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William Bush House

1817 establishments in KentuckyCentral-passage housesElizabethtown, KentuckyFederal architecture in KentuckyHouses completed in 1817
Houses in Hardin County, KentuckyHouses on the National Register of Historic Places in KentuckyKentucky Registered Historic Place stubsNational Register of Historic Places in Hardin County, KentuckyUse mdy dates from August 2023
William Bush House Elizabeth, KY
William Bush House Elizabeth, KY

The William Bush House, at 1927 Tunnel Hill Rd. in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is a historic house built in 1817. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.It is a two-story Federal style house built in stages. In 1817 a brick three-bay two-story central passage plan house was built. During the 1820s and 1830s lateral additions resulted in a seven-bay two-story house, with the additions including matching brick corbelling at the cornice and other matching details. A porch with Doric columns was added c.1910.It was deemed "a notable example of an early 19th century brick residence" and is one of the oldest homes in the city limits of Elizabethtown. It is also notable for ties to early settler William Bush. William Bush was the son of Christopher Bush, an early settler who moved to Hardin County in the 1780s. William Bush amassed a large farm in the early 1800s and in 1817 he had the original three bay brick section of this home constructed which is one of the oldest within the city limits of Elizabethtown. Bush's sister, Sara Bush Johnston, married Thomas Lincoln in 1819 and became Abraham Lincoln's stepmother. The house is noteworthy for its unusual lateral addition plan of the early 19th century. The house was enlarged in the 1820s and 1830s by the construction of matching two-story brick additions. These additions were carefully constructed with corbelled brick at the cornice and windows and door openings to match those on the original structure. This type of lateral addition is unusual in the county with most additions of this period occurring at the rear of structures. Since the early 1800s modern additions have been confined to the rear of the house and it displays its original 19th century character.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article William Bush House (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

William Bush House
Tunnel Hill Road, Elizabethtown

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 37.728611111111 ° E -85.834722222222 °
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Address

Tunnel Hill Road

Tunnel Hill Road
42701 Elizabethtown
Kentucky, United States
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William Bush House Elizabeth, KY
William Bush House Elizabeth, KY
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Philip Arnold House

The Philip Arnold House, at 422 E. Poplar St. in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is an Italianate-style house built in 1869. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The house was home of Philip Arnold, a confidence man at the center of the Diamond hoax of 1872. It is a two-story house with a gable roof, built in a T-plan in 1869. Around 1912 a one-story frame porch was added, with Doric square posts, which was later partially enclosed. Around 1960 a one-story brick addition was also added. It was deemed significant for its association during 1872–1879 with businessman Philip Arnold. The Kentucky historical society evaluation of the house includes this description:Arnold was a native of Elizabethtown who gained notoriety after claiming the discovery of diamond mines in Colorado and Arizona. Arnold formed a company to exploit the mines and moved back to Elizabethtown in 1872 a wealthy man. The mines later turned out to be a hoax and Arnold was the subject of several lawsuits and briefly spent time in the Elizabethtown jail. In 1872, he purchased this home from original owner William Wilson and lived here until his death. Arnold later opened a bank in the city and built the Gilded Age building, a prominent Italianate commercial building still standing, although altered, on the public square. Arnold's business dealings remained suspect in these years and in 1873 he was wounded in a shoot out with a rival businessman. Arnold continued to be active in local commerce until his death in 1879. The diamond hoax was one of the most famous of the 19th century and several books have been written dealing with Arnold and this famous incident. The mansion was later the McMurtry family home and was "one of the city's most notable Italianate residences", but remodelling of the porch and the brick addition reduced its architectural merit, so it is not listed for its architecture.