The History of the Best Places to Stay in Kentucky
It seems that social media is my friend these days. I spend a lot of time scrolling through, looking for historic sites to visit, and seeing what events are being held throughout the Commonwealth. It was in the middle of all that scrolling that I came to follow Maple Hill Manor Bed & Breakfast in Springfield, KY.
After I started following several B&Bs, my newest idea popped into my head. I would not only write about the best historic places to visit, but I could also feature the best historic places to stay in Kentucky. So many of our old homes are being used in that way that I wanted to support and promote their efforts in historic preservation, too. (I mean, thankfully, they haven’t all become funeral homes!)
With that idea, I launched the page on my website and reached out to a few places I follow and asked if they’d love to be featured on my page. Justin and Catherine at Maple Hill Manor said, “Absolutely!” So, off I went this past week to visit and stay a night.
Boy, am I happy I came up with this idea! I loved my stay, I loved meeting the owners, and I loved this home more than I can express. Like I always do, I have to walk you through the history before I walk you through the home and my experience. So, let’s get started!
The McElroy Clan
As with most of our early Kentucky families, our story starts in Virginia. This time, we start with James and Sarah McCune McElroy. It is believed that the spelling of their name changed from McIlroy to McElroy when they left Scotland for Ireland or when they arrived in the Colonies. The couple traveled from Belfast, Ireland, on the ship named “John of Dublin.” They came with many of their family, arriving in Philadelphia in 1729.
The couple purchased land along the Buffalo River, in what would become Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1749. They raised five sons: Archibald, John, Hugh, Samuel, and James Jr and two daughters: Mary and Elizabeth.1 James McElroy Sr fought in the French and Indian War, and his five sons fought in the Revolutionary War.
The land purchased by James Sr was willed to James Jr in 1772. James Jr then sold the land in 1789 when he and two of his brothers, Hugh and Samuel, moved to Kentucky. Samuel and James settled in present-day Lebanon, Marion County, KY. Hugh settled in present-day Springfield, Washington County, KY.2 (The McElroys likely received land in Kentucky for their service in the Revolutionary War.)
Now, before moving to Kentucky, Hugh McElroy married Nancy Esther Irvine around 1760 in Campbell County, Colony of Virginia. (Esther Irvine was the daughter of Rev. John Irvine, who had come to this country with James McElroy, Sr., in 1729.) Hugh and Esther had ten children together: James, Margaret, Sarah, Mary, John, Hugh Jr, Samuel, Robert, William, and Elizabeth.
Hugh settled his wife and family on a farm “within the eastern limits of Springfield. “3 There he built the first brick house between Danville and Bardstown.
Hugh and Esther’s son, William, married Catherine Crawford. William and Catherine had a son named Thomas Irvine McElroy. It is here that we finally reach the builder of Maple Hill Manor.
Thomas Irvine McElroy (1812 – 1879)
Thomas Irvine McElroy was born on October 14, 1812, in Washington County, KY, to William and Catherine Crawford McElroy. He likely inherited land from his father or grandfather, and he set to work building his 949 acres into a plantation. He became a cattle broker and farmer, raising sheep, cattle, tobacco, corn, wheat, and other products.
Thomas did not marry until later in life; he was 39 years old when he married for the first time. His wife, Sarah Jane Maxwell, was only 20 years old. They married in May 1852.4 Thomas presented his Greek Revival plantation home to his wife as a wedding gift. (The home was completed with slave labor in 1851.)
As “one of the most beautifully preserved Antebellum homes in the state,” the home is “lavished with numerous architectural features, it is accented with Italianate detail, spans just under 6,000 sq. ft., with 14′ ceilings, 12′ doorways, 9′ windows, 12 original rooms – most are 20′ x 20′ with some even larger, and a grand cherry floating spiral staircase.”
Maple Hill Manor
The couple had at least four children together: Catherine, William, Mary Elizabeth, and Eunice. The family lived on the property for about 50 years, with William being the last of the McElroys to live there.
