Morgan Row, the oldest row house west of the Allegheny Mountains, is the headquarters of the Harrodsburg Historical Society. Built in the 1810s by Squire Joseph Morgan and his son-in-law John Chiles, the building was originally a tavern, inn, and stagecoach stop. Over the years, it has served as a residence, antique shop, public library, and various businesses. The Society purchased one of the five sections of the building in the 1960s and restored it as closely as possible to its original state. This was the first historic building in Harrodsburg to be restored, and the community is proud of the number of early buildings and homes that have been restored since then. The Society now owns three of the sections, using the space for a library, archives, meeting rooms, and exhibit spaces. Like any historic building, Morgan Row requires regular maintenance, and sometimes major repairs to chimneys, roof, brickwork, and the foundation. We are committed to preserving this unique structure in downtown Harrodsburg.
Old Mud Meeting House on Dry Branch Road, three miles from downtown Harrodsburg, is the first Dutch Reformed Church built west of the Alleghenies and the only wattle-and-daub structure still extant in the region. Harrodsburg was home to a large Dutch American community that migrated to Kentucky from New Jersey and Pennsylvania after the American Revolution. Many veterans of tl1e Revolutionary War are interred in tl1e well-kept cemetery at Old Mud
_Meeting House. The structure was deeded to the Harrodsburg Historical Society in the 1970s and restored as nearly as possible to its original appearance, although protective siding was added to the outside walls to prevent further decay of the fabric of the building. The interior showcases the wattle-and-daub architecture, with many original hand-hewn beams still in place. The little schoolhouse beside the church was restored as a dressing room and rest room in 2021. The building is available for rent as a wedding and meeting venue, and programs and worship services are held there on occasion. Regular maintenance is required on the interior mud walls and the roofs and exterior walls that can be damaged by severe weather or woodland creatures.
