History of Hopemont

Completed in 1814 for John Wesley Hunt, Kentucky’s first millionaire, Hopemont stands as a reminder of early-19th century Lexington: when the city was known as "The Athens of the West," but yet a quarter of its population was enslaved.

The House

Situated on the southwestern corner of Gratz Park, Hopemont is in the Federal style and exhibits elegant proportions and remarkable craftsmanship. Hopemont's entryway, perhaps its most striking feature, is flanked by leaded side lights and topped by a large, leaded elliptical fanlight. A Palladian window centered above the entryway punctuates the primary façade at the second level.

In 1955, The Foundation for the Preservation of Historic Lexington and Fayette County, which later became the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, was formed to save the house from impending demolition. The Blue Grass Trust is still the stewards of Hopemont.

The Hunt-Morgan Family

The Hunt-Morgan family of Central Kentucky ranks as one of the region's most prominent, producing the first millionaire in Kentucky, a notorious Confederate general, and Kentucky’s first Nobel Prize winner.