Blog #3 up-date

Today I decided to go to the Archives in the King Library. While I was there I found out a lot of interesting things about the Maxwell Place. Here is all the information that I found while I was there.

James Mulligan decided to name the house Maxwell Springs in honor of John Maxwell, he was one of Lexington’s founders. The house was opened to students who had an epidemic of scarlet fever. They would also invite students for tea party and when the holidays rolled around they would have a holiday show case. Where they would decorate the house and people around the community would come and visit. There were many different invitations that would invite student for many different types of parties.

I found this quote on a piece of paper that was inside the file of the Maxwell House. I couldn’t figure out who said it and the people at the archives didn’t know either.
“I hope that future generations will not see fit to demolish this building and that it will always remain an important part of our university, as it has been over the years important part of our community.”

As I was looking through different articles they had about the Maxwell Place and about the Mulligan family I got a very good impression that the Mulligan family had great pride in the state of Kentucky. James Mulligan wrote a song in honor of how hw loved Kentucky called In Kentucky.

The Maxwell house has 26 bedrooms. 8 of those bedrooms are located in the attic, 12 are on the first floor and 6 are located in the basement.

On September 14, 1907 the Maxwell house was contaminated with impure water.

On the gate of the Maxwell place there are inscriptions on plaques. On these inscriptions the president that was currently living there would write about how much they enjoyed the Maxwell House or what it meant to the University and community. Here are a few different inscriptions from the plaques.

“It was our great pleasure and privilege to live in this historic, University of Kentucky home during a most exciting and rewarding period which included the centennial year of the University, 1965. During that memorable year of reflection and celebration, this home was the center of many activities that focused on goals for the University’s second century. John W. and Rosanel O. Oswald September. 1963 to September, 1968

“During the forty five years in which the doors have open to faculty, students, friends, and guests of the university of Kentucky, Maxwell Place has symbolized gracious living in the academic community. Our days here have been filled with the happiness of sharing an exciting enterprise involving many people in the search for a better way of life.”
May Maxwell Place ever so. The Dickeys 1956-1963

“We will remember always Maxwell Place—Its spacious lawns, beautiful trees, lovely shrubs, and its garden of vegetables and flowers but the best of all we will remember the gracious friends colleagues and neighbors who have come to see us while we have dwelt in this lovely old home we will remember.” Herman and Nell Donovan 1941-1956

“This land part of a thousand acre tract surveyed for John Maxwell “First pioneer on the site of Lexington” By John Floyd in 1775: The present house erected by Dennis Mulligan in 1871 for his son James Hillary Mulligan” purchased and remodeled by the University of Kentucky in 1917 for the presidents house and first occupied as such by Frank Lerond Mcvey.”

“No man can call himself a gentleman of Kentucky until he has watered his horse at Maxwell Springs.” Henry Clay

To me these different inscriptions from the different presidents are there interpretation and experience that they had on the Maxwell Place.

Blog Up-Date # 2

After my history class I went and observed the Maxwell House (Presidents house). The weather was fairly warm and several clouds in the sky. The Maxwell House is made of a red brick. It is surrounded by a red brick gate. At the Maxwell House there are all kinds of different flowers out side of the gate and on the inside of the gate. For each set of flowers there is an automatic sprinkler that sprinkles the flowers when water is needed. In the front year there is a small pond surrounded by rocks and flowers. The yard seems very tidy and neat. As I was observing there were a lot of students that pass by the Maxwell House. They pass the house on the way to classes and there is a short cut to classes if you go through the gate and follow the signs. The house seems to be very homey. The Maxwell house does not seem to be aging that much, it could be that the house has been renovated. It is located right in the middle of central campus. After I got done observing the house there were many questions that came into my mind. Why did the University feel that they needed to buy this house for the president of the University? The president already makes so much money why couldn’t they buy there own house or if they did have another house what was the purpose for two different houses? IF the president didn’t live in the house then what happened to the Maxwell place? Who takes care of the Maxwell place? Do the president and his wife clean the house and take care of the yard or do they have professional people come in and do it for them? If they do have professional people come in who pays for them to take care of the house? Is it the president and his wife or the University? I also wanted to know who goes to the Maxwell house besides the president and his wife. Are students allowed in the house? Do family members come and visit? Whose idea was it to feel the need that the University of Kentucky needed a house on campus? Why does the president’s house have to be on campus? In the future what will happen to eh Maxwell House? Will they continue to renovate it? Will they let it fall apart? Will they sell it? Will they demolish it?

Blog update #1

I found some history of the Maxwell place as I was doing my secondary research. The information that I found was at http://ukcc.uky.edu/cgi-bin/dynamo?maps.391+campus+0040 and http://www.uky.edu/President/maxwell.htm.

The first site informed me that the Presidents home is called the Maxwell Place. It was built in 1872 for Judge James Hillary Mulligan. It was sold to the University in 1917 by Judge James heirs for $40,000. Besides the house it also came with 13 acres of land. Frank McVey was the first president to ever live in the home.

The second site informed me that it has been the home of nine Kentucky presidents. When the University bought the house they renivated and furnished the house. University of Kentucky's 11th president Lee Todd and his wife Patricia Brantley Todd, moved into the house on July 1, 2001. They also siad that Mr and Mrs. Todd have opened there home for special events and dinners. They opened the Maxwell place for the entire community to enjoy.

In the information above it states that only nine out of eleven presidents have lived in the Maxwell house, so I believe that all presidents dont have to live in the house. This is something that I am going to do furthere research on. I am also going to find out if the University puts any money into the house and if so how much does that cost? I am alsod going to find out if there are any interesting storys behind the Maxwell Place.

Introduction

I am investigating the president’s house. I decided to investigate the president’s house because no one else decided to do this. I also chose this because I don’t think the school should be putting money into a house, when they could be cutting tuition. I also don’t know if the president really lives in the house and if he doesn’t then why are they putting money into a house where no one lives in it. I don’t really know anything about this place. I have heard that sometimes the president’s wife will invite students to eat dinner with them but then again I also heard that the president doesn’t even live in the house; this is something I would like to find out. I will explore why the school decides to put so much into the house, when the house looks in good condition already. Does the president really live in the house? If he doesn’t then why do they put so much money into the house? Is there interesting stories that have happened in the house or about the president’s house? My goal for this essay is to answer all my questions I have about the president’s house and come to a conclusion on why they spend so much money on the house.