Calendar of Events
06/04/2023
Chamber Music Concert in the Pavilion: Completely Mozart!
Sunday, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Join us for an outdoor concert in our events pavilion! A special chamber music performance features the Mozart Divertimento K 138 and the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. This chamber music concert in this new space is FULLY ACCESSIBLE to all. The Locust Grove Pavilion Players are: Bill Bauer and Alice Culin-Ellison, violins; Laura De St. Croix, viola; Cecilia Huerta-Lauf, cello; with Ernie Gross, clarinet. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, (for one clarinet and a string quartet) was written in 1789 for the clarinetist Anton Stadler. Although originally written for basset clarinet, in contemporary performances it is usually played on a clarinet in A. It was Mozart's only completed clarinet quintet and is one of the earliest and best-known works written especially for the instrument. It remains to this day one of the most admired of the composer's works. The Divertimento K. 138 in F major was written in 1772, when Mozart was only 15 years old. It was one of three Divertimenti, likely intended for outdoor performance, possibly on the terrace at Mirabel Palace at a summer dinner hosted by the Archbishop of Salzburg. Food and drink available for sale. Free to Chamber Music series subscribers. Tickets available online. Adults $15, students $10. Doors open at 2:00; concert begins at 3:00 pm.
06/07/2023
Afternoon Lecture Series: The Creation of William Croghan’s Locust Grove
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Locust Grove's former executive director and author of George Rogers Clark and William Croghan, Gwynne Tuell Potts, will chronicle the acquisition of the 694.5 acres that became William Croghan's "seat", and the construction of the buildings and use of the land during Croghan's occupancy of Locust Grove. Refreshments will be served, starting at 1:00 pm, with lecture beginning at 1:15 pm. Admission is $6, or $4 for members of Locust Grove.
06/17/2023
Juneteenth Celebration on the River
Saturday, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Locust Grove is partnering with the Belle of Louisville/Marion M. Miller steamboat for a commemoration of Juneteenth on the Ohio River. This one-hour Harbor History Cruise will feature performers from Locust Grove's Museum Theatre program and a talk about emancipation at Locust Grove. Tickets are $10/person, available at the Belle of Louisville ticketing site online. Choose "June 17th" when booking tickets. The cruise leaves at 4:00, boarding begins earlier.
06/21/2023
Commonwealth Brass Band Concert
Wednesday, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
The Commonwealth Brass Band presents a rousing evening concert in the open-air Pavilion at Locust Grove, featuring popular music, show tunes, and other favorites. Seating provided under the Pavilion roof, or bring your own chairs or picnic blankets and spread out on the lawn. Concert starts at 6:30 pm, food and drink available starting at 5:30 pm. Admission is pay-what-you-wish, with your donations supporting both Locust Grove's programs and the Commonwealth Brass Band.
06/25/2023
Antiques Market
Sunday, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Check out the treasures abound at the Antiques Market! From delicate china teapots to silver spoons, vintage jewelry to Kentucky-made chairs—there’s something for all tastes and every budget. Featuring dozens of professional dealers from around the region, the Antiques Market offers fine and country furniture, books, textiles, jewelry, ephemera, silver, and more. Admission includes tours of the historic house museum offered beginning at 1:00pm. Food & drink available. $8 adults; children under 12 free. Thanks to our event sponsors: Steve Tipton Antiques, Antiques at Distillery Commons, and Karen & Judson Fults. Event organizer: Eric Lausch, viwalkersilver@yahoo.com.