Slavery & The Civil War
Thomas McElroy’s home and plantation were most likely built by enslaved men. According to the Slave Schedule of 1850, Thomas owned 5 slaves at that time, a 54-year-old male and a 50-year-old female, with three children aged 6, 3, and 1.5 By 1860, he listed 18 enslaved individuals, ten of which were under 18 years of age.6
The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, in Charleston, South Carolina. Kentucky attempted to stay neutral in the beginning by “enacting a resolution declaring neutrality in the Civil War, with no allegiance to either the United States or the Confederacy” on May 16 of that year. That neutrality didn’t last long, however. By September of 1861, Kentucky declared allegiance to the Union, and in October, “Southern sympathizers established a provisional Confederate government of Kentucky in Bowling Green.”7 The War was on, and Kentucky was being torn between the two sides. As I’m sure you’ve heard it said, it was brother against brother. Then, on October 8, 1862, the bloodiest battle on Kentucky’s soil took place – the Battle of Perryville.
“The largest and last major battle in the Kentucky Campaign, the Battle of Perryville, pitted Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Confederate army against Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Union army. While Bragg won the battle tactically, Confederate forces retreated from the battlefield and ended the campaign, leaving Kentucky under Union control for the rest of the war.
American Battlefield Trust
How It Ended
The Battle of Perryville ended at nightfall, and the Confederates failed to capture the Dixville Crossroads, a vital intersection for the Union army used at Perryville. On October 8th, Gen. Bragg learned the main body of the Army of Ohio was on the field, poised to attack his army the next morning. Bragg retreated during the night, ending the battle and the campaign. “
We don’t have any documentation (letters or diaries would have been nice) to know how the war impacted McElroy and those enslaved by him, but we do know what happened to his home.
Maple Hill Manor becomes a Civil War Hospital
Maple Hill Manor is just 15 miles from where the Battle of Perryville took place. One can only imagine what the McElroy’s saw as the troops moved through. It is known that the home was used as a Confederate Encampment before the Battle, and then used as a Union Field Hospital after the Battle.
The story is told that the second floor was used as a surgical ward, and the back bedroom was an operating room. The floor is said to have had blood stains that could not be removed, so the wooden floor was painted over – and it is still painted today.
The Manor’s Other Hats
As you can imagine, for a home that is 175 years old, it has seen many uses throughout the years. Clearly, it started as a home and functioned as a field hospital for a time, but it also functioned as a home to the Sims family, as well as the Smiths. While in the hands of those two families, a few events took place.
First, Phil Sims – a former football quarterback who played 15 seasons for the New York Giants in the NFL, a two-time Super Bowl champion, and the MVP of Super Bowl XXI – was born in the home. He lived at Maple Hill Manor until the age of 5. He was the grandson of the owners.
Under the ownership of the Smith family, Sylvia Smith started a catering company, which turned into a restaurant that she ran out of her home. She called her restaurant the Pine View Dinner House and ran it in the downstairs rooms of the home.
Sometime in the early 1980s, the home was purchased by Sam Baxter, who ran it as a foster home. He called his home Tanalorne. Over 300 children come through its doors.
Then, in 1990, Bob and Kay Carroll purchased the home, turned it into a Bed & Breakfast, and changed the name to Maple Hill Manor. While the building has switched hands two more times since then, the home has remained a B&B ever since. In 2022, Justin and Catherine Ulrey, the current owners, purchased the home. They have continued to run it as a B&B, and in my opinion, they are doing a fantastic job at it!
