BENJAMIN  FORD HOUSE

W. Short St., Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Built 1835

Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.

Benjamin Ford, who was a partner of the architect, John McMurtry, built many houses in Lexington, but built this one for his home, in 1835.

Wm. J. Keiser, one of the coterie of builders associated with Ford, Elzy Harney, Thos. K. Layton, Robert King, Warren Outten and others, bought one of the Dillon lots (No. 21) in July, 1835, from Benj. H. Hall, another builder.

Ford, under an agreement with Keiser, built this brick house here, later buying Lots Nos. 20, 22 and 23. Keiser died in March, 1837, and two months later the house was conveyed to him by the widow, Margaret Keiser, and sons and daughters--Christopher Keiser, Chas. A. Kaiser, Elza Harney and wife, Elizabeth, and John Wallace and wife, Mary Ann. Ford paid the heirs $1,750 for the property, which the heed said was "opposite the residence of John Shrock."

He made his will that year--"being of sound mind and memory but about to start on a long journey"--bequeathing all his real estate to his wife, Mary. He emancipated three slaves, to take effect respectively in 1840, 1841 and 1842. He did not start on the "long journey," however, until June, 1843, and was busily engaged in building houses up until his death. (1838 Directory: "Benjamin Ford, brickmaker and layer, l.s. W. Short between Jefferson St. and Georgetown Road").

His daughter Charlotte married Waller Sharp (1818 Directory: "of Sharp and Marshall, Grocers, 33 E. Main St., and proprietors of Tremont Coffee House, 18 S. Mulberry St.") and a deed shows Ford loaned them the furniture April, 1843, to start housekeeping. The wedding cake cost Ford $18.19, so it must have been a "large affair."

Ford's accounts with John McMurtry, specifying the work on several brick houses that are still here today, show that he built many houses n his day. A deed shows that he and his two neighbors here--Elzy Harney and Wm. J. Keiser--helped build the "Catholic Church on Limestone St." in 1836 (burned). They took in exchange the old church lot on Short Street, and built the present building there.

Benjamin Ford and his widow resided here until their deaths when the house passed to members of his numerous family.

Transcribed pb November 2005