06/26/2023 - 06/30/2023
Summer Camp! Their Story is Our Story: YouthSpeak at Locust Grove with Looking for Lilith
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Locust Grove and Looking for Lilith are excited to host our third annual YouthSpeak Summer camp at Locust Grove. This camp is a great way for students ages 8-12 to bring the past to the present. Campers will learn what life at Locust Grove was like in early 19th century Kentucky for all that live and worked here. Campers will have hands-on historical workshops, and then create a play inspired by this exploration of life and work right on the grounds. Using LFL’s tried and true YouthSpeak devising process, the camp will culminate in a performance on the last day in the historic house. AGES: 8-12. JUNE 26-30 | M-F | 9:00a - 4:00pm. COST: $225. SPACES STILL AVAILABLE! Reserve your camper's spot here: https://lookingforlilith.org/summerdrama and click the "REGISTER NOW" button or visit https://lfltheatreco.jumbula.com/20222023SummerDrama/YouthSpeakatLocustGrove
06/26/2023 - 06/30/2023
Summer Camp! Their Story is Our Story: YouthSpeak at Locust Grove with Looking for Lilith
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Locust Grove and Looking for Lilith are excited to host our third annual YouthSpeak Summer camp at Locust Grove. This camp is a great way for students ages 8-12 to bring the past to the present. Campers will learn what life at Locust Grove was like in early 19th century Kentucky for all that live and worked here. Campers will have hands-on historical workshops, and then create a play inspired by this exploration of life and work right on the grounds. Using LFL’s tried and true YouthSpeak devising process, the camp will culminate in a performance on the last day in the historic house. AGES: 8-12. JUNE 26-30 | M-F | 9:00a - 4:00pm. COST: $225. SPACES STILL AVAILABLE! Reserve your camper's spot here: https://lookingforlilith.org/summerdrama and click the "REGISTER NOW" button or visit https://lfltheatreco.jumbula.com/20222023SummerDrama/YouthSpeakatLocustGrove
06/26/2023 - 06/30/2023
Summer Camp! Their Story is Our Story: YouthSpeak at Locust Grove with Looking for Lilith
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Locust Grove and Looking for Lilith are excited to host our third annual YouthSpeak Summer camp at Locust Grove. This camp is a great way for students ages 8-12 to bring the past to the present. Campers will learn what life at Locust Grove was like in early 19th century Kentucky for all that live and worked here. Campers will have hands-on historical workshops, and then create a play inspired by this exploration of life and work right on the grounds. Using LFL’s tried and true YouthSpeak devising process, the camp will culminate in a performance on the last day in the historic house. AGES: 8-12. JUNE 26-30 | M-F | 9:00a - 4:00pm. COST: $225. SPACES STILL AVAILABLE! Reserve your camper's spot here: https://lookingforlilith.org/summerdrama and click the "REGISTER NOW" button or visit https://lfltheatreco.jumbula.com/20222023SummerDrama/YouthSpeakatLocustGrove
06/26/2023 - 06/30/2023
Summer Camp! Their Story is Our Story: YouthSpeak at Locust Grove with Looking for Lilith
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Locust Grove and Looking for Lilith are excited to host our third annual YouthSpeak Summer camp at Locust Grove. This camp is a great way for students ages 8-12 to bring the past to the present. Campers will learn what life at Locust Grove was like in early 19th century Kentucky for all that live and worked here. Campers will have hands-on historical workshops, and then create a play inspired by this exploration of life and work right on the grounds. Using LFL’s tried and true YouthSpeak devising process, the camp will culminate in a performance on the last day in the historic house. AGES: 8-12. JUNE 26-30 | M-F | 9:00a - 4:00pm. COST: $225. SPACES STILL AVAILABLE! Reserve your camper's spot here: https://lookingforlilith.org/summerdrama and click the "REGISTER NOW" button or visit https://lfltheatreco.jumbula.com/20222023SummerDrama/YouthSpeakatLocustGrove
06/26/2023 - 06/30/2023
Summer Camp! Their Story is Our Story: YouthSpeak at Locust Grove with Looking for Lilith
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Locust Grove and Looking for Lilith are excited to host our third annual YouthSpeak Summer camp at Locust Grove. This camp is a great way for students ages 8-12 to bring the past to the present. Campers will learn what life at Locust Grove was like in early 19th century Kentucky for all that live and worked here. Campers will have hands-on historical workshops, and then create a play inspired by this exploration of life and work right on the grounds. Using LFL’s tried and true YouthSpeak devising process, the camp will culminate in a performance on the last day in the historic house. AGES: 8-12. JUNE 26-30 | M-F | 9:00a - 4:00pm. COST: $225. SPACES STILL AVAILABLE! Reserve your camper's spot here: https://lookingforlilith.org/summerdrama and click the "REGISTER NOW" button or visit https://lfltheatreco.jumbula.com/20222023SummerDrama/YouthSpeakatLocustGrove
07/04/2023
Independence Day Celebration: Summer on the Farm
Tuesday, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Join us at Locust Grove as we celebrate Independence Day in early 19th-century style at Historic Locust Grove! Festivities of the day will include walk-throughs of the historic house, first person interpreter portrayals, public readings of the Declaration of Independence and excerpts from Frederick Douglass' speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July" and more. Food trucks will be on-site for food and drink, or bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the grounds. Free, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Independence Day at Locust Grove is sponsored by Independence Bank.
