Sometimes it seems as if stories are begging to be told, as if fate steps in and guides me to the history. This is one of those stories. You see, I had driven out to Fairfield, KY to take pictures of the Fairfield Cemetery that I had seen while out on a previous drive. I did as planned. I stopped, took my cemetery pictures, and decided to head in the opposite direction down KY-48 to see what I might find. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a church sign, but I had already missed the turn. I said to myself, “Oh, why not?” I turned the car around, drove back to the church, and took a single picture of St. Michael Catholic Church. I knew nothing about it, but it was pretty, so I decided to post the picture when I returned home.
Just a short while later, I received a Facebook Message from a lovely lady named Mrs. Gardiner, explaining that her husband’s family were the founders of the church I had just posted. She informed me that Revolutionary War Patriot Clement Gardiner and his wife Henrietta had founded the church in 1792 after arriving in Kentucky from Maryland.
If you know my blog, you know I can’t resist a story about a Revolutionary War Patriot and the beginnings of Kentucky, so I jumped down the research rabbit hole. Here’s what I learned!
Clement & Henrietta Gardiner
Clement Gardiner was born in 1748 in St. Mary’s County, Maryland to Ignatius and Anne Edelen Gardiner. He served as a Private in the Revolutionary War in the 12th Battalion, Maryland Militia, under Capt. John Thomas in 1777. He also signed the Maryland Oath of Fidelity in 1778, in Charles County, Maryland.
Henrietta Boone was born around 1750 in Piscataway, Prince George’s County, Maryland to James and Mary Page Boone. (Of course, I chased the Boone name! I could not find a direct link to Daniel Boone. His family were Quakers from Pennsylvania. Henrietta’s were Catholic from Maryland. While there may be a link across the ocean, I didn’t dig that far.) Sadly, Henrietta’s father passed away in 1753, when she was merely a toddler.
Around 1770, Henrietta married Clement Gardiner in Prince George’s County, Maryland. They had 9 children together: Joseph, Francis, Theodore, Henry, Mary, Eleanor, Anne Nancy, Ignatius, and Christina. It is believed that all of their children were born in Maryland.
A Home and a Church in Kentucky
The Gardiner family moved to Kentucky sometime before 1792. They settled in the area known today as Fairfield. At the time, Clement’s land encompassed all of what is now Fairfield, but was known as Gardiner’s Station. (A station was any defensible home built by settlers to defend themselves against Native American attacks.)
Having a large home, Clement opened his doors in 1792 to the Catholic settlers in the community, officially establishing St. Michael Parish. Church services were held in his home for 11 to 12 years. Then in 1806, Clement donated land to the congregation for a church to be built and a cemetery to be established. Clement also donated most of the funds needed to build the church. A spot up on a hillside was chosen and a log church was built. The church was open for services by the Summer of 1807.
In 1831, the church moved about one mile east of its original location. In 1883, the current church was built on that second location. The cemetery still marks the original church location.
Historical Firsts
I just love when I come across more “West of the Alleghenies” firsts. The truth is that the list of firsts attached to St. Michael’s in Fairfield is pretty significant, and that’s when I knew I had to share its history. Let’s take a look!
- St. Michael Church is the oldest parish in Nelson County.
- It is the 3rd oldest Catholic parish West of the Alleghenies.
- “Louisville’s first parish — St. Louis — began as a mission of St. Michael. The Louisville parish was later renamed and rebuilt and became the Cathedral of the Assumption.” ~ The Record Newspaper
- The first priest ordained in the US, Stephen Badin, was the first priest of St. Michael Church.
- The first priest ordained in Kentucky, Guy Chabrat, was the first resident pastor of St. Michael Church.
- “It is one of the few churches that can claim to be a birthplace of Catholicism in this state.” ~ St. Michael the Archangel Church
- St. Michael was the home parish of Catherine Spalding, the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
That’s a pretty impressive list, don’t you think? The impact that this congregation had on the Catholic Church in Louisville, and the state, cannot be denied! It’s all thanks to Clement and Henrietta for opening their doors to the community all those years ago. You just never know the ripple effect your actions can make!
Then there was a Nursery
As if Clement and Henrietta’s church legacy wasn’t enough, another Gardiner came along and made another ripple (with more firsts), two generations later.
Boone Gardiner is the Louisville areas oldest nursery and garden center, and among the founders of the industry in Kentucky. The Gardiner family’s history in the gardening business predates their arrival in Maryland from Britain.
