Inside the childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln in Lexington, Kentucky
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"(Because she) chose to remain in mourning for the rest of her life," Thompson explained, "(she) only wore black." To the left of the guide, there sits a black cap and fan, one of likely several sets she owned while in perpetual mourning. After Abraham was assassinated, Mary lived for another 17 years. She traveled extensively, sailing to Europe with her son Tad to create a home base in Frankfurt, Germany before visiting Paris, London, Scotland, and Belgium. "(That’s) pretty incredible for a formerly enslaved woman," Thompson exclaimed.
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Historic Bishop Home Invites You to a Dinner with Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln - K2 Radio
Historic Bishop Home Invites You to a Dinner with Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.
Posted: Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Mary was the fourth of the eventual sixteen children born in her father’s two marriages. A businessman and politician, Robert provided his children with social standing, education, and material advantages that Mary's future husband, Abraham Lincoln, lacked in his own youth. The heritage of the house can be glimpsed in the treasures from Mary Lincoln's White House years, but more revealing than tangible objects is the feeling of time held constant within these walls.
Self-Guided Tour
Trained to politesse, she entertained brilliantly and was at home in the best drawing rooms. A staunch Whig, she shared Lincoln's political views and ambitions. The house, built in the Federal style, was constructed in 1803 of handmade bricks and the finest native hardwoods, crafted by local artisans. It was originally designed as an inn, but when Robert Todd bought the thirty-two-acre estate in 1832, the elaborate ballroom was converted into twin parlors and the interior was modified to accommodate the needs of Todd's growing family. Modest in aspect, compared to many of Lexington's antebellum mansions, the house was always warm and welcoming. The wine cellar was stocked with the finest Kentucky bourbon mellowed in oaken barrels; rare wines and brandies were imported in case lots or by the barrel.
Visit Mary Todd Lincoln House
The petticoat mirror on the étagère in the parlor still evokes the whisper of silk and crinoline, and upstairs in the master bedroom is Mrs. Lincoln's tea service. In the winter kitchen, the key to the sugar bin hangs on the wall, a relic of the days when sugar was brought up the river from New Orleans and was worth its weight in gold. The house also reveals part of the rich, early background Mary Todd brought to her marriage.
"(For any) woman in that time period … being able to save enough money to buy (your) own home (was) incredible." Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. In the mid-1970s, Beula C. Nunn, wife of Governor Louie B. Nunn, along with the Kentucky Mansions Preservation Foundation, Inc., and the Metropolitan Women's Club of Lexington, gained support to preserve and restore 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.
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The history of the Todd house is dominated not so much by these powerful figures, however, as by the Todds' daughter Mary and the man she married, in 1842. Lincoln's visits to his wife's home left an interesting legacy in his own life. It was also in the Todd library that Lincoln had leisure to enjoy the classics.
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Plaster has been scraped away to reveal the original brick walls in the winter kitchen. The original floors of Kentucky ash gleam as brightly as ever, and the original handcarved mantel still graces the fireplace in one bedroom. Gwen Thompson, executive director of the Mary Todd Lincoln House, explains that tours are self-guided, allowing visitors to take their time perusing the rooms while learning about Mary's life. We’ve developed a packet based on activities from previous family events.
In the family parlor, for example, original prints from "The Albion" — the British, Colonial, and Foreign Weekly Gazette — hang above the mantel. "There (are five) things we want people to know about when they visit here," Thompson told The Courier Journal. First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln resided in this fashionable brick residence between the ages of thirteen and twenty-one, and Abraham Lincoln was a guest here following their marriage. Personal articles from the Lincoln and Todd families are on display and a restored garden is located in the rear.
Wales was eventually freed and bought her first house in Lexington just a month before Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated. She adds that their lifestyle was made possible because of slavery, and on average, they had three to five formerly enslaved people working in the home at any given time. These men and women cooked, cared for the children, and did additional skilled and menial work. The house is full of original furniture pieces and other artifacts that are indicative of the Todd family's privileged lifestyle.
Wealthy planters built mansions along the city's shaded boulevards, and the finest furnishings, fashions, artworks and wines flowed abundantly from the capitals of Europe. The railroads brought newcomers, and Transylvania University, chartered in 1780, attracted scholars who were destined to play an important role in the young country's history. "She came from privilege, (but) she had a lot of tragedy in her life," Thompson said. "She’s someone who probably deserves a lot more sympathy than she sometimes gets."
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. In compliance with the ADA, service animals on harness or leash are permitted inside the museum. The ADA defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. We are located within easy walking distance of downtown hotels, restaurants, and shopping.
She took on the role of first lady-from hosting balls to visiting troops-with enthusiasm. However, controversy and tragedy marked Mary Todd Lincoln’s life in the White House. Lexington, known as the “Athens of the West” at the time, had numerous educational opportunities for affluent citizens, and Mary completed her extensive education under the tutelage of French immigrant Charlotte Mentelle. At the Todd's large home, maintained by enslaved men and women, Mary mingled with influential political guests. The most prominent of these was three-time presidential candidate Senator Henry Clay, who lived less than two miles away.
Inside the childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln in Lexington, Kentucky - Courier Journal
Inside the childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln in Lexington, Kentucky.
Posted: Thu, 16 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Although Kentucky as a border state was committed to neither the North nor the South, the armies of both were deployed back and forth across the state many times, leaving behind broken lives and bitter memories. The conflict took an irreparable toll of Mary Todd Lincoln's life, dissolving it into a painful Greek tragedy—with the loss of her husband, her brothers, and the alienation of most of her family. All the sectional and political prejudices of the war's bitterness were brought to a fine focus on Lincoln's widow. Hated by Northerners for her southern background, detested by Southerners for marrying a Yankee, she was unmercifully persecuted. Lincoln's death left her debt-ridden, and, when her pleas to Congress for a pension were repeatedly ignored, she was reduced to selling some of her old clothes.
Thompson adds there is a lot of controversy about the last years of Mary's life — her mental health was in question, and she spent some time in an asylum. In one of the upstairs rooms, her 1870 guide to Beauchamp Tower and Tower of London is on display. It is one of only a handful of artifacts in the home that tell the tale of her life after being a First Lady.
For even more ideas, check out the Lexington Travel Inspiration Guides.
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