Berry Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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George F. Berry House
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| Location | 700 Louisville Rd., Frankfort, Kentucky |
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| Area | 37 acres (15 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Dodd, William J.; Cobb, Arthur, et al |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000915 |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 2002 |
The Berry Mansion is a beautiful old house in Frankfort, Kentucky. It was built in 1900 by George Franklin Berry. The mansion sits on a hill overlooking the state capitol building. The large area around the house was called "Juniper Hill." This name came from the many red cedar trees growing there.
Contents
A Look Back: The Mansion's Story
This large property has had many names over the years. It was first known as Monroe Hill. This name honored Thomas Bell Monroe, who was a judge and served in Kentucky's government. Before the American Civil War, he built the first big house on this land, called Montrose.
During the Civil War, the property became a camp for Union Army soldiers. In 1863, Confederate soldiers attacked Union troops here. Luckily, Union cavalry arrived in time to help their friends. Later, a man known as "Preacher Arnold" owned the land. George Franklin Berry and his wife, Mary Stone Bush Berry, bought the property from him in 1899. You can still see a watering trough along the driveway with "GFB 1899" carved into it. This marks the year the Berrys moved in.
The Berrys named their 200-acre (0.81 km2) estate Juniper Hill. They chose this name because of the many red cedar trees that grew there. Mr. Berry was a successful businessman in Frankfort. He worked with W.A. Gaines & Company, a company known for making popular drinks. The Berrys chose William J. Dodd, an architect from Louisville, to design their new home. The house shows the grand style of homes built by wealthy Kentuckians at that time. It was fancy but still used traditional designs. The mansion has twenty-two rooms and is built with stone from the property itself. The basement was even blasted out of solid rock!
Meet the Architect: William J. Dodd
The architect, William J. Dodd (1862–1930), studied architecture in Chicago. He worked in Louisville between 1884 and 1913. Dodd learned from famous architectural companies. He even designed the Kentucky Building for a big fair in Chicago in 1893.
Dodd didn't just design buildings. He also created furniture and other art for some of his projects. In the early 1900s, he designed vases and pots for a company called Gates Pottery. Other famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright also designed for this company. Pieces designed by Dodd are now very special to collectors.
The Berry Family's Legacy
Mr. and Mrs. Berry were married in 1878. Mrs. Berry's mother was the first woman to serve as State Librarian in Kentucky. Mr. Berry followed his father into the business world. His father was a partner in W.A. Gaines and Company, a well-known company.
Mr. Berry retired from his business in 1927. He passed away in the mansion in 1938. His wife, Mary Bush Berry, lived there until 1950. She passed away at age 90. Both are buried in the Frankfort Cemetery.
The Berry family asked Paul Sawyier, a famous American impressionist painter, to paint scenes of their house and property. He created 11 paintings of the estate. The family kept six of them for a long time.
After Mr. and Mrs. Berry passed away, their niece, Cornelia Gordon Roberts, inherited the estate. In 1953, the city of Frankfort bought it. Then, in 1957, the state of Kentucky purchased the property for $50,000. This included the mansion, a carriage house, a wash house, and about 38 acres (150,000 m2) of land. The mansion was used as the State Library until 1982.
Juniper Hill Park: A Place for Fun
Most of the estate's land, 194 acres (0.79 km2), became Juniper Hill Park in 1956. This park is a great place for everyone! It has a public golf course, playgrounds, volleyball and tennis courts, and picnic areas. There are also memorials to Desert Storm, World War II submarine, and Purple Heart veterans. You can also find a memorial to Kentucky's fallen firefighters here.
Mansion Design: Inside and Out
William J. Dodd, a well-known Louisville architect, designed the 22-room home. It is built in the Colonial Revival style. The stones used to build the house were taken from the property itself. This also helped create the cellar.
Inside the Mansion: Special Rooms
The mansion has a fancy library with beautiful mahogany wood. There is also a large parlor and dining room. These rooms were used for parties and guests. Some of the original tapestries (wall hangings) that Mr. Berry bought for the mansion are still in the library today. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Berry by Charles Snead Williams hang in the mansion. Some original furniture pieces are also still there.
One of the most special parts of the house is the Music Room. The Berrys loved music, so they added this room in 1912. William J. Dodd also designed this addition.
The Music Room has a magnificent pipe organ and beautifully carved wood. It cost about $65,000 in 1912. This was almost as much as the Kentucky Governor's Mansion cost to build a few years later! Family stories say that two woodcarvers worked for two years on the oak walls and Gothic-style decorations.
The Music Room's furniture also had wood carvings to match the room's style. The pipe organ came from Ohio. It is not working right now, and it would cost a lot to fix it. A Steinway grand piano, which is now in a private collection, also added to the elegance of this room.
Mr. Berry even hired Sidney Durst, a music teacher, to teach him the organ. Mr. Durst also played concerts and at dinner parties hosted by the Berrys. Important people from Kentucky would attend these events.
The windows had long, red curtains. The hardwood floors were covered with special rugs. The furniture in the room was set up in "sitting areas." This made the room feel more relaxed and good for talking.
You can see images of juniper trees in the light fixtures and the glass windows.
Outside the Mansion: Unique Features
The servants' rooms were in the attic and in the "wash house." The wash house was a separate building for laundry, connected by a covered walkway. The Carriage House is nearby. It had space for horses, carriages, and later, automobiles. The home also has a veranda (a covered porch), a garden, and a gazebo. Original stone columns are on the driveway and say "Juniper Hill."
The Berry Mansion Today
The "George F. Berry House" is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historic site in the United States.
You can take guided tours of the first floor of the mansion. It is also used for conferences, parties, and other public events.
The second floor has offices for the Kentucky Division of Historic Properties and another state office. This part of the mansion is not open to the public.
