It's easy to understand why our motto at Whitehall House & Gardens is "Where History Grows."  The grounds of Whitehall feature a lush variety of special gardens, including the Entrance Garden, the Ralph Archer Woodland Garden, Annie's Garden, and The Formal Garden.  The history of ever-changing styles and plantings helps tell the story of those who lived at Whitehall and had a special affection for its gardens. 

The land that is today home to Whitehall was originally part of a 341 acre tract of farmland known as Spring Station, and Bealls Branch, a tributary of Beargrass Creek, ran through the property.  The land was subdivided in 1849, likely after the Shelbyville Turnpike, now Lexington Road, was built, providing access to the property.  Then sitting on twenty acres of land, the house is thought to have been built circa 1855.  Some historical accounts claim that Whitehall's original landscaping was designed in the early 1900s by the famous Olmsted firm of Brookline, Massachusetts.  Although we have been unable to confirm Olmsted'sinvolvement, we do know that Mrs. Middleton took special interest in overseeing the planting of gardens after she and her husband John Middleton purchased the house in 1909.  Mrs. Middleton is said to have been a skilled bridge player, competing successfully in a number of bridge tournaments and using her winnings to pay for a rose garden of grand proportions for her beloved Whitehall. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hume Logan, Sr. purchased Whitehall in 1924, and soon the house and gardens were home to a family full of children.  It's easy to imagine that Whitehall's grounds served as a perfect playground for the five Logan youngsters.  Years later, one of those very children would help preserve and further develop the grounds.  Hume Logan, Jr. purchased Whitehall in 1951 from his father's estate, living here until his death in 1992.  He loved the peace and quiet offered by his estate and planted numerous trees and shrubs to help shield the property.  Many of his developments are still seen today, including the terraced Florentine garden area redesigned by Logan, Jr. in the early 1970s.  Today we call this area The Formal Garden, and it still features many of the reproductions of Italian statuary he collected for his garden.  Wrought iron trellises are products of the Logan Company, the family business specializing in fencing and steel products.  In his later years, Logan, Jr. frequently welcomed groups of area school children to visit the house and grounds.  Although Whitehall never operated as a plantation, Logan, Jr. is said to have planted a small crop of cotton so that children could see it grow. 

Today Whitehall House & Gardens is an urban oasis on just under 10 acres of land.  Come explore our gardens and see just what we mean when we say that Whitehall is "Where History Grows!" 

Photos courtesy of Kentucky Homes and Gardens