Waveland, a ten room antebellum mansion, was built in the 1840s by Joseph Bryan, a grandnephew of Daniel Boone. Bryan, a successful planter and businessman, grew hemp and tobacco and ran a gristmill, paper mill, blacksmith shop, and a distillery with the help of thirteen slaves, three women who did household chores and ten men who worked in the fields. One of Bryan's sons, Joseph Henry Bryan, took over management of the property after the Civil War and started breeding racehorses. Waveland became one of the best thoroughbred and standard bred farms in Kentucky. Unfortunately Joseph Henry Bryan gambled heavily on the races and lost the property. The house went through several owners before the Commonwealth of Kentucky bought it in 1956.
The house has been restored to its 1840s appearance and is furnished in the period. Four original outbuildings with exhibits are open for visitors. Signs located at various spots on the property give a bit of history.
Nothing is very accessible so we decided to skip the house tour and just tour the grounds on our own. The outbuildings all have high thresholds or steps and the garden has grass paths. It's possible to see some of the grounds with assistance.
Signs in the parking lot indicate that it is for people taking tours but since there isn't another lot we parked there anyway. It isn't very large so we backed up over the grass to take up only one space.
Waveland 37.97084, -84.53638
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