07/05/2023
Afternoon Lecture Series: Stories of the Second Generation: Scientific Farming, Cave Exploring, and more Untold Stories of Locust Grove
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Join Locust Grove’s Director of Interpretation, Kaitlyn Tisdale, as she explores some of the many untold stories of the second generation of Locust Grove: the farm’s dramatic history after the death of Lucy Croghan; Dr. John Croghan’s fascination with scientific farming, and the changes he brought to the land of Locust Grove; and the brilliant mind and discoveries of enslaved cave explorer and guide Stephen Bishop. Join us for this illuminating lecture centered around the many stories from the period between William Croghan’s death in 1822 through the death of Dr. John Croghan in 1849. Refreshments will be served, starting at 1:00 pm, with lecture beginning at 1:15 pm. Admission is $6, or $4 for members of Locust Grove. Kaitlyn Tisdale, a Louisville native, is the Director of Interpretation at Historic Locust Grove. Most recently, Kaitlyn completed her fellowship with the Smithsonian Institution’s Ethical Interpretation program with the National Museum of African American History and Culture which has informed her research and interpretative plans for Historic Locust Grove.
08/02/2023
Afternoon Lecture Series: A Visual History of Louisville During the Civil War
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Bryan Bush explores a city bristling with Civil War history. Learn how a thriving antebellum city became a crucial outpost for the Union army while their citizens were besieged with constant fear of guerilla warfare and swift Rebel vengeance. Listeners will walk in the steps of soldiers, commander, and civic leaders. Thirty forts once peppered Louisville’s landscape, as well as long forgotten hideaways and hotbeds of insurgence. Explore Union casinos and brothels along Jefferson and Fourth Streets, the infamous Louisville Military Prison; Jefferson General Hospital, the third largest during the Civil War; and the original Galt House, site of Union General Bull Nelson’s assassination. Bryan Bush, a native Louisvillian, graduated from Murray State University and received his Master’s Degree from the University of Louisville. Bryan has always had a passion for history, especially the Civil War, and is a published author with works such as The Civil War Battles of the Western Theater, and Louisville During the Civil War: A History and Guide and Louisville’s Southern Exposition. He is the park manager for the Perryville State Historic Site.
08/24/2023 - 08/27/2023
Book Sale
MEMBER PREVIEW: August 24. GENERAL SALE: August 25, 26, and 27. Used, antiquarian, and new books at all prices, all categories, including travel, science, cookbooks, fiction, history, literature, children's, reference, and more! With books at reasonable prices, you are sure to find a new treasure to add to your bookshelf. Prices start at $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers, with a special section of finer books that are individually priced. Proceeds support the educational and preservation programs of Locust Grove.
08/24/2023 - 08/27/2023
Book Sale
MEMBER PREVIEW: August 24. GENERAL SALE: August 25, 26, and 27. Used, antiquarian, and new books at all prices, all categories, including travel, science, cookbooks, fiction, history, literature, children's, reference, and more! With books at reasonable prices, you are sure to find a new treasure to add to your bookshelf. Prices start at $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers, with a special section of finer books that are individually priced. Proceeds support the educational and preservation programs of Locust Grove.
08/24/2023 - 08/27/2023
Book Sale
MEMBER PREVIEW: August 24. GENERAL SALE: August 25, 26, and 27. Used, antiquarian, and new books at all prices, all categories, including travel, science, cookbooks, fiction, history, literature, children's, reference, and more! With books at reasonable prices, you are sure to find a new treasure to add to your bookshelf. Prices start at $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers, with a special section of finer books that are individually priced. Proceeds support the educational and preservation programs of Locust Grove.
