N.E. Corner Upper and 2d Sts.
200 N. Upper Street, Lexington, Fayette
County, Kentucky
Built 1812
Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.
Abraham Stout Barton, a wealthy merchant of Lexington, purchased a corner lot here in 1812, from Samuel Long, the builder. The deed called for 59 feet that ran so close to Long's home that it mentions proximity to "the gable." Barton had just wedded Sarah H. Merrill May 15, 1812, and moved into his new house.
The property ran back to the lot (facing limestone St.) "on which Thos. D. Owings lives." The latter founded Owingsville, Kentucky after having operated a store in Lexington and an iron works in Bath County, which made cannon balls shipped to Gen. Andrew Jackson for use in the Battle of New Orleans.
Long borrowed considerable money from Barton, at one time mort. his house next door to the merchant. The famous "two Merino Sheep" builder evidently constructed Barton's home - he was one of the best of the early builders.
Barton died January 27, 1824, and his wife, Sarah Hart Barton, "relict of the late A.S. Barton and daughter of Col. Benjamin Merrell died July 27, 1832. Settlement of their estates shows that the famous Gideon Shryock, as well as Samuel Long, did some work on this house at the time he was erecting Morrison College.
Francis Walker, a fine stone cutter who had been apprenticed to Peter Paul, Sr., in 1804 when 16 years of age, had his residence and stone yard on the south-east corner. He bought the property from Charlton Hunt in April, 1833. This later became Doyle's marble yard while still owned by Francis Walker, and was where Joel T. Hart, "sculpturer," was working in 1838. Still later it was owned by Pruden, another famous marble man.
Francis Walker apparently worked on Morrison College and other Shryock masterpieces at this time, as his deed from Charlton Hunt was predicated upon a "note with Gideon Shryock as security" being paid by "said Walker and Shryock or either of them."
The fourth corner here is mentioned in Charlton Hunt's deed from Jane Eson heirs - June 10, 1831. The marble yard property was described as being "opp. the house & lot now owned by Dr. Chas. W. Short." (razed in 1939).
Abraham Barton in his will (witnessed by Chas. Wilkins, his neighbor; Capt. John Postlethwait and Andrew McClure) gave his household to his wife and children, Abraham and John Barton. He appointed his father, John Barton; his wife's father, Benj. Merrell, and his uncle David Barton, the guardian of his children. His executors were John W. Hunt, Elisha I. Winter and Matthew T. Scott.
Some of the items in settlement of Abraham S. Barton's estate included: "1832 - To cash paid Gideon Shryock, for repairs of dwelling house in Lexington; Sam Long, for repairs to pump, &c; D. Warner's account for new pump; Ben O. Peers, for Books, tuition for boarding Abrham, etc. 1833 - to Ben W. Dudley's account for medical services; to Mrs. Barton and sons and servants; to Charlton Hunt for house rent due from him; house rent due from Wilson Merrill and John Postlethwait.
John Barton died in 1838 (the Directory for that year list[s] "Mrs. Barton" as residing here) and made the following provisions in his will:
To his granddaughter, Sarah Barton McClure: a negro girl, Betty, and bank and other stocks.
To daughter, Rachel Sarah McClure: Balance of real estate and personal.
His executors (son-in-law, Andrew McClure, and neighbor, George Weir) were directed to "put to trade" his "two yellow boys, Benjamin and Harry" and then free them three years after his death.
Rachel McClure and Sarah Barton McClure, "of Jessamine County," sold the house April 19, 1852, to N.A. Ware, trustee for Catherine A. Warfield and her children (per deed of trust of John Lutz to Thos. B. Warfield).
Suit for possession was brought in 1854 and the property recovered by Rachel McClure and Sarah B. Shelby, "formerly Sarah B. McClure." The conveyance, by commissioner, was made by Elisha, Catherine A., Nathaniel W., Eleanor P., Thos. P., Mary R., Catherine S., and Lloyd Warfield and Nathaniel W., Harry P. and John M. Lee. The deed upon Court order was made March 2, 1855.
On the same day, Isaac Shelby, Sarah B. Shelby, his wife, and Rachel McClure sold the house to Wm. E. Bain. Upon his death, Mrs. Ann L. Robb took over the residence, "having elected under the will of her deceased father, Wm. E. Bain, to receive said lot of ground and improvements instead of $5,000 in money."
Dr. John W. Whitney and wife, Tompson B., in February, 1864, bought the house, "being the same occupied by Mrs. Ann L. Robb as a residence" and still referred to as being next "to the lot formerly owned by Samuel Long."
The next year Dr. Whitney sold it at a fancy price to Franklin Payne, of Scott County, trustee, and Nancy Chiles, wife of Henry Chiles, of Fayette County.
Under decree of Court again, the house was sold by P.P. Johnston, trustee of Nancy Chiles, to R.C. Chenault, trustee, in August, 1882. The deed said the property was occupied by a tenant whose lease was to be protected.
R.C. Chenault, trustee of Henrietta Chenault, his wife, conveyed the property in 1888 to Rebecca M. West, whose administrator sold it in 1896 to Maj. H.B. McClellan, principal of Sayre Institute.
Transcribed by pb October 2002