No Destination: Farmington

Farmington, Louisville, Ky.

Inspired by the architectural designs of Thomas Jefferson, architect Paul Skidmore designed Farmington for John and Lucy Speed (John Speed was a seventh generation descendant of the English cartographer of the same name). The home was completed in 1816 and contains two 24-foot wide octagonal shaped rooms (unique to 19th century Kentucky and a common attribute of Jeffersonian architecture).

Farmington was the site of a 550-acre hemp plantation; there is a memorial on the site to the slaves who toiled here.

In 1841, Abraham Lincoln visited Farmington for a three-week period where he visited with his friend, Joshua Speed (the son of John and Lucy). Apparenly, Abe and Mary were having a little tiff in their courtship and the mental break of Farmington was just what Honest Abe needed in order to muster up the courage to ask Mary Todd for her hand.

Once elected President, Lincoln offered the position of Treasury Secretary to Joshua Speed. Speed declined as he had no political ambition, but brother James Speed (a Louisville attorney) accepted Lincoln's 1864 offer to become Attorney General.

The home was purchased in 1958 by the Historic Homes Foundation, a Louisville-based organization which owns, preserves and protects historic Louisville residences.