159 Barr St.,
Lexington, Fayette
County, Kentucky
Built 1844
Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.
Augustus Hall in March, 1844, sold Charles Donnelly 45 feet of his
corner "lot" here. The deed said "together with the buildings,
improvements, etc.," so there was a house on it at the time. It extended
along "Ben Warfield's line to an alley between Warfield and E.P. Johnson"
with Hall's line on the other side.
Hall released a mortgage to Donnelly in March, 1844, citing the house as
"adjoining the property of Dr. John B. Payne and Benj. Warfield."
Donnelly evidently removed to Chicago, as he deeded the house from "Cook
County, Ill." August 27, 1859, to Peter S. Rule.
For the next several years it is referred to in adjoining deeds as the residence
of W.S. Rule.
They were brothers and conducted a large lumber business at the other end of the
block--where the handsome new Federal Building now stands.
Transcribed by pb July 2004