History Walk

EXPLORE OUR LEGACY

MOUNT WASHINGTON HISTORY WALK

Take a stroll and meet neighbors from the past. Soldiers, Merchants, hoteliers, and a future Supreme Court Justice are some of the people you'll encounter who have called this town their home. Stand on the sites where they lived and worked. Experience what they confronted when the American Civil War showed up on their doorstep. Learn aspects of Mt. Washington's transition from bustling antebellum stagecoach town to sleepy village and into today's suburban refuge, through 10 interpretive historical markers placed throughout downtown.

BARNES MANSION

The Barnes Mansion located on what is arguably the most important and visible corner in Mt. Washington both past and present

BARNES STORE

Step back in time and engage with events that have defined our community’s narrative. Each gathering is a doorway to understanding the essence of our history and the individuals who shaped it, making the past come alive in the present.

SETTLE HOTEL

The recently constructed Louisville to Bardstown Turnpike brought a steady flow of stage coach and freight wagon traffic into town, which would spark the creation of at least three hotels and taverns to serve the traveling public

MASONIC HALL

The Salt River Lodge 180, Free and Accepted Masons was chartered on August 29, 1849 and the building you see here was erected in 1853. This Lodge served the Masons until 1974 when a newer more modern building was erected

BRIDWELL CABIN

The antebellum log cabin built on this spot predated the city of Mt. Washington, originally called Crossroads in the 19th century. Known much later as the Bridwell Cabin, it is the city’s oldest surviving structure, albeit in another location

JUSTICE RUTLEDGE THRELKELD HOUSE

The home of some of Mt. Washington’s most prestigious citizens. Most notably amongst them are, Dr. George Threlkeld, and a young Honorable Wiley B. Rutledge who later became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

CIVIL WAR SKIRMISH

It was Thursday October 2nd, 1862 and small arms fire mixed with cannonading thundered in and around the outskirts of Mt. Washington. The “War between the States,” which everyone in town followed in the newspapers and talked about on the street, was now on full display on their doorstep

MACCABEE HALL

In 1906, on this site, the Fraternal Order of Maccabees began construction of the depicted three story building called Tent #3. Maccabee Hall soon became a centerpiece of the community

CYCLONE STORE

In 1885, Albert Miller opened a stock owned General Store on this site named “Cyclone”. The building nearly burned in 1940 when Maccabee Hall, located across Main Street caught fire. The store moved to a new building nearby and closed in 2013, after being in business for 127 years

PIONEER CEMETERY & HESSEY VAULT

Likely built in 1856 by Canadian born Jonathan Braithwaite, the most prominent feature in the burial ground is the stone vault of Edward Hessey and his wife Catherine Venable Hessey