Thomas Bradley House
171 N. Upper St., Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.
Here where 140 years ago Lexingtonians gathered to see "the circus," Thomas Bradley erected a residence in 1847, which he sold in 1888 to Oliver Lee Bradley and wife, Elizabeth, for $6,700 "to be deducted out of his share of my estate."
The owners of the garage next door (built on the site of "Henry Clay's brick stable and carriage house") purchased this residence with the expectation of extending the garage, but abandoned the idea and sold it, so it now joins the near-century old houses of history.
When John McCracken, the tavern-keeper, (who sold to Thomas Bradley) bought the property from Thos. Van Swearingen and wife, Elmira, in 1841, the deed said it was "the same lot of land devised by Elijah Warner to his daughter Elmira (now Elmira Van Swearingen) and commonly known as the 'Circus Lot'."
Elijah Warner in his will (1829) gave Elmira the property across the street and "also my framed house and lot on Upper St. opposite the above, containing 70 feet front." Warner had bought the house and lot from the heirs of John Harrison (Wm. Harrison and wife, Margaret, Christian Co., Ky., John Harrison and wife, Elizabeth; James Harrison and wife, Martha, and Mrs. Cyrus A. (Maria Harrison) Moffett, all of Fayette Co.), in 1824-27. Prior to that time, adjoining deeds said the house was occupied by the Widow Harrison.
Moses Bledsoe and wife, Lucy, of Montgomery Co., Ky. had sold the lot in 1805 to Benj. Stout and Samuel Ayres, trustees for Penelope Harrison, widow, and the children of John Harrison. It began "at the east corner of Mrs. Brady's lot on Upper St. in McDermid's Square" and extended 73 feet "to the new cross fence between this lot and Henry Clay's stable lot bought of Baylor." The deed said 33 feet was part of Lot. No. 26 in McDermid's Square (with the house) conveyed by Walker Baylor to Bledsoe April 11, 1801, and the adjoining 40 feet conveyed by Baylor in December 1805.
A number of places in Lexington have been referred to as "the residence of the famous Judge Jesse Bledsoe" and some of them probably are authentic. The frame house which stood here in 1801, however, must also have been Jesse Bledsoe's residence, just after he began to practice law in Lexington. Moses Bledsoe lived in Montgomery County when he purchased this property in 1801 and when he sold it in 1805. Furthermore, he bought it from Capt. Walker Baylor, who was a relative and partner of the Bledsoes.
Jesse Bledsoe, who studied law under the great Col. George Nicholas and was admitted to the Fayette County bar shortly before 1800 had graduated from Transylvania Seminary in the 1790's. He was appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Chas. Scott in 1808, and was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1812. He was elected United States Senator and served from March 4, 1813, until his resignation December 24, 1814. He was State Senator 1817-20, and Judge of the Lexington Circuit Court in 1822. He became Professor of Law in Transylvania University, and later a minister in the Disciples Church. He moved to Mississippi in 1833 and to Texas in 1835, where he was engaged in collecting historical material at the time of his death June 26, 1836, near Nacodoches, Texas.
Jesse Bledsoe (born in Virginia April 6, 1776) was an uncle of Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor, born in Lincoln Co., Ky., May 10, 1793. The latter also went to Congress, from Alabama. He had served in the War of 1812 and in the Kentucky Legislature in 1819, before removing to Alabama in 1820.
Investigation of the reference to "Henry Clay's stable" developed the fact that Mr. Clay had purchased the remainder of the Upper Street frontage from here to Second St. (McDermid Square Lots 27, 28 and 29) from John W. Baylor in 1805. He and his wife presented the corner lot (with the house recently razed) in January, 1808, to Mrs. Margaret January. Mrs. January presented it as a wedding gift to her daughter, Margaret W., who married Henry Purviance. Mr. Clay and his wife sold Purviance an adjoining lot a few months later. The lot with the "brick stable and carriage house of Henry Clay" he sold to Peter Paul soon afterwards.
And now to explain the reference in the introduction to the "circus 140 years ago."
An ad in the Kentucky Gazette May 31, 1797 stated:
"The subscriber informs the inhabitants of
Lexington and its vicinity that he is erecting A New Exhibition
Room on a lot belonging to Mr. Hickey, adjoining Mr. Coleman's
tavern, where he will perform on Monday Evening, June 5, a
variety of new FEATS, consisting of WIRE DANCING, BALANCING,
TUMBLING and CHINESE SHADES. Also will be performed THE SLACK
ROPE TUMBLING, &c. Admittance to the Pitt, 3s. 9d.
Gallery 2s. 3d. Doors to be opened at sun set and the performance
to begin at dark--
GEORGE SAUNDERS."
(James Coleman had the same year advertised he had an "excellent room for shows." in connection with his tavern.)
Coleman's tavern occupied the ground next north (now a garage). He bought it in two parcels from Peter Paul, Sr., and Peter Paul, Jr., both of whom had purchased from Henry Clay (32 feet each). The deed from the Pauls described the lots as "occupied by James Coleman" and as adjoining on the south "Harrison's corner," which doubly confirms the lot whereon stands the "Bradley House" now.
Capt. Walker Baylor bought "Mr. Hickey's lot" with the "Exhibition Room" in 1798 and sold it to Moses Bledsoe. Baylor also was a tavern-keeper, concluding his career at Captain Young's old stand.
He first succeeded Walker Baylor on Short Street near Upper (next to McClelland Bldg. today [this was prob. written in the 1930s].
The deed to Bledsoe mentioned above included "one lot and the buildings on same, being one-half of Lot No. 6, on Short St.," which was the old tavern. The property here was described as "one other house and lot, two poles in front, on Upper St., Lot. No. 26, McDermid's Square."
John Washington--one of THE Washingtons--held a mortgage on the above property, including Captain Young's pioneer tavern, for $14, 653, which Walker Baylor signed September 4, 1805, covering "a certain corner lot and two out-lots, together with sundry other property." Baylor paid off $4,000 and the above-described three lots were released by "John Washington, of Logan County, Ky.," July 22, 1806.
This same John Washington, of Frederick County, Va.," before coming to Kentucky, was given power of attorney by Wm. H. Harding, "Jefferson County, Va., in March, 1803, "to receive moneys, debts, etc., in the state of Kentucky and execute deeds." Harding also gave Washington power of attorney he had "received from Miles Carey, exer. of George M. Fairfax, Esq., to manage the business of the estate and to ask and receive from Col. Harry Innis, of the State of Kentucky, any monies due the estate."
Transcribed by pb February 2003
Updated December 13, 2025.