Blackacre Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Tyler Settlement Rural Historic District
|
|
18th Century Historic Stone Cottage
|
|
 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Roughly bounded by the Southern railroad line, Taylorsville Rd., and Jeffersontown City, near Jeffersontown, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Area | 601.5 acres (2.434 km2) |
| Built | 1790 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Vernacular Greek Revival |
| MPS | Jefferson County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001045 |
| Added to NRHP | May 1, 1986 |
Blackacre State Nature Preserve is a special place in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a nature preserve and an old farm that covers about 271 acres. Here, you can find rolling fields, peaceful streams, and thick forests. There's also an old farm homestead that dates back to the 1700s!
Visitors to Blackacre can meet farm animals like horses, goats, and cows. There are also fun hiking trails to explore. You can visit the old Presley Tyler home, built in 1844, which now serves as the visitor's center. Since 1981, local schools have used Blackacre for an environmental education program. About 10,000 students learn about nature here each year.
Blackacre became a nature preserve in 1979. Judge Macauley and Mrs. Emilie Smith generously gave the land to the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. This made Blackacre the very first nature preserve in Kentucky's system! The Blackacre Conservancy, started in 1983, takes care of the historic farm buildings. They also run cultural and historical programs. The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves owns the land and protects its natural beauty.
Blackacre was once part of a large farm owned by Moses Tyler. Some of the original farm buildings are still here. These include the 1844 Presley Tyler home, an Appalachian-style barn, and a rebuilt stone spring house. The entire 600-acre area is known as a national historic rural settlement. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Its official historic name is the Tyler Settlement Rural Historic District.
The name "Blackacre" is often used in legal studies as a general term for a piece of land. The Smith family gave the land this name. Before that, it was called Land O'Skye.
Contents
History of Blackacre
Blackacre was first settled by the Tyler Family. They arrived in Louisville around 1780. Edward Tyler II bought a special permit to claim a piece of land. A part of that land, about 220 acres, became Blackacre. This land was later given to Moses Tyler's son, Presley.
Moses Tyler had already built a barn, a stone cottage, and a springhouse. But Presley decided to add a big, two-story farmhouse in 1844. In 1884, Presley sold the property to the Kroeger family. They took care of the farm until 1902. After a few other owners, the Smith family bought the property in 1950.
In 1979, Emilie and Macauley Smith saw how beautiful and valuable the land was. They decided to donate it to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This amazing gift allowed Blackacre to become Kentucky's very first State Nature Preserve.
Buildings at Blackacre
Blackacre has several historic buildings. Each one tells a story about life on the farm long ago.
The Barn
The barn is one of the three original buildings at Blackacre. It was built in 1790. This double-crib Appalachian barn was made from large poplar boards. These boards came from trees right here on the Blackacre property. Today, the barn shows off old farm tools. These are the kinds of tools people would have used before modern machines existed.
The Stone Cottage
The stone cottage is another original building from 1790. It's a charming and historic part of the preserve.
The Springhouse
The springhouse is the last of the original buildings. Springhouses were like old-fashioned refrigerators. They kept perishable food cool that couldn't be preserved with salt or smoke. There's even a second floor on the springhouse. Residents could go there to cool off on hot days. The spring next to the springhouse was actually made by people.
The Farmhouse
The farmhouse was built in 1844. Its design shows the influence of Greek-revival style. This means it has features similar to ancient Greek buildings. Today, the farmhouse is home to Blackacre's Visitors' Center. It's a great place to start your visit and learn more about the preserve.
Images for kids
-
18th Century Spring house show during the wintertime
-
19th Century Presley Tyler Farmhouse and Historic Homestead
-
Redbuds