08/24/2023 - 08/27/2023
Book Sale
MEMBER PREVIEW: August 24. GENERAL SALE: August 25, 26, and 27. Used, antiquarian, and new books at all prices, all categories, including travel, science, cookbooks, fiction, history, literature, children's, reference, and more! With books at reasonable prices, you are sure to find a new treasure to add to your bookshelf. Prices start at $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers, with a special section of finer books that are individually priced. Proceeds support the educational and preservation programs of Locust Grove.
09/06/2023
Afternoon Lecture Series: Locust Grove in Suburbia
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
By the 1920s, Louisville's boundaries were expanding beyond the early trolley-line suburbs into areas that were not accessible until cars became a common mode of transportation. The East End, with its large farms, was ripe for suburban development. How did development pressure affect Locust Grove in the first part of the 20th century? How did the neighborhood surrounding Locust Grove develop? Carol Ely, Locust Grove's Executive Director, will take us into the most recent century of Locust Grove's past. Dr. Ely began her career in public history at Boston's Paul Revere House. She subsequently earned her Ph.D. in American History from Brandeis University. She was the founding Director of the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, and has worked at the Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham, Massachusetts, the Virginia Discovery Museum in Charlottesville Virginia, and as consultant for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, and the Speed Museum, among others. She was an adjunct professor in Public History at the University of Louisville, and has been the Executive Director of Historic Locust Grove since 2004.
09/21/2023
Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement: Farmington Book Discussion
Thursday, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Join the Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement at the third of our 4 part series of book discussions! We will discuss The Humanity Archive: Recovering the Soul of Black History from a Whitewashed American Myth by Jermaine Fowler. This discussion will take place at Farmington Historic Plantation on September 21 at 6:00pm. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Jermaine Fowler is a storyteller and self-proclaimed intellectual adventurer who spent his youth seeking knowledge on the shelves of his local free public library. Between research and lecturing, he is the host of the top-rated history podcast, The Humanity Archive, praised as a must-listen by Vanity Fair. Challenging dominant perspectives, Fowler goes outside the textbooks to find recognizably human stories. Connecting current issues with the heroic struggles of those who've come before us, he brings hidden history to light and makes it powerfully relevant.
09/24/2023
Antiques Market
Sunday, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Check out the treasures abound at the Antiques Market! From delicate china teapots to silver spoons, vintage jewelry to Kentucky-made chairs—there’s something for all tastes and every budget. Featuring dozens of professional dealers from around the region, the Antiques Market offers fine and country furniture, books, textiles, jewelry, ephemera, silver, and more. Admission includes tours of the historic house museum offered beginning at 1:00pm. Event organizer: Eric Lausch. Food & drink available. $8 adults; children under 12 free. Thanks to our event sponsors: Steve Tipton Antiques, Antiques at Distillery Commons, and Karen & Judson Fults.
09/30/2023
Fall on the Farm
Enjoy a day filled with the hustle and bustle of harvesting, cooking, distilling and other activities that would welcome in the fall season on a 19th-century farm. Learn about the seasonal life on a farm through historic demonstrations in the hearth kitchen, farm distillery, and outbuildings. Click here to learn more about the event schedule. Regular site admission prices - $12 adults; $10 seniors; $6 for children 6-18; under 6 free.
10/04/2023
Afternoon Lecture Series: Charles Raith
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Locust Grove and Historic Preservation’s Future: Making an Invisible History Visible. This talk seeks to show how Locust Grove, as a product of the preservation movement in 19th and 20th century America, could embrace new trends in the movement in the 21st century. We’ll examine some of the antecedents for Locust Grove’s restoration as part of the evolution of the preservation movement up to the present day to better understand and explore how Locust Grove might respond to the challenges of new, critical thinking about treatment standards and practices. Refreshments will be served, starting at 1:00 pm, with lecture beginning at 1:15 pm. Admission is $6, or $4 for members of Locust Grove. Charles Raith began his professional career in 1977 when, fresh out of the University of Cincinnati’s architectural school, he was hired by Sam Thomas to be the project manager for the renovation of the old Jefferson County Courthouse. In that position, he also assisted Sam in the reconstruction of Locust Grove’s icehouse. Ever since, in private practice and public service, historic preservation has been a personal and professional passion. He has worked on numerous condition assessments and preservation plans for historic buildings, sites and campuses, including several projects at Locust Grove.
