Historical Marker

Historic Botherum

Historical marker location:

Lexington, Kentucky

( 341 Madison Place, Lexington)

Major Madison C. Johnson, a lawyer and friend of Henry Clay, commissioned Lexington architect John McMurtry to construct Botherum in 1851. The house is a combination of Greek and Gothic Revival styles, resulting in a unique cottage. It was also a shrine to Johnson’s late wife, Sally Ann, sister of emancipationist Cassius M. Clay, who served as Pres.Lincoln’s minister to Russia.

(Reverse) The original estate included 30 acres on the edge of Lexington. In the 1880s it was subdivided into lots for the Woodward Heights neighborhood. Located in a town once called “The Athens of the West,” this home is a testament to the legacy of Kentucky’s 19th century statesmen and their passion for the classic architectural styles.