Kentucky’s 14th Governor

Charles Wickliffe, was born June 8, 1788, to Charles and Lydia Hardin Wickliffe. They lived in a small log cabin near Springfield, KY.

Charles received a strong education. He attended public school and Wilson’s Academy in Bardstown. Later, he studied law with his cousin, Martin Hardin in Bardstown. He was admitted to the bar in 1809.

Wickliffe and a group of lawyers created a political club in Bardstown. One of the members was his cousin Benjamin Hardin.

Wickliffe had the reputation of being a gambler. Two of his friends were concerned about his gambling habits. Knowing Wickliffe had a large amount of money, they organized a card game hoping if Wickliffe lost he would stop gambling. The two men gave each other signals to communicate with each other however, Wickliffe still won. He later found out about their failed scheme and quit gambling.

His political career began when he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives from Nelson County in 1812.

He supported the War of 1812 and enlisted to serve. He was a General’s aid throughout his service and during the Battle of The Thames.

Charles Wickliffe married Margaret Cripps in 1813. They had eight children and built Wickland in Bardstown. Wickland would become known as the Home of Three Governors.

In 1820 and 1821 he was reelected to the House of Representatives. His next elected office was to the U.S. House of Representatives and served from 1823-1833.

Through his political career he was a member of the Whig Party but disagreed with Henry Clay on many issues. However, the Whig Party still elected him to be James Clark’s Lt. Governor in 1836.
Clark won the Governorship and Wickliffe won the Lt. Governorship by 1,300 votes. Clark died in office in 1839. Wickliffe became the 14th Governor of Kentucky and served the rest of Clark’s term. During his nine month term his accomplishments were few. The panic of 1837 still loomed over the nation like a dark cloud. The state had a budget deficit of 42K. To counter this Wickliffe proposed high property taxes. He also sought more money for river navigation, preservation of state archives, and public education. The legislature borrowed money and Wickliffe paid the state’s interest on the loans to maintain the state’s credit rating.

US President John Tyler was a close friend to Wickliffe. He appointed him to the office of US Postmaster General from 1841-1845.

Wickliffe supported the annexation of Texas. He was given a secret mission by James Polk to go to Texas which wasn’t popular with the Whig Party. He served as part of Kentucky’s 1849 constitutional convention. Before the Civil War Wickliffe was involved in many peace talks but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the US House as a Unionist. The following year his term ended after he was crippled in a carriage accident. He ran again for Governor in 1863 but was defeated.

Charles Wickliffe died on October 31, 1869 and was buried at Bardstown.

Kentucky’s 14th governor, Charles Anderson Wickliffe’s brief term in office was insignificant. The town of Wickliffe in Ballard County is not named after him. It is named after his cousin Charles Arthur Wickliffe.

Wickland, the Home of Three Governors

Contributor: Medina Dean; Kentucky Historic Travels

Wickland, the Home of Three Governors, is located in Bardstown, right around the corner from My Old Kentucky Home. While my daughter and I have visited Bardstown on many occasions, we have never had the opportunity to tour Wickland.

A few weeks ago, while online looking for something to do for the day, I came across Wickland. After looking at the website, I did not see any hours or tour times, so I decided to call the number for more information. A very sweet lady called me back a little bit later, and we set up a time to tour the home. It turns out, that the home is owned by the Nelson County Fiscal Court, and is used as an event space that can be rented out for weddings, showers, group meetings, etc. So, the home is not run as a historical museum, like so many homes we have toured. Instead, a tour of the home focuses on the Georgian-style architecture and the history of the families that lived there.

When my daughter and I arrived for our tour, we were welcomed by the home's manager, Clara Fulkerson, at the wide front door. She was very friendly, extremely personable, and impressively knowledgable about the home and the families.

Wickland, as previously stated, was built in the Georgian-style between 1825 - 1828. (The woodwork within the home is all original and all but 2 floors are original too.) Charles Anderson Wickliffe, was the first owner of the home. He was a lawyer, a Congressman, and the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1836. In 1839, he became the governor when Governor James Clark died in office. Wickliffe served until 1840.

As the name of the home implies, 2 other governors also lived in the home. Clara informed us that they were all from the same family. Wickliffe's son, Robert C. Wickliffe went on to become the governor of Louisiana from 1856 - 1860. Also, Charles A. Wickliffe's grandson, John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham became the Governor of Kentucky after Governor Goebel was assassinated in 1900. Beckham served until 1907.

When you tour the home, you will see that the Wickliffe family was a very affluent family. From the 14 1/2 foot ceilings on the 1st and 2nd floors and the unbroken continuous handrail on the staircase, to the oversized windows and brick heated outhouse, the family spared no expense. The architectural features of this home are extremely impressive and well worth the trip.

In 1919, the Beckham heirs sold the home, and from there it passed through several more families that used the home in various ways. Luckily, not too many changes were made to the home along the way, and to my knowledge it never sat in disrepair. In 2003, the Nelson County Fiscal Court took possession of the home and it has been a place for social events ever since.

Clara, Wickland's manager, is eager to give tours of the home. You just have to schedule the tour ahead of time, so that it does not conflict with the special occasions that take place at the home. Clara also asks for a donation to go toward the upkeep of the home. Reach out and give her a call if you are interested in a tour. I hear she has plans to "deck the halls" from top to bottom for the holidays!

There is so much more history about the home and families, including supposed spirits, that you simply must take the time to visit the home. You won't be disappointed!

http://historicwickland.com/index.php

Happy Travels!

Contributor: Medina Dean; Kentucky Historic Travels