10/28/2023 - 10/29/2023
18th Century Market Fair
Experience the 18th century with all five senses! You are invited to join Locust Grove and the Illinois Regiment of Virginia as we bring the spirit of the past alive with the Market Fair. You can participate in 18th-century style entertainment, purchase replicas of 18th-century military and household items, and enjoy food and drink as our founders did. See the sheep, and horses, and meet and converse with early Americans. Mock battles for our country’s independence feature General George Rogers Clark’s own company, the Illinois Regiment of Virginia, as well as British Dragoons and Marines. Admission $8 adults, $4 children. A full schedule and list of vendors may be found here: https://locustgrove.org/18th-century-market-fair/ Reenactor Registration may be found here.
10/28/2023 - 10/29/2023
18th Century Market Fair
Experience the 18th century with all five senses! You are invited to join Locust Grove and the Illinois Regiment of Virginia as we bring the spirit of the past alive with the Market Fair. You can participate in 18th-century style entertainment, purchase replicas of 18th-century military and household items, and enjoy food and drink as our founders did. See the sheep, and horses, and meet and converse with early Americans. Mock battles for our country’s independence feature General George Rogers Clark’s own company, the Illinois Regiment of Virginia, as well as British Dragoons and Marines. Admission $8 adults, $4 children. A full schedule and list of vendors may be found here: https://locustgrove.org/18th-century-market-fair/ Reenactor Registration may be found here.
11/01/2023
Afternoon Lecture Series
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
11/08/2023
Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement: Riverside Book Discussion
Wednesday, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Join the Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement at the last of our 4 part series of book discussions! We will discuss Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery by Joseph McGill and Herb Frazier. This discussion will take place at Riverside: The Farnsley-Moremen Landing on November 8 at 6:00pm. In this enlightening personal account, one man tells the story of his groundbreaking project to sleep overnight in former slave dwellings that still stand across the country—revealing the fascinating history behind these sites and shedding light on larger issues of race in America. Joseph McGill Jr., a historic preservationist and Civil War reenactor, founded the Slave Dwelling Project in 2010 based on an idea that was sparked and first developed in 1999. Since founding the project, McGill has been touring the country, spending the night in former slave dwellings—throughout the South, but also the North and the West, where people are often surprised to learn that such structures exist. Sleeping with the Ancestors focuses on all of the key sites McGill has visited in his ongoing project and digs deeper into the actual history of each location, using McGill’s own experience and conversations with the community to enhance those original stories. Altogether, McGill and coauthor Herb Frazier give readers an important unexpected emersion into the history of slavery, and especially the obscured and ignored aspects of that history.
12/06/2023
Afternoon Lecture Series
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
12/09/2023
Winter on the Farm
Join us at Locust Grove on Saturday December 9th from 12:00 pm-7:00 pm as we celebrate the incoming winter season with friends and family. At this Christmastide event, we will see interpretative performances, make holiday crafts, enjoy refreshments, and more. Many of this program’s events will take place outdoors, so please come prepared for the cold weather.
Percussion Ensemble, Choir, and Band students from Lincoln Performing Arts School will also be joining the festivities with a holiday musical performance in the Locust Grove Pavilion at 1:00 pm. $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12, children under 6 Free!
Concurrent with the Winter Book Sale located in the auditorium.
Chamber Music Concert in the Pavilion: Completely Mozart!
Sunday, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Join us for an outdoor concert in our events pavilion! A special chamber music performance features the Mozart Divertimento K 138 and the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. This chamber music concert in this new space is FULLY ACCESSIBLE to all. The Locust Grove Pavilion Players are: Bill Bauer and Alice Culin-Ellison, violins; Laura De St. Croix, viola; Cecilia Huerta-Lauf, cello; with Ernie Gross, clarinet. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, (for one clarinet and a string quartet) was written in 1789 for the clarinetist Anton Stadler. Although originally written for basset clarinet, in contemporary performances it is usually played on a clarinet in A. It was Mozart's only completed clarinet quintet and is one of the earliest and best-known works written especially for the instrument. It remains to this day one of the most admired of the composer's works. The Divertimento K. 138 in F major was written in 1772, when Mozart was only 15 years old. It was one of three Divertimenti, likely intended for outdoor performance, possibly on the terrace at Mirabel Palace at a summer dinner hosted by the Archbishop of Salzburg. Food and drink available for sale. Free to Chamber Music series subscribers. Tickets available online. Adults $15, students $10. Doors open at 2:00; concert begins at 3:00 pm.
