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Daughters of the American Revolution was organized and incorporated in 1890 by four strong, patriotic women who sought to honor their Patriot roots, preserve our cultural heritage, and enhance educational opportunities. With Kentuckian Mary Desha (1850-1911) as one of the four founders of DAR, the state’s ties to the society were strong. Kentucky quickly saw the creation of two chapters: the Lexington Chapter, NSDAR, in October 1891 and the John Marshall Chapter, NSDAR, Louisville, in January 1892. By 1896, Kentucky had more than 10 chapters. The Daughters met in Estill Springs, Kentucky, in 1896 and established the Kentucky Society of the DAR. The first elected state regent was Mrs. Henry (Sallie Ewing) Pope of Louisville. Mrs. Anna Maxwell of the John Marshall Chapter, NSDAR, Louisville, was elected as the second state regent in 1896 and 1898. Lucretia Clay, Lexington, a descendant of Henry Clay, was elected the next state regent in 1899 and 1900. In 1911, the Daughters of KSDAR elected to provide the funds and furnishings for the Kentucky Room at the DAR headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the Fincastle Chapter, NSDAR, Louisville, sent the first supporting gift to Hindman Settlement School.
In 1940, a dilapidated building in Paris, Kentucky, the Duncan Tavern, was purchased by the Jemima Johnson Chapter, NSDAR, for one dollar, with the stipulation that the 1790s structure would be renovated, refurbished, and ready for use within one year. Supported by the Jemima Johnson Chapter, NSDAR, and the Hart Chapter, NSDAR, Mrs. Julia Ardery led the massive project, which would include creating a museum, the John Fox, Jr. Library, and the KSDAR headquarters. When the restoration was complete per the contract, the building was turned over to KSDAR. Visit the Duncan Tavern website for more information on this historic Kentucky treasure.
Today, KSDAR has almost 5,000 members and continues our service to the community, state, and country.
Our magnificent DAR Constitution Hall headquarters in Washington, D.C. is home to The DAR Museum, which features an outstanding collection of approximately 30,000 objects made or used in America prior to the Industrial Revolution. This collection includes furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, textiles costumes, jewelry, and paintings, plus musical and scientific instruments. Many of these objects are displayed in the thirty-one period rooms within the museum. Each room is furnished in the style of a particular period or region of colonial and early America. The DAR Museum is open for self-guided and docent-led tours.
One of the 31 period rooms designed and furnished by state societies, the Kentucky Room represents a parlor in the period 1830-40, and features a neoclassical sofa possibly made in the New York City shop of Duncan Phyfe. It is upholstered in blue striped horsehair with matching cushions and tasseled bolsters. Several pictures in this room depict famous Kentuckians. A 19th-century engraving of Henry Clay’s home, Ashland, located near Lexington, pays tribute to Clay, a fixture in American politics, who served as U.S. Senator, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary of State, and was a presidential candidate for the Republican and Whig Parties. Two 19th-century engravings by John James Audubon (1785-1851) also adorn the walls. George Rogers Clark (1752-1818), a Revolutionary War hero, is depicted in uniform in a 1910 copy of the original oil portrait.
