View Transcript
My wife – Ms. Fanny – and I moved to this magnificent home in 1869, not long after I’d recovered from one of my unfortunate financial setbacks. The house had been owned by my father-in-law, Jacob Swigert, who had sadly died that same year. This is the very place where the love of my life and I had held our wedding ceremony in 1852. It felt like home to us and it could accommodate our eight growing children.
I suppose by this time, I had developed a reputation for being quite the lavish host. I entertained my guests in elegant style with the finest cuisine and the rarest of spirits. I wined and dined dignitaries, bankers, elected officials, and the socialites of the day.
Oh, and dapper suits were a weakness of mine. My family and I had our garments made by the finest tailors and dressmakers that money could buy.
Let me tell you a bit about the impressive architecture of this exquisite building. If you look closely along the West Main Street side, you can see that it is, surprisingly, a house within a house. Dr. Preston W. Brown built the original house in 1815, with a front door that faced Main Street. Jacob Swigert, who bought it in the 1840s, expanded the house, added a third floor, and pivoted the front door to Washington Street.
It is such a gracious neighborhood, as you can see. Fine homes, beautiful churches, towering trees. Our neighbor was none other than the esteemed statesman, United States Attorney General John J. Crittenden. And my son, Swigert, made an excellent match by marrying his daughter, Sadie.
I am exceptionally proud of my son Swigert, who grew into a fine businessman, and together, our distilling successes were multiplied at our company, E.H. Taylor Jr & Sons. I always wanted to build bigger, better, and more extravagantly –often to the point of bankruptcy – but Swigert helped steady the ship. With each setback, I just bounced back higher than before.
Stop #4 is the Old Capitol. Walk on along Washington Street, turn right on Broadway, and then we’ll have a talk about the politics of bourbon.
Partners