Afternoon Lecture Series: The Creation of William Croghan’s Locust Grove
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Locust Grove's former executive director and author of George Rogers Clark and William Croghan, Gwynne Tuell Potts, will chronicle the acquisition of the 694.5 acres that became William Croghan's "seat", and the construction of the buildings and use of the land during Croghan's occupancy of Locust Grove. Refreshments will be served, starting at 1:00 pm, with lecture beginning at 1:15 pm. Admission is $6, or $4 for members of Locust Grove.
Juneteenth Celebration on the River
Saturday, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Locust Grove is partnering with the Belle of Louisville/Marion M. Miller steamboat for a commemoration of Juneteenth on the Ohio River. This one-hour Harbor History Cruise will feature performers from Locust Grove's Museum Theatre program and a talk about emancipation at Locust Grove. Tickets are $10/person, available at the Belle of Louisville ticketing site online. Choose "June 17th" when booking tickets. The cruise leaves at 4:00, boarding begins earlier.
Commonwealth Brass Band Concert
Wednesday, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
The Commonwealth Brass Band presents a rousing evening concert in the open-air Pavilion at Locust Grove, featuring popular music, show tunes, and other favorites. Seating provided under the Pavilion roof, or bring your own chairs or picnic blankets and spread out on the lawn. Concert starts at 6:30 pm, food and drink available starting at 5:30 pm. Admission is pay-what-you-wish, with your donations supporting both Locust Grove's programs and the Commonwealth Brass Band.
Antiques Market
Sunday, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Check out the treasures abound at the Antiques Market! From delicate china teapots to silver spoons, vintage jewelry to Kentucky-made chairs—there’s something for all tastes and every budget. Featuring dozens of professional dealers from around the region, the Antiques Market offers fine and country furniture, books, textiles, jewelry, ephemera, silver, and more. Admission includes tours of the historic house museum offered beginning at 1:00pm. Food & drink available. $8 adults; children under 12 free. Thanks to our event sponsors: Steve Tipton Antiques, Antiques at Distillery Commons, and Karen & Judson Fults. Event organizer: Eric Lausch, viwalkersilver@yahoo.com.
Summer Camp! Their Story is Our Story: YouthSpeak at Locust Grove with Looking for Lilith
Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Locust Grove and Looking for Lilith are excited to host our third annual YouthSpeak Summer camp at Locust Grove. This camp is a great way for students ages 8-12 to bring the past to the present. Campers will learn what life at Locust Grove was like in early 19th century Kentucky for all that live and worked here. Campers will have hands-on historical workshops, and then create a play inspired by this exploration of life and work right on the grounds. Using LFL’s tried and true YouthSpeak devising process, the camp will culminate in a performance on the last day in the historic house. AGES: 8-12. JUNE 26-30 | M-F | 9:00a - 4:00pm. COST: $225. SPACES STILL AVAILABLE! Reserve your camper's spot here: https://lookingforlilith.org/summerdrama and click the "REGISTER NOW" button or visit https://lfltheatreco.jumbula.com/20222023SummerDrama/YouthSpeakatLocustGrove
Independence Day Celebration: Summer on the Farm
Tuesday, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Join us at Locust Grove as we celebrate Independence Day in early 19th-century style at Historic Locust Grove! Festivities of the day will include walk-throughs of the historic house, first person interpreter portrayals, public readings of the Declaration of Independence and excerpts from Frederick Douglass' speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July" and more. Food trucks will be on-site for food and drink, or bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the grounds. Free, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Independence Day at Locust Grove is sponsored by Independence Bank.
