EZEKIEL KELLY HOUSE

No. 500 S. Upper St., Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Built 1843

Rev. Nathan Hall and wife, Eliza, (widow of George Trotter, Jr.) sold "Lot No. 8" on the corner of Pine Street here to Ezekiel Kelly January 4, 1843.

The lot had been purchased by George Trotter, Sr., in 1814, and had descended for many years thereafter as "a vacant lot on the south corner of Upper and Pine Sts."

Kelly built this fine old brick cottage, with its attractive portico. He is listed (Ezekiel Kelly) in the 1859 Directory as residing here, and the 1864 Directory says: "E. Kelly, carpenter, worked at J.H. Hendricks, house s.e. cor. Upper and Pine."

He died in March, 1868, and in his will gave "my house and lot on which I reside at the corner of Upper and Pine Sts. to my friend, Wm. Van Pelt to be held in trust for my daughter, Edda Ann Kelly." He also gave her his "parlor furniture, silver spoons," and whatever other furniture she might decide to take.

Kelly built a good looking house, and it stands nearly a century after as a memorial to his carpentry.

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

Transcribed by pb, July 2006