One hundred and seventy-five years ago, James Dinsmore brought his family to Boone County where he had the skeleton of a house waiting. Stopping in Cincinnati, he purchased four beds and a dining room table from A. McAlpin’s, an old Cincinnati establishment that has since been purchased by Dillard’s.
This close connection with the Queen City continued through his daughter, Julia Dinsmore, who attended the first May Festival.
The family’s home, now open to the public for tours, is full of nineteenth-century furniture, art, and books; the same artifacts the family purchased so long ago. These treasured items reflect the family’s, and America’s, tastes and their connections to famous Americans, like George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt. Rural Kentucky life need not and was not isolated from the hustle of urban life even though it may have felt that way at times.
It has been a busy anniversary year for the Dinsmore Foundation, the organization that cares for the site, as it continue its work in preserving the many artifacts left by the family.
Students in the Fifth Grade at Crossroads Elementary, in Campbell County, held a fundraiser in 2016 and donated the proceeds to the Foundation. The children voted to use the money to clean a sketch of Julia Dinsmore, drawn by her cousin. Eisele Gallery of Fine Art completed the work and the sketch is now on display and safe for many decades to come.
The Foundation had its own fundraiser in 2016, “A Night of Watercolor and Wine” which raised money to clean an oil painting that was done by James Dinsmore’s granddaughter of Crystal Falls in Yellowstone Park, which she visited in the 1880s. It was expertly cleaned by Michael Ruzga of Fine Arts Conservation and is now back in its proper place.
The official anniversary celebration, complete with free cake, will be held during our annual Fall Festival, on Saturday and Sunday, September 9th and 10th.
The home will be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The live entertainment will consist of “Wild Carrot” (1:30-3 p.m.) and “Ma Crow” (4-5 p.m.) on Saturday and “Skirt and Boots” (1-2:30 p.m.) and the “Rabbit Hash String Band” (3-4 p.m.) on Sunday.
There will be Civil War reenactors on the premises and food and craft vendors for your enjoyment. A tour of the house is included with admission.
Transport yourself back to 1842, smell the country air, and listen to the bird songs (and live music).
Bring the children and let them enjoy the games of times gone by. Mark your calendars now!
Tickets can be purchased at the door. Tickets $10 for adults and $5 for children. Online purchases have not yet been set up.