Duncannon, an abandoned residence in Madison County, Kentucky, has a rich history intertwined with several prominent families: the Hieatts, Duncans, and Blacks.
History
Duncannon, an abandoned residence in Madison County, Kentucky, has a rich history intertwined with several prominent families: the Hieatts, Duncans, and Blacks.
The story of Duncannon begins in the early 19th century with pioneer Joseph Hieatt, a landowner in Madison County. His wife, Margaret, was the daughter of John Reid Sr., another early settler. 2 Following Joseph’s death in 1823, their son William Hieatt built a two-story brick residence on the family land around 1823, styled in the Federal architecture. 1 2 The house featured six rooms, an open breezeway (commonly known as a ‘dogtrot’), and a separate log kitchen structure. Ash wood was used for flooring, while walnut was the primary material for stair railings, spindles, and doors. Original door knobs were made of brass or china, with some of the brass knobs being silver-plated.
In 1853, Colonel John A. Duncan, a wealthy local farmer, purchased the 201-acre property, including the house, for $18,000 and renamed it Duncannon. 2 He made significant renovations between 1857 and 1858, removing the breezeway and old kitchen, adding eight rooms and four porches, and updating the house to the Greek Revival style. 1 2 While some Federal-style elements were relocated to less prominent areas of the house, the front entrance retained its original Federal-style woodwork, complemented by new Greek Revival features and colored, stenciled glass transoms.
John Duncan was the son of John Duncan Sr. and Lucy White Duncan. 2 Both the Duncan and White families were among the early settlers from Virginia who established themselves in Kentucky, and they had marital ties with other notable families in Madison County and its surroundings. John Duncan Sr. passed away in 1848, and it is likely that his substantial estate was the foundation of Colonel Duncan’s wealth, enabling him to purchase the Duncannon property.
Col. Duncan’s wealth and status in the community were notable; the 1850 census listed his property value at $35,000, a considerable amount for that time. 2 He was likely active in county affairs, including roles such as County Coroner in 1852 and vice president of a company promoting a local trotting track and amphitheater in the 1880s. He also contributed $1,000 to the Madison Female Institute and served on its Board of Trustees in 1876-77.
Despite plans to marry and settle at Duncannon, Duncan’s engagement was broken, and he remained a bachelor, hosting lavish gatherings until his death in 1886. 1 2 The property then passed to his sister, Lu Ann Hart, and was eventually sold at auction in 1892. 2 The auction advertisement highlighted the estate’s features: 317 acres with springs, timber, a brick mansion, barns, an ice house, a carriage house, and other structures.
Sarah Martha (Mason) Black acquired the land and house in 1892 for $80/acre, a lower price than Duncan had paid 40 years earlier. 2 Upon her death in 1913, the property went to Tom Black Sr., and then to his six children after his death in 1945. 1 2 T. J. Black, Jr. resided at the residence at Duncannon. 6
A curious discovery was made in 1964: wallpaper removed from beneath the stairs revealed a message dated July 4, 1858, signed by two carpenters from Cincinnati and Louisville: “I had to work on July 4, 1858.” 1 By 1979, the house retained most of its original fixtures, except for oil lamps converted to electricity. The living room boasted a ceiling centerpiece and exquisite pressed brass cornices over the windows.
In 1980, the Duncannon site was listed on the National Register of Historic Place under Criterion C as an excellent example of a Federal-style house with Greek Revival style modifications. 2 3
Abandonment
In 2006, a major construction project commenced, focusing on developing a new interchange on Interstate 75 at Duncannon Lane. 5 This project was part of a broader initiative to transform Duncannon Lane into a four-lane highway and to link it with a repositioned KY Route 52. The completion of both the interchange and the highway expansion resulted in notable changes in land use within the agricultural corridor surrounding the area.
In 2011, Begley Properties initiated their land acquisition in the vicinity of Duncannon by purchasing a 362-acre tract. 3 This property, valued at $21.2 million, was strategically located at three corners of Exit 83, an area that had recently been built adjacent to Duncannon.
In September 2023, the city of Richmond took a significant step by securing an option-to-purchase agreement for 403 acres of this property. 3 The primary aim of this agreement was to attract large industries offering high-paying jobs, encouraging them to establish their operations within this designated “mega site development.” Earlier in the same year, a similar option-to-purchase agreement was arranged for another portion of the property, with the same objective in mind.
Simultaneously, city officials completed the annexation and rezoning of a part of the land. 3 This particular parcel, touted by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, is recognized as one of the largest “shovel ready” sites in the state. The most extensive continuous section of this land, measuring 1,035 acres, is located southeast of the intersection.
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Sources
- “Duncannon.” Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory, 29 Nov. 1979.
- “Duncannon.” National Register of Historic Places, 17 Sept. 1980.
- Horn, Austin. “Madison County is buzzing over a potential ‘mega site’ project and the promise of more jobs.” Lexington Herald-Leader, 3 Oct. 2023.
- Poole, Lauren A. “Site 1.” Cultural Historic Resource Survey for the Proposed Duncannon Lane 69 KV Substation and Tap Line Project in Madison County, Kentucky, 2017, pp. 15-34.
- Robinson, Bill. “Major road projects closer to becoming reality.” Richmond Register, 15 Dec. 2006.
- “T. J. Black.” Richmond Register, 3 Jan. 2008.