A Few Accolades for Maple Hill Manor:
Springfield, KY, Tourism
Most Romantic B&B in KY – 2018
Top Places to Stay on the KY Bourbon Trail, Bourbon Review Magazine – 2018
Innkeeping Excellence Award, Reservation Nexus – 2016
Selected as TOP 10 Most Romantic Inns in America, iloveinns.com – 2016
TripAdvisor’s Award of Excellence – 2009-2018, HALL OF FAME
B&B Marketer of the Year Award to Todd Allen – 2014 and 2018
Bed & Breakfast Association of Kentucky President’s Award, 2014 and 2018
Best Breakfast Recipe in the World Contest WINNER, bedandbreakfast.com – 2013
Industry Champion Award, Prof. Assoc. of Innkeepers International – 2013 and 2014
Green Leader in Lodging, TripAdvisor – 2013-2018
Best Kentucky B&B Hospitality & Service Award – 2012
Top 10 Farmstays in America for a “Haycation” by USA Today – 2011
Top 10 Farm B&Bs for a Family-Friendly Vacation, by Yahoo Travel – 2011
Prestigious Diamond Collection BedandBreakfast.com Member – 2011-2018
Voted “Top 10 Innkeepers” in the U.S. by BedandBreakfast.com – 2010-2011
Voted “Best B&B in the South” by BedandBreakfast.com – 2009
Voted #1 in the U.S. as the B&B with the “Most Historic Charm” – 2003 & 2004
Voted “Kentucky’s Best B&B” by readers of Kentucky Monthly Magazine – 2004
Voted “Best Breakfast in the Southeast” by readers of Arrington’s B&B Journal – 2005 and 2006
Voted “Outstanding B&B in the South” – 2005
All Photos are Property of KHT
My Visit…
I arrived just before sunset and right after a shower had passed through Springfield, KY, on the night of my stay. I took my things to my room and then went back downstairs to explore the home and the grounds. I took time to check out the comfy seating in the parlour and enjoyed a slice of lemon white chocolate cake with a cup of coffee, available for guests in the dining room. The cake was delicious, but what I was really excited about were the massive pocket doors, the original hardwood floors that creaked when you walked, and the wavy panes of glass in the massive, practically floor-to-ceiling windows. Oh, and the staircase! Holy cow! I’ve never seen a spiral staircase with treads so wide! Whoever built that staircase had some skills!
The sun was setting fast, so I wandered outside to check out the grounds (a gazebo, the patio, the horse pasture, and the chicken coop), snap a few pictures, take a few videos, and sit on a bench in front of the house, next to the gurgling water fountain, to do some writing while watching the sunset.
Once the sun had set and it was too dark to write, I took myself back up to my room – the Clara Barton.
It was a beautiful pink room on the second floor, in the front corner of the home, overlooking the horse pasture. My room was enormous! As I quoted above, the room was at least 20’x20′ with 14′ ceilings, 12′ doorways, and 9′ windows. I was simply WOWed! I’ve seen tall ceilings on first floors, but never on the second floor. It was just gorgeous!
As you can see from the photos, this room was big enough for two beds, two side chairs, two dressers, four side tables, two closets, a fireplace, an original door connecting the front room to the back room, and an added bathroom. Can we say massive?? Of course, the bathroom would not have been there in 1851. So, who knows what else could have fit into this room!
You know I had to check out the closets – known as presses in the 1800s – as soon as I settled in. I was shocked to see two closets, side-by-side. It was fairly rare to have a closet in a room, let alone two! That’s where I found the complimentary robes for use during my stay. That was quite a nice addition to this already lovely experience!
Each room in the house has its own historic name. In addition to Clara Barton, there’s John James Audubon, Stephen Collins Foster, the McElroy – Honeymoon Hideaway, the Abraham Lincoln Library Room, the Jefferson Davis, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe.
The Clara Barton Room and a view out the window! / Photos courtesy of KHT
I settled into my jammies and the queen-sized bed, found an episode of Downton Abbey on the television, and pulled out my laptop to continue the writing I had started when I arrived. Before I knew it, it was 1 AM and time to wrap up for the night, I cozied into my bed and fell fast asleep.