Afternoon Lecture Series: Stories of the Second Generation: Scientific Farming, Cave Exploring, and more Untold Stories of Locust Grove
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Join Locust Grove’s Director of Interpretation, Kaitlyn Tisdale, as she explores some of the many untold stories of the second generation of Locust Grove: the farm’s dramatic history after the death of Lucy Croghan; Dr. John Croghan’s fascination with scientific farming, and the changes he brought to the land of Locust Grove; and the brilliant mind and discoveries of enslaved cave explorer and guide Stephen Bishop. Join us for this illuminating lecture centered around the many stories from the period between William Croghan’s death in 1822 through the death of Dr. John Croghan in 1849. Refreshments will be served, starting at 1:00 pm, with lecture beginning at 1:15 pm. Admission is $6, or $4 for members of Locust Grove. Kaitlyn Tisdale, a Louisville native, is the Director of Interpretation at Historic Locust Grove. Most recently, Kaitlyn completed her fellowship with the Smithsonian Institution’s Ethical Interpretation program with the National Museum of African American History and Culture which has informed her research and interpretative plans for Historic Locust Grove.
Afternoon Lecture Series: A Visual History of Louisville During the Civil War
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Bryan Bush explores a city bristling with Civil War history. Learn how a thriving antebellum city became a crucial outpost for the Union army while their citizens were besieged with constant fear of guerilla warfare and swift Rebel vengeance. Listeners will walk in the steps of soldiers, commander, and civic leaders. Thirty forts once peppered Louisville’s landscape, as well as long forgotten hideaways and hotbeds of insurgence. Explore Union casinos and brothels along Jefferson and Fourth Streets, the infamous Louisville Military Prison; Jefferson General Hospital, the third largest during the Civil War; and the original Galt House, site of Union General Bull Nelson’s assassination. Bryan Bush, a native Louisvillian, graduated from Murray State University and received his Master’s Degree from the University of Louisville. Bryan has always had a passion for history, especially the Civil War, and is a published author with works such as The Civil War Battles of the Western Theater, and Louisville During the Civil War: A History and Guide and Louisville’s Southern Exposition. He is the park manager for the Perryville State Historic Site.
Book Sale
MEMBER PREVIEW: August 24. GENERAL SALE: August 25, 26, and 27. Used, antiquarian, and new books at all prices, all categories, including travel, science, cookbooks, fiction, history, literature, children's, reference, and more! With books at reasonable prices, you are sure to find a new treasure to add to your bookshelf. Prices start at $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers, with a special section of finer books that are individually priced. Proceeds support the educational and preservation programs of Locust Grove.
Afternoon Lecture Series: Locust Grove in Suburbia
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
By the 1920s, Louisville's boundaries were expanding beyond the early trolley-line suburbs into areas that were not accessible until cars became a common mode of transportation. The East End, with its large farms, was ripe for suburban development. How did development pressure affect Locust Grove in the first part of the 20th century? How did the neighborhood surrounding Locust Grove develop? Carol Ely, Locust Grove's Executive Director, will take us into the most recent century of Locust Grove's past. Dr. Ely began her career in public history at Boston's Paul Revere House. She subsequently earned her Ph.D. in American History from Brandeis University. She was the founding Director of the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, and has worked at the Charles River Museum of Industry in Waltham, Massachusetts, the Virginia Discovery Museum in Charlottesville Virginia, and as consultant for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, and the Speed Museum, among others. She was an adjunct professor in Public History at the University of Louisville, and has been the Executive Director of Historic Locust Grove since 2004.
Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement: Farmington Book Discussion
Thursday, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Join the Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement at the third of our 4 part series of book discussions! We will discuss The Humanity Archive: Recovering the Soul of Black History from a Whitewashed American Myth by Jermaine Fowler. This discussion will take place at Farmington Historic Plantation on September 21 at 6:00pm. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Jermaine Fowler is a storyteller and self-proclaimed intellectual adventurer who spent his youth seeking knowledge on the shelves of his local free public library. Between research and lecturing, he is the host of the top-rated history podcast, The Humanity Archive, praised as a must-listen by Vanity Fair. Challenging dominant perspectives, Fowler goes outside the textbooks to find recognizably human stories. Connecting current issues with the heroic struggles of those who've come before us, he brings hidden history to light and makes it powerfully relevant.
Antiques Market
Sunday, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Check out the treasures abound at the Antiques Market! From delicate china teapots to silver spoons, vintage jewelry to Kentucky-made chairs—there’s something for all tastes and every budget. Featuring dozens of professional dealers from around the region, the Antiques Market offers fine and country furniture, books, textiles, jewelry, ephemera, silver, and more. Admission includes tours of the historic house museum offered beginning at 1:00pm. Event organizer: Eric Lausch. Food & drink available. $8 adults; children under 12 free. Thanks to our event sponsors: Steve Tipton Antiques, Antiques at Distillery Commons, and Karen & Judson Fults.
