house was opened to the public
in 1964. Today the site includes the circa 1790 Georgian
house, the original smoke house and eight other stone
and log supporting farm buildings, formal quadrant gardens,
herb, perennial and annual beds, woods and meadows.
The house is furnished with some of the finest examples
of Kentucky-crafted furniture, portraits, prints, textiles,
domestic objects and select artifacts originally belonging
to the Clark and Croghan families. Locust Grove, a National
Historic Landmark, is a unique example of early Kentucky
architecture, craftsmanship and history.
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