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Kentucky Historical Society
Last Chance to See Cornelia Vanderbilt Whitney Dollhouse at KHS
FRANKFORT, KY (March 23, 2009)— There is still time to see the Cornelia Vanderbilt Whitney dollhouse at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. The last day to see the dollhouse is Saturday, April 4, as it will be moved back to the Headley-Whitney Museum on Monday, April 7.
The dollhouse was built at the request of Cornelia Vanderbilt Whitney, daughter of C.V. and Marylou Whitney. Though the dollhouse was completed six years after the request was made, the result is nothing short of spectacular. During long winters, workers on the Whitney farm worked to create a replica of the Whitney home, which was constructed in the 1790s and is known as “Maple Hill.” Jouett Redmon, the farm’s caretaker and descendant of Kentucky artist Matthew Harris Jouett, supervised the project. Ernest Hughes, Clarence Stacy, and Ray Edge were among the workers whose immense skills helped to create the dollhouse.
The reproduction is faithful to such details as the parquet flooring, the petit-point reproductions of the Aubusson carpets, the table settings, and the chandeliers. Even the miniature books in the library can be read. After the replica of “Maple Hill” was completed, Mrs. Whitney and the farm workers went on to create three more dollhouses: the artist studio, the pool house, and the guest house. These replicas are on display at the Headley-Whitney Museum in Lexington, Ky.
Patrons of the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) have been enjoying the magnificent dollhouse since November when it was loaned to KHS by Marylou Whitney of Whitney Farms in Lexington, Ky. KHS visitors may also enjoy touring A Kentucky Journey, a permanent exhibition that explores 12,000 years of Kentucky history, and Beyond the Log Cabin: Kentucky’s Abraham Lincoln, the state’s signature Lincoln exhibition.
The KHS History Campus, which includes the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, Old State Capitol, and Kentucky Military History Museum, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. The cost of admission to exhibitions is $4 for adults, $2 for youth, and free for children five and under and KHS members.
To learn more about the dollhouse, visit the Headley-Whitney Museum Web site at www.headley-whitney.org.
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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future. KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Since 1999, the thirty-million-dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.
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