North Upper Street in Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

William Morton House

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 19, 2019

1. William Morton House Marker

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

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1810.

Location. 38° 3.141′ N, 84° 29.247′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. It is in North Upper Street. It is at the intersection of North Limestone and East 5th Street, on the right when traveling north on North Limestone. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 530 N Limestone, 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

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least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Groundbreaking Doctor (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (about 700 feet away); Old Morrison / Transylvania Alumni (approx. 0.3 miles away); Lewis and Clark in Kentucky / George Shannon (approx. 0.3 miles away); Transylvania (approx. 0.4 miles away); Colonel George Nicholas (approx. 0.4 miles away); James Lane Allen (approx. 0.4 miles away); Old Episcopal Burying Ground / Burials in the Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lexington.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Transylvania University (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Regarding William Morton House. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:

The house also has important historical associations. It was built in 1810 by an early Lexington resident, one of the most prominent and successful of the city's merchants, William Morton. It was later purchased by Cassius Marcellus Clay, well-known firebrand abolitionist, editor of the anti-slavery newspaper The True American, legislator, and
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 5, 2023

2. William Morton House Marker
Minister to Russia (1863-69).

Two of Clay's daughters, Laura and Mary, were born while he lived in the house and became national women's suffrage leaders. Henry T. Duncan, who started Lexington’s first daily newspaper, bought the property in 1873 and his heirs sold it to the City of Lexington in 1912. The city turned the estate into its second public park, which it remains today.

Also see . . . William Morton House. National Register nomination (PDF) and photographs (separate PDF) submitted for the property, which was listed in 1975. (National Park Service) (Submitted on March 15, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,176 times since then and 117 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 15, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.