The next morning, I was up bright and early. (I slept wonderfully, by the way.) I showered, using the complimentary soaps, shampoos, and fluffy towels. The water pressure was amazing, and there was hot water from the showerhead right away. I don’t know about you, but we’ve stayed in plenty of historic homes on our family vacations. We’ve been in some homes where the water takes FOREVER to get hot, and the water pressure will be a trickle. I was so very surprised, and therefore very pleased, that I did not have that problem at Maple Hill Manor.
I finished getting ready and was in the dining room right at 9:00 AM, the time I told Catherine (the owner) I would be down for breakfast the day before. I found a seat facing the window, so that I could look out at the patio and garden. I was greeted by a lovely young lady, wishing me “Good Morning” and offered to get me something to drink. In a flash, she was back with my orange juice and a plate of fresh fruit: sliced banana, blueberries, and mandarin orange slices. Within just a few minutes, Catherine was at my table with a beautiful breakfast plate: sausage patties, a blueberry lavender scone, and an egg dish that was to die for! (Sorry, I don’t remember what she called it.) Everything was delicious, and I couldn’t stop eating! I was so full. I never eat that much for breakfast, but I couldn’t help myself.
The maple leaf napkin ring was an added touch to Maple Hill Manor’s breakfast setting. / Photos courtesy of KHT
After Catherine finished serving breakfast to all her guests, we sat down together in the parlour where we discussed all things history. We discussed the McElroys, the Sims, and the Smiths. We discussed the use of the home as a hospital, a foster home, and a restaurant. She then took me through the B&B owners that came before her. We discussed murals and kitchens, questions of layout and use. I’d say we covered everything, and then some, related to the home.
Catherine was truly a wealth of knowledge about Maple Hill Manor, the home she moved all the way to Kentucky to purchase. That’s right, Justin and Catherine are not native Kentuckians. They’re actually Oregonians! She told me they have a love of old homes, and this home in Kentucky called to them. So, they moved more than halfway across the country just for this home! Now that’s dedication. I thanked her for taking such good care of one of our Kentucky treasures as we wrapped up our visit with one another. Now, before I left, Catherine did offer me a peek into the kitchen, which still has the original fireplace, cooking hearth, and the iron swing-out arm for hanging kettles when cooking. I felt like a kid in a candy store! There are no pictures of that, but I can promise you, I won’t soon forget it.
I gave Catherine a big Kentucky hug before bidding her farewell. I truly couldn’t thank her enough for the extraordinary experience and the chance to stay in “one of the most beautifully preserved Antebellum homes in the state,” after all.
& Reflection
I can not say enough great things about my visit and stay. I can’t say enough kind things about Justin and Catherine, who are doing a phenomenal job caring for this 175-year-old treasure.
When I visited that night, three other couples were staying there as well. Two couples were from Western Kentucky. It, too, was their first time at Maple Hill Manor. Another couple I spoke with was from Clarksville, Tennessee. They had visited before and had returned for a 2-night stay. I’m fairly certain repeat guests say it all.
So, listen to the couple from Tennessee (and me, too, for that matter) and check out Maple Hill Manor. It’s totally worth a stay… or two! I promise, you’ll love it!
Thank you again to Justin and Catherine, and
…Happy Travels!
- PRINCE EDWARD CO., VA. WILLS, 1754-1776; R975.5 PRINCE Copyright [c] 1991 by T.L.C. Genealogy ↩︎
- McElroy Newsletters, Vol. 1 & 2, 1976-1977. Located in the S.A. Library, Mar. 1993, via Geni.com ↩︎
- McElroy Newsletters, Vol. 1 & 2, 1976-1977. Located in the S.A. Library, Mar. 1993, via Geni.com ↩︎
- Stiles, Lewis Ogeden, The Family of David Stiles or The Ten tribes of the House of David, Mayes Printing Company, Louisville, KY, 1939 ↩︎
- Ancestry.com. 1850 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. ↩︎
- Ancestry.com. 1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. ↩︎
- https://history.ky.gov/kentucky-history-at-a-glance ↩︎
Loved the story and your writing. I think I will have to stay there in the near future.