MATTHEW KENNEDY (FRAME) HOUSE

Second St., Lexington Fayette County, Kentucky
Built 1813

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

In all America probably there is no finer example of a Colonial house, typical of the height of this favored style of architecture just after 1800, than this beautiful old frame mansion built in 1813 by Kennedy and Brand. So many of the frame houses of early days succumbed to fires that Lexington is fortunate to have this one preserved today as a memorial to the height of architectural genius of a century and a quarter ago.

Matthew Kennedy, architect of old Transylvania University's principal building and of the former Masonic Temple where General Lafayette was entertained in 1825, designed this house and resided here. (1818 Directory: Mathew Kennedy, House-Joiner, Constitution Street.

Kennedy and his partner, James W. Brand, purchased from John W. Hunt an outlot (No. 10) fronting Mulberry and Walnut Streets and extending from the residential and rope-walk lot of Thomas Hart, Jr. ("Mrs. Hart's") to the alley beyond Second Street. They constructed a street, called Constitution St. (now Second St.), and the above-mentioned alley, called Pine Alley, from Mulberry to Walnut Streets. They had just begun to sell their lots in their new subdivision when Brand died, and "Mrs. Mary Brand, relict of the late J.W. Brand," also died (May 21, 1814). Their daughter, Mary S. Brand, inherited their property.

In 1831, when the daughter became of age, a partition of the Kennedy & Brand real estate was made. The west half of this house was given to Kennedy and the east half to Mary S. Brand, "only surviving and infant heir of James W. Brand." Kennedy's deed called for 275 feet from the corner of Mulberry (Limestone) St. to the middle of "a framed house built by Kennedy and Brand," in which Kennedy still was residing.

When Kennedy sold John Brand the McCalester House in 1834, the deed called for "233 feet back to the corner of the Garden Fence." This left Kennedy's half-of-the-frame-house frontage 42 feet, which it remains today. Alexander Gibney, who helped build the house, resided in the east half for some time (listed here in the 1818 Directory). His son, Dr. Robert A. Gibney, was born here. The latter married Miss Parmelia Pendleton, daughter of General E. Pendleton, Clark County, April 30, 1839, and their son, Dr. Virgil P. Gibney went east and became a famous surgeon. (Matthew Kennedy's three-year old son, Henry Clay Kennedy, died here in February, 1832).

Mrs. M.A. Holley, widow of the brilliant Transylvania University President, Dr. Horace Holley, was residing in the east half of the house, deeds of 1837 showed. Dr. Holley had resigned nearly ten years before and gone off to New Orleans. He died on board ship shortly afterward, and Mrs. Holley returned to Lexington to live. It was natural that she should be extended the hospitality of a "Brand house" as her residence--her daughter, Harriet W. Holley, had married William M. Brand (January 8, 1825), son of John Brand.

Mrs. Holley was a cousin of Stephen Austin, one of the founders of the Texas Republic, and later visited Texas and wrote a small history of that state. Residing with her were two nieces, Henrietta and Emily Austin. On June 16, 1836, a flag was presented to the Ladies' Legion, for the Kentuckians who were to aid the Texas Republic, the presentation being made on "Mrs. Hart's lawn" just back of this house. Stephen Austin designed the flag, sent it from New Orleans to Mrs. Holley and Miss __ames painted the emblem on it. Mrs. Holley wrote the address of presentation, delivered by Miss Henrietta Austin, and Dr. Benjamin J. Gauze made the response. Mayor Charlton Hunt originated the idea of organizing the Ladies' Legion to aid the Republic.

Henry H. Timberlake married Mary S. Brand, the daughter of James Brand, October 17, 1832. He sold A.O. Newton the east half of the house in April, 1837, but bought it back the next August. These deeds both mentioned Mrs. M.A. Holley's residence here. In 1847, Timberlake and wife sold their half of the house to Chas. L. Timberlake, "trustee for the sole and separate use of Mary Ann Timberlake, wife of Henry Timberlake, of Bourbon county, Ky."

John M. McCann, on December 25, 1847, purchased from Mary Ann Timberlake's trustee her half of the house, including "the coal grates now in the house and used for coal." (If the house survives until all America is air-conditioned, it will have undergone all advances in temperature adjustment).

A deed September 1, 1869, tells the remainder of the story of this half of the house, up to that time. It was made from Susan E. Ayres, widow of D.J. Ayres, of Milton, Mass. and other heirs, in Iowa and Kentucky, including Sr. Samuel Ayres and wife, of Boyle County, Ky., to Josephine Keiser, wife of John G. Keiser.

The deed stated that Wm. M. O. Smith had conveyed the property to David J. Ayres May 14, 1853, and the "contingent right of dower of Jane McCann, wife of James McCann, was released." Dr. David J. Ayres, who resided and had his office here, was one of the early medical students at Transylvania University. He formed a class in 1815 to be lectured by Dr. Benj. W. Dudley. His is the name that your mother and probably your grandmother (if not yourself) are familiar with in the field of long-advertised proprietary medicines.

Matthew Kennedy removed to Louisville and in 1843 he and his wife, Jane, mortgaged their half of the house to George W. Sutton--"bounded on the upper side by the house and lot of H.H. Timberlake and on the lower side by the house of John Brand occupied by E. Macalester."

On June 30, 1845, the Kennedys, "of Louisville, Ky.," sold the property to Elizabeth Walker and Charlotte Hill of Lexington. Repeating the location as above, the deed added that it was "one-half of the Framed House beforementioned, which has been injured by fire within the present year." Whatever injury was wrought obviously was repaired by Kennedy, who must have taken great pride in the restoration (if any) of his residence that stood as a memorial to his great Lexington career when every other building (Transylvania, Masonic Lodge, etc.) except the Brand house next door on the corner, which he had constructed, were gone.

Elizabeth Walker (did 1870) and Charlotte Hill (died 1885), sisters, bequeathed their half of the house to a third sister, Mary Ann Mann.

Transcribed by Pam Brinegar, June 2000