 |
| Historic Marker #3 – Lexington, Ky. |
In front of the Hunt-Morgan House, also known as Hopemont, at Lexington’s Gratz Park is a historic marker, number 3 in the Kentucky Historical Highway Marker Program, that reads:
Home of John Hunt Morgan, “Thunderbolt of the Confederacy.” Born Huntsville, Alabama, June 1, 1825. Killed Greeneville, Tennessee, September 4, 1864. Lieutenant, Kentucky Volunteers in Mexican War 1846-1847. Major General, C.S.A., 1861-1864.
Problem is, you can’t really read the Marker. Bronze Marker #3 is over fifty years old and, though its lettering has been repainted white more than once, it remains nearly illegible. The facts are a little misleading as well. While General Morgan certainly stayed at the house, calling it the “home of John Hunt Morgan” is a stretch. Further, the sign does nothing to recognize two other influential members of the family that called the Hunt-Morgan House home: John Wesley Hunt and Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan.
So, the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, the Morgan’s Men Association and several other groups and citizens are providing the $2,300 necessary to replace this sign with “updated text and an extended history.” The new sign is expected to be unveiled sometime in October. For more pictures of the historic marker and the Hunt Morgan House, click here.
Bibliography
BGT, email 8/9/2011
BGT, “Hunt Morgan House“
WUKY