Ben Johnson House (Bardstown, Kentucky)

Johnson, Ben, House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Bardstown, Kentucky
Built	1851
Architect	Unknown
Architectural style	Greek Revival
NRHP Reference #	79001026 [1]
Added to NRHP	July 16, 1979

Coordinates: 37°49′42″N 85°27′38″W / 37.8284401°N 85.46045512°W

The Ben Johnson House is in the northern outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky. It was built in 1851 in a Greek Revival style for state senator and lieutenant governor William Johnson. The house's name comes from William's son Ben Johnson, who was a state senator for two decades and was on the Kentucky High Commission for 16 years. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

When the Confederacy was deciding on a national flag, William's wife and Ben's mother Nancy was part of the committee that chose the Stars and Bars, and was first revealed to the public at the Johnson House in 1861 in front of 5,000 people.

When John Hunt Morgan and Thomas Hines escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary in 1863, they spent a night at the House before continuing to Confederate lines.

For some time it was "The Mansion" bed and breakfast, but it has since stopped being a hostelry.

The grounds are decorated with apple, dogwood, maple, mimosa, and pear trees.

References

1. National Park Service (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.

External links

• Website describing The Mansion when it was a Bed & Breakfast