William Whitley House

William Whitley House is one of the first brick houses west of the Allegheny Mountains. The estate, named Sportsman's Hill, was home to William and Esther Whitley and had the first circular racetrack to run counter-clockwise in the United States.

The Whitley family was one of the first families to settle in frontier Kentucky in the 1770s. William Whitley would serve with George Rogers Clark, Captain John Montgomery, and later under Kentucky's first governor, Isaac Shelby, as a major in the 6th Regiment of the Kentucky militia. Whitley also served in Kentucky's House of Representatives. When Whitley was 64, he answered Gov. Shelby's call for volunteers for the Kentucky Mounted Infantry during the War of 1812. Whitley lost his life on October 5, 1813 at the Battle of the Thames. Whitley rode at the head of a group of 20 mounted men to draw the first volley of fire from the Indians led by Tecumseh. Fifteen of the men were mortally wounded and the group became know as "The Forlorn Hope" by many historians. 

The grounds are open dawn to dusk daily (7 days a week); the house is open for tours seasonally Thursday-Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm, and by appointment Monday-Wednesday. There are two pavilions (shelters) which can be rented and a playground and walking trails.

Special William Whitley House Announcement

The William Whitley House will open for regular tours on May 6, 2021. The grounds and trails are open year round, weather permitting. Reservations for shelters for the 2021 season can be made by calling the Lincoln County Courthouse at 606-365-2534 or sending an email to jvanhook@lincolnky.com