Hunt-Morgan House

Hopemont, the Hunt-Morgan House, is a Federal-style mansion completed in 1814 for John Wesley Hunt at the southwestern corner of Gratz Park in historic downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Built during the era when Lexington was known as "The Athens of the West," the property is distinguished by its elegant proportions, leaded side-light entryway, elliptical fanlight, and a Palladian window centered above the main facade — hallmarks of accomplished early-19th-century craftsmanship. The house is stewardship of the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, the organization founded in 1955 specifically to prevent its demolition. Today it serves as the Blue Grass Trust's headquarters and as a house museum, and it is available for private event rental, including weddings, receptions, and art exhibitions. The Hunt-Morgan family produced some of Kentucky's most notable historical figures: John Wesley Hunt, the state's first millionaire; a Confederate general; and Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan, Kentucky's first Nobel Prize laureate.