1. Visit Chaumiere des Prairies
From Harrodsburg Rd., head east on Catnip Hill Rd. about one mile. From Nicholasville Rd., head west on Catnip Hill Rd. for about two miles. Chaumiere du Prairie is on the north side of the road.
A politician from Virginia built this rambling, eclectic French-English country estate. Described by some as “the ultimate country gentleman," the 52-year-old David Meade abandoned his large estate on the James River in 1796 and struck out west with 40 enslaved people and 50 wagons of belongings.
He spent the rest of his life building a new estate. According to one historian, Meade’s Chaumiere offers a glimpse into when the Bluegrass “was being transformed from a frontier into a highly civilized social and cultural center." Symbolizing this transformation, Meade's estate featured both pioneer construction techniques and the artificial splendor of a English picturesque garden carved out of the wilderness.
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The mansion was enormous, much larger than it appears now. Meade’s granddaughter described it like this: “The grounds were extensive and beautiful; at that time it was said there was not so highly and tastefully improved country seat in America. . . . And then the walk—the serpentine one-mile around . . . and in a secluded nook, a tasteful Chinese pavilion. The birdcage walk was cut through a dense plum thicket, excluding the sun, and led to a dell, where was a large spring of water, and the mouth of a cave. At this point was the terminus of the lake, and a waterfall.”
Meade hosted some of the most famous people of early America. They included President Andrew Jackson, President James Monroe, President James Madison, President Zachary Taylor, Senator Henry Clay, and Gen. Marquis de Lafayette. Aaron Burr visited Chaumiere often and was held under house arrest there.
Meade died in 1832 at ninety-four, very old for the era. He was buried on a rise overlooking Chaumiere. The estate was left to his children. Unfortunately, Meade’s extravagant tastes and lack of gainful employment meant that he had consumed three considerable fortunes. His children were forced to sell the estate at public auction.
William Robards bought the property. Called a “plain practical farmer” by some but “a coarse, vulgar man” by his detractors, Robards installed a placard in the front lawn with large letters that read "Paradise Lost." In less than a week the beautiful gardens were filled with horses, cattle and hogs. The forests were felled, lodges torn down, parks destroyed, and lakes drained. Main portions of the house were also demolished. One historian called the destruction of Chaumiere “one of the tragedies in the history of landscape architecture.”
As you look at Chaumiere now, you're seeing only a small part of what Meade built. On the right side is an octagonal parlor that he constructed in 1823 to prepare for a hoped-for visit by Gen. Marquis de Lafayette (the French hero of the American Revolution), who indeed toured the country in 1825. To the left is a Greek Revival house built in 1840 by a third owner.
In 2015 Chaumiere was sold to its current owner. The winning bid was $1,860,134 for the brick home and 169 acres.
For photographs of inside and outside the house, click here.
While you’re in the vicinity, head west on Catnip Hill Road to the highest point in Jessamine County: Catnip Hill. Of the five named “mountains” in the county, Catnip Hill is the highest point at 1,037 feet. You can find it near Harrodsburg Road at these coordinates: 37.947899 -84.59488.