Fall on the Farm
Enjoy a day filled with the hustle and bustle of harvesting, cooking, distilling and other activities that would welcome in the fall season on a 19th-century farm. Learn about the seasonal life on a farm through historic demonstrations in the hearth kitchen, farm distillery, and outbuildings. Click here to learn more about the event schedule. Regular site admission prices - $12 adults; $10 seniors; $6 for children 6-18; under 6 free.
Afternoon Lecture Series: Charles Raith
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Locust Grove and Historic Preservation’s Future: Making an Invisible History Visible. This talk seeks to show how Locust Grove, as a product of the preservation movement in 19th and 20th century America, could embrace new trends in the movement in the 21st century. We’ll examine some of the antecedents for Locust Grove’s restoration as part of the evolution of the preservation movement up to the present day to better understand and explore how Locust Grove might respond to the challenges of new, critical thinking about treatment standards and practices. Refreshments will be served, starting at 1:00 pm, with lecture beginning at 1:15 pm. Admission is $6, or $4 for members of Locust Grove. Charles Raith began his professional career in 1977 when, fresh out of the University of Cincinnati’s architectural school, he was hired by Sam Thomas to be the project manager for the renovation of the old Jefferson County Courthouse. In that position, he also assisted Sam in the reconstruction of Locust Grove’s icehouse. Ever since, in private practice and public service, historic preservation has been a personal and professional passion. He has worked on numerous condition assessments and preservation plans for historic buildings, sites and campuses, including several projects at Locust Grove.
18th Century Market Fair
Experience the 18th century with all five senses! You are invited to join Locust Grove and the Illinois Regiment of Virginia as we bring the spirit of the past alive with the Market Fair. You can participate in 18th-century style entertainment, purchase replicas of 18th-century military and household items, and enjoy food and drink as our founders did. See the sheep, and horses, and meet and converse with early Americans. Mock battles for our country’s independence feature General George Rogers Clark’s own company, the Illinois Regiment of Virginia, as well as British Dragoons and Marines. Admission $8 adults, $4 children. A full schedule and list of vendors may be found here: https://locustgrove.org/18th-century-market-fair/ Reenactor Registration may be found here.
Afternoon Lecture Series
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement: Riverside Book Discussion
Wednesday, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Join the Louisville Coalition on the History of Enslavement at the last of our 4 part series of book discussions! We will discuss Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery by Joseph McGill and Herb Frazier. This discussion will take place at Riverside: The Farnsley-Moremen Landing on November 8 at 6:00pm. In this enlightening personal account, one man tells the story of his groundbreaking project to sleep overnight in former slave dwellings that still stand across the country—revealing the fascinating history behind these sites and shedding light on larger issues of race in America. Joseph McGill Jr., a historic preservationist and Civil War reenactor, founded the Slave Dwelling Project in 2010 based on an idea that was sparked and first developed in 1999. Since founding the project, McGill has been touring the country, spending the night in former slave dwellings—throughout the South, but also the North and the West, where people are often surprised to learn that such structures exist. Sleeping with the Ancestors focuses on all of the key sites McGill has visited in his ongoing project and digs deeper into the actual history of each location, using McGill’s own experience and conversations with the community to enhance those original stories. Altogether, McGill and coauthor Herb Frazier give readers an important unexpected emersion into the history of slavery, and especially the obscured and ignored aspects of that history.
Afternoon Lecture Series
Wednesday, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Winter on the Farm
Join us at Locust Grove on Saturday December 9th from 12:00 pm-7:00 pm as we celebrate the incoming winter season with friends and family. At this Christmastide event, we will see interpretative performances, make holiday crafts, enjoy refreshments, and more. Many of this program’s events will take place outdoors, so please come prepared for the cold weather.
Percussion Ensemble, Choir, and Band students from Lincoln Performing Arts School will also be joining the festivities with a holiday musical performance in the Locust Grove Pavilion at 1:00 pm. $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12, children under 6 Free!
Concurrent with the Winter Book Sale located in the auditorium.