William Whitley House SHS

William Whitley House SHS

Stanford, Kentucky 40484

William Whitley House State Historical Site Official Website

About William Whitley House State Historical Site

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William Whitley House, also known as Sportsman's Hill. It was the first brick home and circular racetrack built west of the Alleghany Mountains, completed in 1794 by William Whitley and his wife Esther. Dubbed the Guardian of Wilderness Road, the house was a gathering spot for early Kentuckians, including George Rogers Clark and Daniel Boone.

It is a an example of early Kentucky architecture. The Georgian style mansion was built between 1787 and 1794. The residence with brick walls two feet thick laid in Flemish Bond was designed to protect its occupants from Indian attack. Whitley had the windows placed high above the ground so attackers could not shoot straight through at those within. He also ordered that no porch at the front or ell at the rear of the house be built. This would leave no hiding places for those who attacked his home. Prideful of his home and his accomplishments, Whitley had lighter bricks designed for his initials, WW, and placed above the front door. To the rear of the house he had the brick initials EW placed in honor of his wife Esther.

Although a virtual fortress, the Whitley House was also a home. Behind the thick hand-carved wooden doors that are reinforced with iron, there is a stately and comfortable home. Whitley named his home Sportsman Hill, although many referred to the house as the Guardian of Wilderness Road. An avid horse racer, he laid out a racetrack in 1788 that forever influenced American horse racing. Since he did not approve of customs associated with the British, he ordered that his racetrack be laid out opposite to theirs. Instead of running clockwise, his was a counter-clockwise track. He also insisted that the track be made of clay instead of turf as preferred by the British.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

  • Roadside viewing

Content from William Whitley House State Historical Site Official Website

Last updated June 12, 2023