Located a few miles south of Fayette Mall on Nicholasville road is Waveland State Historic Site. This is a beautiful 19th century Greek Revival home built by Joseph Bryan (grandnephew of Daniel Boone) in 1847. The grounds include the home, slave quarters, smokehouse, icehouse, gardens and a playground (not of the original plantation). Check the official site for operation times.

A tour of the home and grounds start on the hour and last roughly an hour. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable about the time period that the home represents. The tour showcased the Bryan family in the 19th century. Some items inside the house are the original items owned by the family. Included in the collection is possibly the oldest piece of furniture in Kentucky. Be sure to ask your tour guide about its story and social status (it was invited to parties).

The slave house included the slave’s quarters and the kitchen. This was a very good exhibit of how they cooked and what they ate. Above the kitchen were the slave’s quarters and several items showing slave life in the 19th century.

The gardens were beautiful and very well kept. It was a pleasure walking through the gardens and around the house. If you like picnics, this would be an excellent spot (picnic tables included on the grounds).

If you like 19th century history, this is definitely a place to stop and spend a few hours. If you are not a history buff, this is still a nice place to spend an afternoon under the shade trees.

Official Site
Wikipedia

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