Saturday, June 12, 2010

My Old Kentucky Home

In 1795, Judge John Rowan built Federal Hill on his plantation near Bardstown, Kentucky. During his life, the mansion became a meeting place for local politicians and hosted several visiting dignitaries. After an 1852 Federal Hill visit, Rowan’s cousin, Steven Foster, wrote the popular song My Old Kentucky Home. In 1922, Federal Hill was donated to the commonwealth to become a park. Six years later Foster’s tune became the official state song. The home has appeared on U.S. postage stamps and on the Kentucky state quarter issued in 2002. The day after our Thomas visit, we gathered the family for a tour of My Old Kentucky Home and breathed in the rich history.

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