Elizabethtown in Hardin County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Commodore Joshua Barney / First Brick House
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 2017
1. Commodore Joshua Barney (marker side 1)
(side 1 – Commodore Joshua Barney)
Famous American privateer and naval hero in War of 1812. Barney owned many acres of land in Hardin CO. A friend of George Washington, John Paul Jones and Napoleon Bonaparte. His greatest desire was to bring his family to Elizabethtown but he died en route, December 1, 1818. Buried, Pittsburgh. His wife came on to Elizabethtown and lived in this house a few years.
(side 2 – First Brick House)
Site of Elizabethtown’s first brick house, built 1801-1803 for Maj. Benjamin Helm. He was a prominent court clerk and town’s first bank president. Helm rode horseback to Lexington, 90 miles, for nails. Sold house and two acres of land to Joshua Barney, who wanted to end his days here. Later, home of Elizabethtown’s historian, Samuel Haycraft.
Erected 1975 by Kentucky Historical Society & Kentucky Department of Transportation. (Marker Number 1534.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War of 1812. A significant historical year for this entry is 1801.
Location. 37° 41.656′ N, 85° 51.413′ W. Marker is in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in Hardin County. Marker is at the intersection of North Main Street and Poplar Street
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Brown-Pusey House (within shouting distance of this marker); Marriage of Thomas Lincoln (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bicentennial Observance of the Birth of President Abraham Lincoln (about 300 feet away); Bricks and Mortar of Elizabethtown's Early Economy (about 300 feet away); Severns Valley Baptist Church (about 300 feet away); 23 Public Square (about 400 feet away); 16 Public Square (about 400 feet away); 'Ordinary' Hospitality Here (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elizabethtown.
Also see . . .
1. Old Time Kentucky: Despite his war fame, few in Elizabethtown remember ties to ‘the Bold Barney’. After reputedly beating the British in 25 sea battles in three wars, Commodore Joshua Barney decided to forsake the briny deep for landlocked Elizabethtown in 1818. “It is my intention to become a citizen of Kentucky,” the old salt declared. Thus, he added, “when I die, I know my bones will repose among congenial spirits.” Nicknamed “the Bold Barney,” he was a hero of the American Revolution, the French Revolution and the War of 1812. Shot in the leg trying to keep the British from burning America’s
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 2017
2. First Brick House (marker side 2)
2. Nation’s Great Early Naval Hero Chooses Elizabethtown over High Seas. While in Elizabethtown, Barney entered into a contract dated March 29, 1817, to purchase a brick house on the corner of Main and Popular streets from Major Ben Helm, clerk of the courts at Elizabethtown. The stately colonial mansion, with its broad brick walls and large magnolias situated on two acres of ground under post and rail fence, embodied the vison of a cherished retirement home. The Barney’s returned to Baltimore to settle their affairs in order to make Elizabethtown, Kentucky their permanent home. (Submitted on July 6, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 2017
3. Commodore Joshua Barney / First Brick House Marker (tall view)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 2017
4. Commodore Joshua Barney / First Brick House Marker (wide view)
September 17, 2017
5. The "First Brick House" currently houses a legal firm (view of house from near marker)
September 5, 2015
6. Commodore Joshua Barney
“Swashbuckling Hero of Early America”
“Swashbuckling Hero of Early America”
This 1819 portrait of Joshua Barney by Rembrandt Peale hangs in the Maryland Historical Society museum in Baltimore, MD.
“Born near maritime Baltimore when it was still a village, Joshua Barney (1759-1818) was an officer in the new American navy by age seventeen. During the American Revolution, he had enough adventures to fill a lifetime. Barney commanded vessels in fierce firefights with the British, and was captured more than once. He escaped from a notorious prison, and in 1783 carried news of the American victory to France. Always restless, he served as an officer in the French Navy in the 1790s then went to sea again as a successful American privateer when war broke out in 1812.” - Maryland Historical Society.
“Born near maritime Baltimore when it was still a village, Joshua Barney (1759-1818) was an officer in the new American navy by age seventeen. During the American Revolution, he had enough adventures to fill a lifetime. Barney commanded vessels in fierce firefights with the British, and was captured more than once. He escaped from a notorious prison, and in 1783 carried news of the American victory to France. Always restless, he served as an officer in the French Navy in the 1790s then went to sea again as a successful American privateer when war broke out in 1812.” - Maryland Historical Society.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 644 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 6, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6. submitted on July 10, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