Boone Gardiner LAndscape and Farm
My understanding is that Francis Boone Gardiner was Clement and Henrietta’s grandson. Francis, and his brother, began Gardiner Brothers Nursery in Fairfield. Then in 1899, Francis who went by Boone, purchased an estate in Louisville called Fondavera and continued his nursery business there. This time he named it Boone Gardiner Garden Center. He and his wife lived in the home on the property. Today, the home sits on almost 2 acres of land on Gardiner Lane (named for the family) near Tremont Drive in Jefferson County.
In 1933, the business was left to Daniel Boone Gardiner, just 16 years old, after the death of both his father (in 1927) and mother (in 1933). Daniel moved the business and his four sisters to a new property – 60 acres near the present-day intersection of Shelbyville Road and Hurstbourne Lane.
In 1985, the business moved again when Daniel Boone Gardiner retired, leaving the business to his son, Daniel S. Gardiner. The business was moved further east down Shelbyville Road to the area of Eastwood on 60 acres of land – on the property where the Publix is being built today.
Today, Boone Gardiner is located in LaGrange and focuses on “Landscape Design and Installation work” rather than running a retail nursery.
Impact on Louisville
Boone Gardiner Nursery led the industry in Louisville. As a result, some of the well-known Louisville nursery names can trace their beginnings to Boone Gardiner. Herman Wallitsch, Sr. (Founder of Wallitsch Nursery and Garden Center), Clarence Otte (Frank Otte’s father), and Buddy Hubbuch (well-known director of horticulture at Bernheim Forest), all worked for Boone Gardiner Nursery at the beginning of their careers.
Boone Gardiner Nursery not only had an impact on the nursery industry, but also on the landscape of Louisville. The nursery planted trees, flowers, and shrubs and planned landscape design in many areas of town, including but not limited to: Eastern Parkway, Cave Hill, the Louisville Parks system, University of Louisville, Audubon, Louisville and Big Springs Country Club, “Oxmoor Mall, Valhalla Golf Course, Lake Forest, Polo Fields, Bellarmine University, The Louisville Zoo, and many horse farms in the state.” (Boone Gardiner website)
Henrietta’s Impact
Are you beginning to see why I was “wowed” by what one photograph led me too? Well, we’re not done just yet. I have one more ripple effect to mention. Henrietta (Clement’s wife) had a little bit of impact of her own.
Around 1821, Henrietta donated 300 acres near Fairfield to Bishop Joseph Flaget (first bishop of Bardstown and Louisville). The land was to be used for a school. The school was named Bethania and eleven Sisters of Loretto came to live on the campus and teach at the school. Sister Bibiana Elder was named Superior and moved into a small home that was built near St. Michael’s Cemetery.
The school was shut down in 1827, after various misfortunes. Today, the Sisters of Loretto’s Motherhouse Complex sits on the 300-acres originally donated by Henrietta in 1821.
My Visit and Reflection
Can you believe all of this history from a single photo of a church? You simply never know what you’ll find when you wander the backroads of Kentucky! This is such an amazing story and I just knew it needed to be told. The impact that this family had on various facets of history is just incredible.
Now, once I learned about Clement’s history as a Revolutionary War Patriot, I had to return to Fairfield to visit the St. Michael Cemetery. I drove out on a Saturday, this time with my husband behind the wheel, so I could lean out the window and take pictures! We made our way to the cemetery and parked. The only clue I had to help me locate the spot was from a picture I had seen on Find-a-Grave. There was a stone bench in a photo from when the SAR marked Clement’s gravesite. I got out of the car and walked to the first stone bench I saw, which just happened to be the correct one. Directly in front of the bench was Clement’s headstone! I found it way too easily! Fate had played a hand again.
I had accomplished my mission. I took a few more pictures of the cemetery and headed back to the car. I was floored that I had located the gravestone so easily and felt like I was being led to tell this story, even more than I had before.
We drove on down the highway, taking roads we had not driven before. As usual we found some interesting sites that required photos and more research. (I’ll be posting those on Facebook soon.) We then stopped in Bardstown for lunch and finally headed back home. I had some writing and more research to do!
Go ahead! Get out and see Kentucky! You never know what you will find.
Until next time…
If you want more history about St. Michael, read my cousin’s book – “Pioneer Faith: A History of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Fairfield, Ky”. There’s s lot of history in my small hometown. Also, every year in June Fairfield has it’s annual Homecoming. There is a history display in the city hall and a Henry McKenna display.