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Berry Hill Mansion

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Built in 1900, the 22 room mansion was owned by George Franklin Berry, a prominent distiller with the Frankfort firm of W.A. Gaines and Company. George's father partnered with W.A. Gaines and E.H. Taylor in 1868 to form W.A. Gaines and Co., which was known for distilling Old Crow bourbon. Seeing the wealth and prosperity that came with distilling, George followed his father's footsteps, doing well for himself as is evident in the ownership of what he named the Juniper Hill Estate. The name came from the many red cedar trees - Juniperus Virginiana - on the property. Stones used to build the structure at Juniper Hill came from the property itself and the mansion rests on a full stone cellar blasted from solid rock (that's sturdy). Arguably the most impressive aspect of the house is the ornate music room, featuring a massive cathedral organ with hand carved oak panels and large, stained glass bay windows. The music room cost around $65,000 in 1912 – almost as much as the Kentucky Governor's Mansion (built a few years later) Before George and all his money, the property served as a campground for Union Army Soldiers during the Civil War. In 1863, a group of Confederate cavalrymen attacked an encampment of sick Union Soldiers here, but they were rescued by fellow cavalrymen riding in from Louisville. The city of Frankfort acquired the estate in 1953 and most of the estate grounds were converted into Juniper Hill Park in 1956, which is still in use by the community.