S.E. Corner High and Upper, Lexington, Fayette
County, Kentucky
Built 1804
Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.
A deed to the Town Trustees by David Dodge, October 20, 1804, for the extension of Upper Street from High to Maxwell, revealed the interesting fact that Maj. Thomas Bodley had just built himself a home on the south-east corner here. The new street began "at the north corner of Thos. Bodley's new house on High Street," was 45 feet wide and on the opposite side "ranged with the south-east end of David Dodge's house" (diagonally across the street). The street extended "back to the land of John Maxwell" (now Maxwell St.).
General Bodley had already built and was occupying his new home - as often was the case, the records show - before he bought the "96 feet High St." property from David Dodge November 5, 1804. The deed says: "Beginning at the north corner of said Bodley's new house, which is 4_ feet 6 inches from the East end corner of Robert Campbell's brick house (Pottery shop on south-west corner) opposite the house in which the sd. Dodge now lives (north-west corner) and being part of Out-lot M" (1806 Directory: "Thomas Bodley, Circuit Clerk, High St.")
Major Bodley and his wife, Catherine H., lived here until they deeded the house and considerable adjoining property, October 6, 1809 to their friend, Richard Higgins, who sold his own home at the southwest corner of High and Mill Streets and removed here.
Richard Higgins, Sr. was still living in the house in 1813, as he gave a $12,000 mortgage on the lot and "house now occupied by said Higgins" to Col. Robert Patterson, "of the State of Ohio." The mortgage was released November 16, 1820. (1818 Directory: "Richard Higgins, res. High c. upper St.") Higgins died here in 1843 and his son, Richard Higgins, Jr., continued to occupy the home. (Richard Higgins in his will mentions his five children - "Richard Higgins, Jr., Dynia Richardson, Caroline Waters, Joel Higgins and America Morgan" and made[] generous provision for his slaves.
Richard Higgins, Sr., who married Sarah M. Shelby, was surveyor of Lexington at one time, so he was competent to sub-divide the vast tract he acquired from Col. Robert Patterson in the western part of the city in the early 1800's. He also laid out Capt. John Fowler's sub-division on the Winchester Pike, signing himself on that occasion as City Surveyor (May 26, 1814). He died in October, 1843.
Richard Higgins, Jr., sold the house in 1866 to James M. Elliott who sold it to Mary E. Ogden in 1873. She was daughter of Nicholas Warfield. E.B. Wrenn bought it in 1899 from the heirs of Mary E. Ogden.
Thomas Bodley settled in Lexington in 1787. He campaigned with General Wayne in 1795. He was prominent in all of the affairs of Lexington of his day, being a member of the main reception committee to General Lafayette and Chief Marshall of the parade from Masonic Hall to the Episcopal Church for the local funeral ceremonies August 26, 1826, honoring Jefferson Adams and Shelby. He was engaged in many large financial and real estate transactions. On September 7, 1811, for instance, he bought for £12,056, 16 shillings and 3 pence a one-third interest in the Steam Mill tract, from John Maxwell.
Transcribed by pb October 2002