Ward Hall is Kentucky's Grandest Greek Revival Mansion. It is located on the road from Georgetown to Frankfort and it is considered as a historical place. I have been there in May 2019 during my visit to Kentucky. Although I am not a big fan of museums and history in general, this visit to Ward Hall had definitely been my favorite part of the trip.
Ward Hall is simply an ancient residence with a rich history and abundant furniture. I joined a group of visitors for a guided tour through the villa. The guide was old but knowledgeable and funny, and he told the story in a very captivating way, which made the experience a true pleasure.
The house is only three stories, including a basement, all extremely well furnished. The first floor contained the luxurious evening and dining rooms. The second floor was mainly for bedrooms while the basement was intended for the slaves.
On the first floor, we had the delight to listen to Sally Ward's, the villa owner's niece, remarkable life. There was a big portrait of her on the wall and the guide shared with us several stops of her life. It was surprising for me to know, that at that time and being from Kentucky, Sally was actually capable of taking off her clothes in public to irritate her mother-in-law who didn't approve her dress.
On the second floor, it was funny to note the fragile nerves of the wealthy wives at that time. When visiting the children's bedroom, there was an adult bed and the guide explained it was intended for the mother. He specified that usually, the mother would only come around 20 minutes a day to visit her children. During this short period, they would be so frustrating that she needs a bed to lay down and rest.
We also went to the guest room. This room was far from the other rooms and was intended to host travelers who needed a place for the night. Of course, the traveler should be of a good social rank to be offered the room, as poorly ranked visitors were hosted in the stables. The guide also specified that the guest room would be locked until the morning, and that is was extremely inappropriate for the guest to offer money to the landlord in return for his hospitality.
Finally, we went down to the basement. The basement used to be the home of six female slaves who shared one bedroom. It also contained storage for food and wine. The guide showed us old tools and asked us to guess what they were used for. This game wasn't easy and we actually took some time to get the correct answers.
I really enjoyed the tour; it was light, enriching and fun. Unfortunately, the pictures I took don't give it justice, so I would recommend anyone going to Kentucky to make a stop there.