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A
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BROWN-LANIER
HOUSE
AT MILL SPRINGS
The
house dates back to 1830, when a two-room, single story cabin was
constructed on the site as a home for the owner of the grist mill.
The fireplaces used then, are still in the house, along
with the original stonework and mantles, although the fireplaces
throughout the house have been modified over the years to enable
them to burn the more efficient coal. The window glass in this
part of the house is “Crown Glass”- made by a glass blowing
technique. There is a
unique pass-through “window” in the kitchen which was used to
feed the miller’s crew outside the house, and perhaps slaves
working on the plantation.
The
first addition to the house was completed in 1845, which more than
doubled the size of the house.
It consisted of two rooms- upstairs, with an outside
stairway, and a downstairs room, which today is the dining room.
The upstairs room, called the “traveler’s room”
served to house the numerous travelers on the road, and had no
access from the interior portions of the house. Today, visitors
may examine this room via a narrow, winding stairway with it’s
well-worn stair treads, and 19th century “intrusion
alarm”.
The
final addition to the house was in 1860, just prior to the Civil
War. By this time, the 1200 acre plantation had prospered to the
point where this was to become one of the finest homes in this
part of the country. The plantation produced corn, wheat, cotton,
hemp, and livestock- principally cows and pigs.
In
1861, when the Civil War came to Kentucky, Confederate General
Felix K. Zollicoffer brought 7000 troops from Tennessee into Mill
Springs. The soldiers
camped on 9 acres behind the house, while the General took the
house as his headquarters, with the approval of it’s owners-
Thompson Brown and his wife, Elizabeth.
There is an interesting anecdote about “Lizzie”, as she
was known, who felt sorry for a rebel soldier walking guard duty
in the rain outside the house.
Lizzie invited
him inside to get warm, while she took his musket and walked guard
duty in his place. She was 7 months pregnant at the time.
After the Battle of Mill Springs, the house served as a
temporary hospital for the Confederate wounded.
There is a theory that the dark brown spots on the stairway
are actually blood stains. After
General Zollicoffer was killed, and the rebel troops were driven
out of Mill Springs, the house became the headquarters for the
victorious Union General, George H. Thomas.
Later
during the war, a 6-pound cannon ball was fired through the house,
causing some interior damage to walls and a door, and leaving a
“mystery” as to how and when it occurred.
Today, the holes in the house can still be seen, and the
cannon ball is on display in the information center.
After
the Civil War, Brown’s business suffered, partially due to his
stance supporting the secession, and sold his house and business
to his brother-in-law, Lloyd Lanier.
The house remained in the Lanier family until well into the
20th century.
Today,
the house and grounds are owned and maintained by the Mill Springs
Battlefield Association, and are available for guided tours or
rental, either for daytime use or overnight stays.
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