Bell Court in Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Bell Place

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022

1. Bell Place Marker

Inscription. This property has been
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.

Location. 38° 2.34′ N, 84° 29.172′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. It is in Bell Court. It is at the intersection of Sayre Avenue and West Bell Court, on the right when traveling west on Sayre Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 545 Sayre Ave, Lexington KY 40508, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Clay Villa, ca. 1845 (about 600

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feet away, measured in a direct line); Second Presbyterian Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Lexington (approx. ¼ mile away); George Washington (approx. ¼ mile away); William S. Farish (approx. ¼ mile away); Robert A. Alexander (approx. ¼ mile away); John S. Knight (approx. ¼ mile away); Sam Hildreth (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lexington.

Regarding Bell Place. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:

Bell House was originally built on a 56 acre tract from drawings by Major Thomas Lewinski for Mr. David Sayre. … Completed in 1846, Sayre did not keep this house long, for it was soon purchased by Henry Bell. The details of these transactions are sketchy but checking Fayette County Courthouse records, there are indications that Henry Bell and the Sayre family had many business dealings together and were closely connected in the banking world. …

The Bells and the Sayres were successful in the business and financial life of Lexington and the house, built by one but always connected with the other, reflected this prosperity. A fire sometime around 1885 destroyed the original Bell House. "However,
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022

2. Bell Place Marker
because the Bells loved the old place, they rebuilt the high mansion again with very few changes from the original."

Also see . . . Bell Place (PDF). National Register nomination for the property, which was listed in 1978. (National Archives) (Submitted on July 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 23, 2022

3. Bell Place

The house has been part of the Lexington Park System since 1957.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,480 times since then and 83 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.