Mount Lebanon, Peacock Road, Paris

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,9-PAR.V,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

On Peacock Road, three miles north of Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky Ownor or Win. Garrard Talbot custodian: Add re.ss: Paris, Kentucky Date built: (approx) Architect or builder: Present condition: Excellent Number of Two stories and attic (unfinished stories: also basement. Material used Poundatj on: Native stone . in construction Exterior walls: Native stone. Inter:! or partitions Frame, plastered . Floors: Wood, random width, ash; bas eroent; earth. Roof: Fraivie construction, covered with asbestos shingles (recent). Description: The nsme of "Bit. Lebanon" was given to architectural this place on account of the numerous and historical cedar trees surrounding it.

This house is in an excellent state of preservation, having been thoroughly repaired several years ago by the owner and is now used by his son as a residence. The interior woodwork, stairs, doors, mantels, and etc, are in almost perfect condition, including the hardware. Originally there were wooden locks on all the doors, but all of these have been removed with the exception of one, which still remains on the door between the dining room and the rear porch, and. which shows very plainly on the photograph of this particular door. I - An examination of the first floor framing revealed en unusual feature of construction. The joist&are hand-hewn, approximately four inches thick: spaced approximately two feet on centers.

Small strips, approximately one by one and one-half inch, paralleling the floor- boards are let into the joist underneath of each joint between the floor- boards sup- ported on top of the joist. The framing of the roof rafters was done in a manner typical of many of the early buildings. The rafters being hand-hewn, tapering in si^e from the ridge to the eave, and mortised and tenoned at the ridge and held together by wooden pegs The exterior walls are of solid stone of a thick- ness of several feet; thus forming window reveals of con- siderable depth on the first floor, which was made into a very attractive feature of the house by the use of wide wood jambs and stools.

The shaped anchor heads were placed on the front of the house by Gov, Garrard; the wall having been cracked by the earthquake of During the remodeling of the house hy the present owner, tie rods were installed where these braces occurred, extending from outside to out- side of front and rear walls, to correct the damage result- ing from the earthquake* to make the structure secure, and to prevent further bulging of the front wall. The house contains seven large rooms, four of which are on the first floor, and three on the second floor; in each room there is a large fireplace, and the bouse is well lighted with numerous windows.

The original tract contained five hundred acres of land, as entered in the Bourbon County records May 20, Before the town of "Eopewell", which was afterwards known as Paris, was more than a stagecoach station, the Court of Bourbon County was held in Gov. Garrard's home at "ivit. Lebanon11. The first court was held there May 16, (Collins history of I\y., Vol. II, pose 71) by Jaiaes Garrard, afterwards the second Governor of Kentucky; John Edwards, after-wards United States Senator; Aivin Mount joy, "Edward V/alier, and John Gregg. John Kd wards was appointed Clerk, and Ben Harrison, Sheriff. Gov. James Garrard was born in Virginia January 14, and died at "Lit. Lebanon" January 19, He and his -wife and daughter were buried in the family burial ground close to the house.

Gov, Garrard's remains is one of the few- governors not removed to Frankfort. The grandson of Samuel Washington, a brother to 3- General George Washington, whose name was George Washington, was married at Lebanon" on May 2, to Gabriella Augusta Hawkins, s granddaughter of Gov, Jas. Garrard "ivlt, Lebanon'1 is In the possession of the great- grand son of Governor Gerrard, and each year all descendants of the family gather there in order to preserve all traditions to their posterity. / ?._ _ I# /91A ^